Leadership Development: Evidence and beliefs (original) (raw)
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School of Education Journal …, 2007
England and New Zealand and argues that there are policy similarities between the two countries. The authors suggest that the creation and implementation of comparable school leadership training programmes has formed part of an increasing governmental interest in the importance of leadership development in the two countries that is welcome. There are inherent tensions, dilemmas and dangers in these developments since such centralised initiatives can create an 'orthodoxy' of leadership development practices since both governments have created the expectation that those who undertake leadership training for headship or principalship will comply with mandated requirements in order to conform to centrally defined norms. We suggest that fundamental questions concerning the nature of leadership and the knowledge base of professional leadership, leadership training and professional development remain about that should be posited in order to better inform the practice of leadership preparation in both locations.
Journal of In-Service Education, 2006
This paper examines the impact of one leadership development programme, drawing on a model developed by Leithwood and Levin (2004) for the Department of Education and Skills. The New Visions programme, offered by the National College for School Leadership, is aimed at new headteachers and adopts a process rich approach to leadership development. The paper uses evidence from the authors' evaluation to show that the programme had a significant impact on participants' knowledge and skills, and on their leadership practices, but a more limited effect on classroom practice and pupil outcomes. Introduction: leadership and school aims The performance of educational leaders is under the microscope. They face wideranging expectations from diverse sources, and multiple accountabilities to many different constituencies. There is also a widespread belief that their role is critical to achieving and sustaining high-quality education for children and students. In England, and in many other countries, heads, principals and other leaders are expected to absorb and accept the burgeoning agenda for change, and to succeed in ways which satisfy learners, parents, governors, teachers and other staff, and, above all, to comply with the rapacious demands of government. The contemporary emphasis on 'vision' inevitably raises questions about the aims of education. Hallinger and Heck (1998, p. 179) stress that 'formulating the school's purposes represents an important leadership function'. Bush (2003) makes a similar point about management: Educational management has to be centrally concerned with the purpose or aims of education … These purposes or goals provide the crucial sense of direction which should underpin the management of educational institutions … Unless this link between purpose and
Making sense of school leadership in the 1990s: being and becoming
Journal of In-Service Education, 1998
'Effective School Leadership in a Time of Change' was the title of an international project involving 32 school leaders from three countries: Denmark, England and Scotland. The project was funded by 10 local authorities who each nominated a group of participants. Its objectives were to examine expectations of school leaders across the three countries and, through a collaborative process, to contribute to the professional development of the participants. Over a period of three years the nominated head teachers worked with six researchers from the Royal Danish School of Education, the Roehampton Institute and the University of Strathclyde to explore perceptions of what made for an effective head. Eight of the school leaders were Danish (three women and five men), 11 were Scottish (eight women and three men) and 13 were English (seven women and six men). within the group there was a significant number of heads with less than four years in post and, at the other end of the scale, six with over 10 years experience. Within the sample from the United Kingdom there were 13 primary, nine secondary and two special school heads. All the Danish heads were from Folkeskoles.
Challenges and Reflections for Developing Leadership in Educational Contexts
Educational governance research, 2023
This volume was inspired by the observation that over the past 20 years, the educational system and public administration in general have changed enormously due to ideological, political and structural transformation. In practice, the mode of operation in educational organisations is characterised by a complex interplay between political and administrative objectives, negotiations and promotion of various perspectives, cultural features, professional sights and aims to adapt to external and internal pressures and influences. This has affected educational leadership that should also be seen from a complex perspective that includes relationships and active social interaction in various networks. However, there have been very few publications of the specifics of leadership in educational contexts with a wideranging perspective for the radically evolving operational environments and written by researchers in educational leadership and governance. Therefore, this volume has presented a joint effort for positioning, conceptualising and describing the
New models of leadership in Kent schools: final report
2010
1. Executive Summary The overall aim of this commissioned project, led by Professor Vivienne Griffiths and Dr Andrew Lambirth at Canterbury Christ Church University, is to identify new models of leadership in Kent schools, their characteristics, benefits and challenges to schools. It builds on recent initiatives in Kent schools as set out by the Advisory Service for Kent (2009), responding to an analysis and identification of school leadership needs (ASK 2008). We were particularly asked to look at: - what schools have learnt from introducing new models of leadership - how they prepared for change - their professional needs in the run up to and during the change process - the barriers to change - the enablers. 1.1 Summary of work undertaken The study involved: a) scrutiny of available data on new models of leadership in Kent schools; b) analysis of the literature and consultation material; c) questionnaires to headteachers of federations (N=19); d) interviews with headteachers of fe...