Leading Learning: Process, Themes and Issues in International Contexts

ISBN-13: 9780415336123 / Angielski / Twarda / 2009 / 194 str.

Tom O'Donoghue;Simon Clarke

Opis

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.

Enhancing learning by empowering all stakeholders within educational institutions increasingly underpins theoretical and conceptual frameworks in the field of educational leadership and management. This book draws on this key and developing notion of 'distributed leadership' and focuses on the relationship between leadership and learning.
The book is divided into five sections, which take the reader from a broad exposition of the relationship between leadership and learning, through to the specificity of teachers and learners, and on to the whole institution and lifelong learning issues:

• world-wide concepts of leadership and learning
• teachers and learning
• learners and learning
• inclusive learning
• valuing learning: whole institutional learning cultures.

Leading Learning will appeal to students on Masters and Doctoral courses in education leadership and management; those undertaking programmes of training and development, such as NPQH, HEADLAMP and LPSH; school and college leaders; academics and researchers in the field.

Spis treści

1. Introduction  2. International Developments in the Learning Context  3. International Developments in the Assessment of Student Learning  4. Leadership  5. Student Learning  6. Teachers Learning and Teachers Leading  7. Organisational Learning and the Intelligent School  8. International Developments in Leadership for Learning  9. The Importance of Leaders of Learning Giving Voice to Key Stakeholders  10. Forging Links Between Leadership and Learning  References