Effective School Leadership in a Rural School: A Case Study

Irene Moreno-Medina; Marta Camarero-Figuerola

doi:10.30828/real.1944828

Effective School Leadership in a Rural School: A Case Study

Abstract

This study analyses successful educational leadership and school improvement in an early years and primary school. It is a case study based on the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) methodology, it presents a case study of a rural school in Spain. The main objective is to identify leadership strategies and behaviours associated with school success. The findings indicate that successful leadership practices in this school are characterised by a collaborative approach, effective communication between all educational stakeholders, and a clear and shared pedagogical vision, distributed leadership which encourages the participation of the educational community, and the creation of an atmosphere of trust and cooperation. This study highlights the importance of collaborative leadership as a driver of educational improvement. It also emphasises that successful leadership in rural schools is crucial to promoting equitable and democratic education, reducing inequalities, and strengthening social cohesion to ensure meaningful learning opportunities for all students, regardless of their geographical or socio-economic background.

Keywords

Project Number

INDOC21-07GI210

Ethical Statement

This project has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee on People, Society, and the Environment at the University of Rovira i Virgili (CEIPSA), with code CEIPSA-2021-PR-0049.

Thanks

Marta Camarero-Figuerola, principal investigator of the “Leadership and Research through the Practicum and Bachelor’s Thesis in Early Childhood and Primary Education Programmes (LIDERE)” project (Ref. INDOC21-07GI2101), acknowledges the funding received in the call for grants for Teaching Innovation and Educational Research of the Institute of Education Sciences (ICE) at the Rovira i Virgili University. Irene Moreno-Medina, acknowledges the postdoctoral contract Margarita Salas- jóvenes doctores (CA4/RSUE/2022-00208, funded by the European Union 'NextGenerationEU', the Plan for Recovery, Transformation and Resilience, and the Ministry of Universities.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Leadership in Education

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Irene Moreno-Medina This is me
0000-0002-3745-7253
Spain

Marta Camarero-Figuerola ^*
0000-0001-6116-0882
Spain

Publication Date

September 27, 2026

Submission Date

May 5, 2026

Acceptance Date

August 1, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 3

DOI

https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1944828

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA37BH95ZU

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Moreno-Medina, I., & Camarero-Figuerola, M. (2026). Effective School Leadership in a Rural School: A Case Study. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, 11(3), 876-916. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1944828

AMA

1.Moreno-Medina I, Camarero-Figuerola M. Effective School Leadership in a Rural School: A Case Study. REAL. 2026;11(3):876-916. doi:10.30828/real.1944828

Chicago

Moreno-Medina, Irene, and Marta Camarero-Figuerola. 2026. “Effective School Leadership in a Rural School: A Case Study”. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership 11 (3): 876-916. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1944828.

EndNote

Moreno-Medina I, Camarero-Figuerola M (September 1, 2026) Effective School Leadership in a Rural School: A Case Study. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership 11 3 876–916.

IEEE

[1]I. Moreno-Medina and M. Camarero-Figuerola, “Effective School Leadership in a Rural School: A Case Study”, REAL, vol. 11, no. 3, pp. 876–916, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.30828/real.1944828.

ISNAD

Moreno-Medina, Irene - Camarero-Figuerola, Marta. “Effective School Leadership in a Rural School: A Case Study”. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership 11/3 (September 1, 2026): 876-916. https://doi.org/10.30828/real.1944828.

JAMA

1.Moreno-Medina I, Camarero-Figuerola M. Effective School Leadership in a Rural School: A Case Study. REAL. 2026;11:876–916.

MLA

Moreno-Medina, Irene, and Marta Camarero-Figuerola. “Effective School Leadership in a Rural School: A Case Study”. Research in Educational Administration and Leadership, vol. 11, no. 3, Sept. 2026, pp. 876-1, doi:10.30828/real.1944828.

Vancouver

1.Irene Moreno-Medina, Marta Camarero-Figuerola. Effective School Leadership in a Rural School: A Case Study. REAL. 2026 Sep. 1;11(3):876-91. doi:10.30828/real.1944828