Professor Phillip Hallinger, Distinguished Visiting Professor in the University of Johannesburg (UJ)’s Faculty of Education, has once again been recognised among the world’s leading scholars. In the 2025 rating cycle, he was awarded an A rating by the National Research Foundation (NRF) — a distinction he has now achieved for the second time.
According to the NRF, A-rated researchers are those who are “unequivocally recognised by their peers as leading international scholars in their field for the high quality and impact of their recent research outputs.”
Prof Hallinger explained the significance of this honour:“The systematic and rigorous process of peer review for the NRF rating provides a validation of a scholar’s impact on his/her fields of study. It is a unique type of validation of career impact that goes beyond the number of publications and citations.”
For him, the rating highlights the broad and lasting influence of his work across several academic disciplines.
“I recall something my doctoral mentor and subsequent collaborator – Prof. Edwin Bridges of Stanford University shared with me 15 years ago. He mentioned that one of the things he was proudest about in career was the significant number of citations of our research on problem-based learning (PBL) by scholars in disciplines beyond educational administration. He said, ‘that is rare in our field’. In my case, that applied not only to our research on PBL, but also to my research in the fields of management, sustainable development, and simulation-based learning. This broader impact was recognized by the A-1 rating.”
Key Influences and Turning Points
Reflecting on the path that brought him to this point, Prof Hallinger credited both his early professional experience and institutional support throughout his career.
“Critical factors were the experience I had as a professional before starting the graduate studies, the quality of my training at Stanford, the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from other key (diverse) scholars. I recall that when I first visited Vanderbilt University in 1987, I called my former advisor (Prof. Bridges) to tell him how impressed I was by the quality of the faculty. I said, ‘What a great place to learn!’ Later in my career, (2008), I had the opportunity to hold a Chair Professorship in Hong Kong where the research infrastructure was particularly strong. That was another turning point.The institutional support for research jump-started my research which had been largely dormant during my deanship.”
But the road was not without its setbacks. In fact, Prof Hallinger’s initial attempt to pursue a master’s degree in educational administration at Stanford was rejected.
“When I applied to Stanford for my master’s degree in 1978, I wrote a personal statement about my motivation to study. I said that I had been a teacher and administrator in several schools and had observed differences in the ways that the principals carried out their role. I said that I wanted to learn how principals could enact their role to support the effectiveness of all teachers in a school. My application to the educational administration department was rejected with the response, ‘This isn’t what we study in educational administration.’”
Still, he persisted, and later his work helped shape a foundational shift in the field.
“So, I was accepted into the Dept of Curriculum and Teaching. During the next year (1979) new research was published that highlighted the ‘instructional leadership’ of principals as a key to effective schools. I reapplied for my doctorate to the administration department using this language. My dissertation developed a research model and instrument that sought to define the everyday mindset and practices that principals use to develop teaching and learning quality in schools. Forty years later instructional leadership has become the dominant paradigm in the field… They’ve been replaced by Departments of Educational Leadership and Management, which emphasize instructional leadership.”
Resilience in the Face of Adversity
One of the most difficult moments in his career came when he lost a university position for exposing corruption.
“The most significant challenge I faced in my career was not having my contract at a university renewed due to being a ‘whistleblower’ on corruption. My success as a teacher, researcher, and administrator did not protect me from the politics of the university. I overcame this challenge not by fighting them (which many said I should do at that time), but rather by finding a better faculty position at a stronger university and further strengthening my research profile. Ten years later…I was invited back to my former university as their first Chair Professor. This again highlights the importance of resilience in long-term success.”
Current Work and Advice for Young Researchers
Currently, Prof Hallinger is engaged in an ambitious, multi-country research project.
“This could be one of the largest cross-cultural studies conducted on the use of simulation-based learning in any field. We are hoping to explore numerous issues, including the impact of culture on learning with simulations.
He also offers clear advice to early-career researchers:
- “Find colleagues nationally and internationally with whom you can collaborate. Seek out a mentor(s) from whom you can learn (could be a co-author).
- Apply for research grants… They force you to develop self-discipline in planning and executing your research.
- Only publishing in local and national journals is not enough… Even if you’re rejected, learn from the feedback and adapt.
- Work at strengthening your strengths. Collaborate with colleagues whose strengths can complement your limitations… I know my own strengths and apply those.”
