eBook downloads, eBook resources & eBook authors
Leading Learning and Teaching is a thorough, comprehensive sourcebook on school improvement and best-practice leadership, including extensive references, case studies and evidence to back up arguments.
* How can we understand and theorise school leadership? * How can school leadership work towards enhancing student learning? * What are the constraints and possibilities for school leadership at the beginning of a new century? This title is relevant to anyone concerned with improving schooling and enhancing the professional practices of educators. The authors focus on leadership for enhancing student outcomes, both academic and social. While recognizing the significance of the principal or headteacher in school leadership, the authors argue a strong case for the dispersal of leadership: * Based on extensive research conducted within schools * Focuses on leading learning across the school * Theoretically sound; reflects the theories of Bourdieu and Foucault * Politically aware; discusses the context of leadership within school communities, educational systems, global pressures, new policy directions Current, topical and thoughtful, Leading Learning is key reading for principals or headteachers, teachers, and other school leaders, policy makers and for students studying educational administration.
The study of educational leadership makes little sense unless it is in relation to who the leaders are, how they are leading, what is being led, and with what effect. Based on the premise that learning is at the heart of leadership and that leaders themselves should be learners, the Leadership for Learning series explores the connections between educational leadership, policy, curriculum, human resources and accountability. Each book in the series approaches its subject matter through a three-fold structure of process, themes and impact. Series Editors - Clive Dimmock, Mark Brundrett and Les Bell The notion that school transformation is dependent on exceptional leaders is increasingly seen as unrealistic and unsustainable. Instead, the idea of distributed leadership, which promotes the view that all stakeholders have complementary leadership roles to play in enhancing student learning, is now being promoted as a more useful framework for understanding schools and how they might be changed. Subscribing to the notion of distributed leadership, O’Donoghue and Clarke identify two key groups: the ‘leaders of learning’ and the ‘leaders for learning’. The leaders of learning – and the focus of this book – are those working at the school level to improve the quality of learning in the classroom, such as teachers, principals, pupils and involved members of the local school community. The leaders for learning are the policy-makers and administrators whose support is crucial. The authors argue that in order to be effective leaders, both groups require an understanding of: Broad trends in contemporary leadership theory Recent views on learning theory The importance of teachers engaging continually in learning about their practice The significance of creating and sustaining schools as learning organisations Forging links between leadership and learning The book’s examination of the shifting approaches to leading learning in contemporary schools is enriched by innovative examples drawn from a range of international contexts. Leading Learning will appeal to students involved in masters and doctoral courses relevant to the field and those undertaking programmes of school leadership preparation and development. It will also be of interest to academics working in the field of educational leadership and management.
The core purpose of schools and educators must be the successful facilitation of teaching and learning - and to do this effectively, teachers must also be leaders. In Leading Learning and Teaching, Stephen Dinham follows up the success of How to Get Your School Moving and Improving with an authoritative, in-depth examination of the field of instructional leadership. Building on extensive research in Australia and around the world, Leading Learning and Teaching examines the importance and impact of instructional leadership. Key themes include successful change management, the effectiveness of teacher professional development and the importance of evidence and the use of data.
Leading Learning and Teaching in Higher Education brings together contemporary ideas on leadership, engagement and student learning into a practical solutions-based resource designed for those undertaking the challenge of leading a university-level teaching module, programme or suite of programmes, particularly through periods of transformation or change. It encourages both first time academic leaders and those who have held teaching leadership roles for some time to review and formalise their development in a systematic, simple way and acts as a framework for navigating the opportunities and challenges involved in inspiring shared purpose, strong commitment and innovation in higher education teaching. With a clear focus on the energy of leadership rather than the practice of management, and with a strong emphasis on collaborative engagement running throughout, this books offers: Insightful guidance which is not bound to subject-specific requirements, making it relevant across the spectrum of course offerings at any one institution. An enabling, people-focussed foundation for leadership. Tools and frameworks which can be readily applied or adapted for the reader. A focus on core elements of teaching leadership, such as design, delivery, assessment and building a programme team. A flexible and pragmatic approach to leadership which avoids a definitive approach, instead encouraging a dynamic method of engaging leadership. Values that assert that leadership and learning go hand-in-hand. A wide-ranging discussion of leadership theories, ideas and values related to the university context. This book puts forward a multifaceted model of programme leadership and links this to a scaffolding of key attributes, skills and qualities that fit the environment of leading learning and teaching in the university. Particularly interested readers will be those beginning to lead teaching in a university setting as well as those who have been leading programme teams and the wider provision of teaching for some time wanting to enhance their skills and perspective.
To make a lasting impact, start with your own learning. What’s better: a rigorous system that emphasizes traditional academics, or an innovative one that prepares students for tomorrow’s world? With McDowell’s new model of educational leadership, you don’t have to choose. You can create an impactful system that ensures growth for all students in both core academic content and 21st-century skills. The Lead Learner shows you how starting with your own professional learning helps you plan for and meet the unique learning needs of staff and students—while getting the biggest impact from your limited time. You’ll also find ways to: Ensure clarity in strategic planning Establish coherence throughout the system Enact system-wide capacity-building processes Craft your personal leadership skills With practical examples, stories from the field, and numerous activities and reflective questions, this insightful book takes you step-by-step through the work of the learning leader—so you can ensure engaged learning for all. The enduring contribution of this book is in the guidance it provides leaders to recognize that they are part, an important part, but just a part, of a networked system. As such, their decisions and actions send messages throughout the system about what is valued and what is not. Take heed to McDowell’s advice and you’ll have a healthy, growth-producing system that will be the envy of those around you. The work is possible, the information is available, and the results are clear. Douglas Fisher San Diego State University
The stories of lived experience of five Emirati women highlight their expertise and contributions to the fields of education and leadership; and makes their leadership perspectives and experiences accessible and engaging for all types of audiences.
The change in paradigm in our field is away from the great man or woman theory of leadership and the teacher in his or her own classroom to the development of learning communities which value differences and support critical reflection and encourage members to question, challenge, and debate teaching and learning issues. How to achieve such learning communities is far from clear, but we believe the areas of problem-based learning (PBL) and organizational learning (OL) offer valuable clues. The indications are that the successful educational restructuring agenda depends on teams of leaders, whole staffs and school personnel, working together (i.e., OL) linking evidence and practice in genuine collaboration (i.e., PBL). The book is unique in that it is both about and uses these two concepts. The book is made up of four sections: 1.An introductory rational in which the case for using only quality evidence in school reform efforts is argued. Results from a quality research project are then presented. These results are organised around six questions: how is the concept of OL defined in schools ('teacher voice')? what leadership practices promote OL in schools ('teacher voice')? what are some outcomes of schooling other than academic achievement ('pupil voice')? what are the relationships between the non-academic and academic outcomes of schooling? does school leadership and/or organisational learning contribute to student outcomes? And, what other factors contribute to student outcomes? The section concludes with a plea that given the accumulation and consistent quality of the evidence from across systems and countries, we no longer need to involve ourselves with just impressions of effective leadership. We have a way forward that links leadership to organisational learning and improved student outcomes. 2.Advice for using the book. The reasons for the choice of problem-based learning as the vehicle for the professional development materials that form the major part of this book are detailed. Suggestions are then made for use of the book, including a one-day and two- day workshop, and advice on group development and warm-up activities for such group development before moving to the problem-based learning package in Section 3; 3.A problem based-learning, evidence informed, professional development package for aspiring and actual school leaders based on real schools and their leaders. 4.A challenge. The final section provides refined versions of the diagnostic instruments used in the research and challenges readers to use them in their own schools. The book concludes with the references used and a list of other readings.
Leading Professional Learning: Practical strategies for impact in schools identifies the challenges that school leaders face when leading professional learning and development in their schools as part of an improvement agenda.
