Distributed leadership for innovative use of ICT in teaching and learning: Empowerment through culture, capacity and collaboration

The explosion and advancements of information and communication technology (ICT) are shaping the skills and competencies our children will need for their future. School leaders are confronted with the challenge to redesign traditional models of schooling and embrace ICTs in order to create innovative school cultures to support 21st century learner needs. Opportunities that allow students to construct their own learning pathways, connect with each other and the world beyond their classroom, collaborate, reflect, and solve real problems will prepare our students to take an active role in a highly complex and demanding society. School leaders adopting a distributed leadership approach has shown potential to build school capacity to undertake innovation and change. This research adopts the distributed leadership theory to understand how school leaders and teachers can implement innovative ICT pedagogies within New Zealand primary schools. Using a qualitative interpretive methodology two high performing urban schools were case studied. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with school leaders and teachers and a document analysis of relevant school documentation. Thematic analyses within and between the cases revealed three key themes: developing a supportive culture, building teacher and leadership capacity and providing formal opportunities for collaboration. The findings indicate that school leaders play a crucial role in creating the necessary conditions to foster and sustain innovation and change. This approach involves developing a positive culture, building capacity of individuals, and providing opportunities for collaboration. Teachers indicated that when these conditions were in place they felt empowered to leverage the potential of technology in their teaching and learning practice. The distributed leadership model was valuable for understanding such leadership in action. It highlighted the need for a positive synergy between a supportive school culture, building teacher and leadership capacity and formal opportunities for collaboration. Implications for school leaders interested in adopting a distributed approach to leadership and practice in order to support innovative ICT teaching practice include: understanding the conditions required for effective distributed leadership; how to establish these conditions in their school context; intentionally seeking to be life long learners; appreciating the role technology can play; building leadership capacity throughout the school; and establishing learning communities in their school.

Becta Review 2005. Evidence on the progress of ICT in education.

Drawing on Becta national surveys of ICT use and implementation within the education system, the Becta Review identified the ways in which ICT could be used to support the DfES 5 year strategy, to introduce greater efficiencies in educational provision and more choice/personalisation of content and delivery

Integrating ICT in Kenyan secondary schools: an exploratory case study of a professional development program

This study explores the introduction of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Kenyan secondary schools. Specifically, it is a case study of four schools with no previous access to ICT. The professional development program from which data for this study were drawn was designed to support teachers learning to integrate ICT in the curriculum. Using a mixed method research approach, we collected data from multiple sources and triangulated the views of various stakeholders: questionnaires with teachers, focus groups with teachers, school leaders and ICT coordinators, field observations and document analysis. While the broader program focused on the use of ICT, the results highlighted in this study focus on the development of the four schools with respect to 1) vision building, 2) leadership, 3) collaboration, 4) expertise, and 5) access to adequate resources. The discussion centers on the challenges and opportunities inherent in understanding how to prepare schools in developing countries to integrate ICT in education

Leading functional skills in secondary schools

"As part of an extensive suite of materials (see page 21), this booklet supports leadership by providing: a high-level introduction to functional skills; an introduction to 10 factors for successful leadership, along with key questions and guidance; illustrative case studies; and, continuing professional development (CPD) materials for functional skills as well as useful websites..." - page 3