Conceptualising the research–practice–professional development nexus: mobilising schools as ‘research-engaged’ professional learning communities

This paper argues the need for coherent, holistic frameworks offering insightful understandings as well as viable, connected and synergistic solutions to schools in addressing pressing problems arising from the acknowledged gaps between research, practice and professional development. There is a need to conceptualise a comprehensive conceptual framework that rationalises, constructs and connects salient professional development concepts and practices fit for purpose in twenty-first-century schools. Specifically, three themes conceptualise existing problems faced by schools and their possible solutions: first, bridging the research–policy–practice gap by mobilising knowledge more effectively through knowledge producers and consumers working collaboratively; second, valuing and integrating both tacit knowledge and academic coded knowledge; and third, raising the professionalism and reflectivity of teachers and leaders. However, a new organisational and human infrastructure is needed to enable these solutions to be realised in school practice. Arguably, three responses are critical to this challenge of knowledge mobilisation; all are achievable through the powerful unifying concept of the ‘research-engaged school’. The three responses are: research engagement on the part of all teachers and leaders; creating schools and school networks as professional learning communities; and adopting a workable methodology (namely, research–design–development) for teachers and leaders to put research into practice and tailor innovations to specific school contexts

System leadership for school improvement: A developing concept and set of practices

System'leadership'is'a'developing'concept'and'practice'increasingly'seen'as'a' tool'for' school' improvement,' as' policy'makers' switch'from'traditional'top?down' reform' to' professional' models' of' schools' working' collaboratively.' System' leadership' is' being' championed' by the' Scottish' College' for' Educational' Leadership' (SCEL),' but' is' still' in' its' infancy' in' Scottish' education.' Adopting' an' international'perspective'on'system'leadership,'but'with'reference'to'the'Scottish' context,'the'paper'aims'first,'to'clarify'the'concept and'its'various'connotations,' and'to'focus'on'the'notion'of'head'teachers'and'other'school?level'professionals' as'system'leaders.'Secondly,'it'goes'on'to'describe'the'range'of'roles'that'system' leaders'can'play'and'how'these'present'a'degree'of'choice'– and'a'trajectory'? for' head' teachers' in' choosing' appropriate' roles' that' reflect' their' expertise,' experience,'self'efficacy,'credibility,'and'interest.''Finally,'adopting'a'critical'stance' towards'the' concept'and'practice'of' system'leadership'– to'date'the'focus'has' been' more' on' roles' and' less' on' substantive' capacity' building' competences' required' by' system' leaders' for' school' improvement' ? the' paper' redresses' the' imbalance

Explaining the success of the world's leading education systems: the case of Singapore

International comparative data on student performance has led McKinsey & Company, among others, to suggest that education systems will inexorably converge in their developmental trajectories with principals and schools enjoying more autonomy. This article challenges these assumptions through referencing Singapore where schools and professionals are still tightly controlled in key resources, curricula and assessment, and where other key factors contribute to its success – thereby evidencing multiple pathways to success

Re-conceptualising learning-centred (instructional) leadership: an obsolete concept in need of renovation

For more than thirty years, ‘instructional leadership’ has been at the forefront of research and practice in school effectiveness and improvement. Governments, employers, universities and professional developers, all see it as a mainstay of raising school and student performance. Wave-after-wave of educational policy reforms during this period have changed school environments, widening and deepening the (instructional) leadership roles and functions of principals and other school leaders. Terminology has changed – while Americans still use ‘instructional leadership’, others prefer ‘learning-centred’ and ‘leadership-for -learning’, disputing whether they encompass the same or different meanings. Yet curiously, the concept itself – as defined and measured by academic researchers and scholars - has changed relatively little since Hallinger and Murphy’s first seminal contribution in 1985. This paper argues the case for wholesale renovation of the concept if it is to maintain relevance going forward. The case is supported by important and powerful trends in policy and practice

Connecting research and knowledge on educational leadership in the West and Asia: adopting a cross-cultural comparative perspective

The field of educational leadership has yet to develop a coherent knowledge base that reflects the global diversity of policies and practices. This disconnect – for example between Asian and Western research, presents a major challenge, curtailing authentic knowledge production and transfer. Accordingly, a major objective for the field is the creation of a cross-culturally valid knowledge base with global relevance. This conceptual paper addresses the phenomenon of global knowledge construction in educational leadership and the challenges of achieving coherence and connectivity between bodies of research from diverse politico-socio-cultural settings. In achieving greater connectivity between Asian and Western educational leadership research, a cross-cultural comparative approach is advocated. A comparatively informed universal knowledge base would highlight current ethnocentricity characterizing the field, and the socio-cultural embeddedness of educational leadership. While acknowledging the benefits and challenges of such an approach, the paper advocates four types of cultural and cross-cultural comparative studies, namely, meta studies of large data sets, socio-educational studies placing leadership in a social milieu context; system reform studies based on initiatives to improve education systems; and indigenous studies of educational leadership reflecting the uniqueness of societal cultures. Finally, the paper suggests more robust research methods for achieving authentic cross-cultural connectivity across knowledge bases to secure authentic knowledge production and transfer

Effective leadership in multi-ethnic schools: school community perspectives and their leadership implications

A project report for the National College for School Leadership, exploring issues of effective leadership in ethnically diverse schools. The paper collates the views of school leaders, staff, students and community representatives

‘Jugglers’, ‘copers’ and ‘strugglers’: academics’ perceptions of being a head of department in a post-1992 UK university and how it influences their future careers

This study investigates the experiences of academics who became department heads in a post-1992 UK university and explores the influence that being in the position has on their planned future academic career. Drawing on life history interviews undertaken with 17 male and female heads of department, the paper constitutes an in-depth study of their careers in the same university. The findings suggest that academics who become department heads not only need the capacity to assume a range of personal and professional identities, but need flexibility to regularly adopt and switch between them. Whether individuals can successfully balance and manage such multiple identities, or whether they experience major conflicts within or between them, greatly affects their experiences of being a head of department and seems to influence their subsequent career decisions. The paper concludes by proposing a conceptual framework and typology to interpret the career trajectories of academics that became department heads in the case university

How school leadership practices relate to student outcomes: Insights from a three-level meta-analysis

The present study aims to generate broad insights from the large corpus of literature on the associations between a comprehensive range of school leadership practices and student outcomes in different school contexts. Three-level meta-analysis of 493 independent effects from 108 studies published since 2000 showed that the mean effect size was small at r  = 0.14. Effect sizes for leadership practices ranged from r’s  = 0.10 to .26. Results underscored the importance of different types of leadership practices related to instructional management, enhancing teacher capacity, and engaging external stakeholders to improve student outcomes. School leadership practices were significantly associated with students’ academic achievement (in different subjects except science) and learning attitudes/processes but not attainment. Moderator analyses showed that school leadership effects were significant in studies using a school-level analysis but not in those using a lower-level of analysis. Additionally, school leadership effects were significant at different grade levels (G1–G6, G7–G12) and in research reported in different study types (articles, dissertations) and in different years (2000–2009, 2010–2018)

Implementing Vietnam’s School renovations’ Policy: Developing Teachers and School Leaders. Policy Brief (No. 9)

The 2013 policy of ‘fundamental and comprehensive’ renovations introduced by the Vietnam Government is an ambitious programme to modernise all aspects of Vietnam school education — the curriculum, pedagogy, assessment, professional development, and school leadership and management, as well as secure greater equity. This Policy Brief recognises the importance for both the Vietnam Government and schools of establishing momentum behind the renovations in the first few years, enabling some measure of success to be claimed in implementation of new practices, roles and relationships in order to maintain initiative and impetus for long-term sustainability. Based on research evidence, this Policy Brief strongly argues that to achieve such momentum and drive, there is an urgent need for high quality and relevant capacity building of human resources in Vietnam schools, especially focusing on quality professional development of teachers and principals covering the multiple areas of renovation. This claim is highly significant: the future quality of Vietnam schooling depends on building capacity of human resources (talent, skills and expertise) — particularly in teaching and leadership