Successful School Leadership in an Era of Uncertainty: An Interview with Professor David Gurr and Professor Lawrence Drysdale from the University of Melbourne

doi:10.16382/j.cnki.1000-5560.2026.05.010

Abstract

Abstract:

Promoting educational reform and innovation in a rapidly changing context presents new challenges for educational leadership practices, making exceptional educational leadership in an era of uncertainty a global concern. In this regard, two renowned scholars in the field of international educational leadership—Professor David Gurr and Professor Lawrence Drysdale from the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Education—have long been involved in the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) and have accumulated extensive research on fostering exceptional educational leadership in uncertain times. This article engages these two scholars in a dialogue focusing on two key aspects of this widely discussed theoretical and practical issue. One is the global applicability of the seven-dimensional framework for successful school leadership, particularly its value in adapting and innovating within the Chinese educational context; the other is the profound impact of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence on educational leadership research and practice, exploring suggestions for Chinese scholars to develop localized leadership theories in response to these new challenges. Based on the dialogue with the two scholars, this article concludes by reflecting, from a cross-cultural perspective, on the corresponding implications for the development of educational leadership theory and practical innovation, particularly regarding how Chinese educational leaders can achieve more effective leadership to navigate uncertainty and pursue educational excellence.

Key words: educational leadership, uncertainty, successful school, educational reform and innovation

Yanan Wang, Duyu Li, Hui Dong, David Gurr, Lawrence Drysdale. Successful School Leadership in an Era of Uncertainty: An Interview with Professor David Gurr and Professor Lawrence Drysdale from the University of Melbourne[J]. Journal of East China Normal University(Educationa, 2026, 44(5): 113-125.

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