An evaluation of a professional portfolio project for principals in Western Australia

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Research and Development in Higher Education Vol. 26: Learning for an Unknown Future

July, 2003, 692 pages
Published by
Helen Mathews and Rod McKay
ISBN
0 90 8557 55 8
Abstract 

Principals of the Swan Education District in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia, under the guidance of the district director, voluntarily participated in a pilot Professional Portfolio Project that began early in 2002. The project sought to develop a leadership portfolio underpinned by the draft Education Department of WA competency framework. This study is an evaluation of the initiative. Its focus was to clarify a number of issues related to principals’ perceptions of their experiences in creating a portfolio, including the adequacy of the training and preparation phase, whether the goals and objectives of the project had been achieved and what value the portfolio offered to principals participating in the project. It investigated principals’ perceptions about the effects that resulted from creating a portfolio, what further applications principals thought a professional portfolio might have and if any significant ethical issues arose from the project

Keywords: portfolio; professional portfolio; educational leadership