Final report 2016
The University of Southern Queensland — partner institution
Dr Susan Simon — project leader
Team members:
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Acknowledgements
The PIVOTAL research team sincerely thanks the school leaders and postgraduate students in leadership courses offered by the Schools of Education and Business at the University of the Sunshine Coast and the University of Southern Queensland who have contributed to the innovations included in postgraduate courses delivered in 2015 and to the subsequent evaluation of these innovations. These significant contributions will positively enhance the learning experiences of future school principals and aspiring school principals, and these improvements are anticipated to have demonstrable impact on leadership capacity and future student learning outcomes.
List of acronyms used
ACEL Australian Council for Educational Leaders
AIM Australian Institute of Management
AITSL Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership
EMBA Executive Master of Business Administration
e-BEST Journal of Business Education and Scholarship of Teaching
EU European Union
ISEA International Studies in Educational Administration
M Ed Master of Education
OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
PAI Principals Australia Institute
SETAC Student Evaluation of Teaching and Courses
USC University of the Sunshine Coast
USQ University of Southern Queensland
Executive summary
Improvement in the preparation pathways available to aspiring school leaders keen to take on challenging leadership roles is recognised as a priority for governments, education systems and schools across the world. Insufficient or ineffective preparation for school leadership in Australia has led to a situation where ‘all too often leaders feel isolated and alone’ (Caldwell, 2006), and the systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of leaders’ preparation has been rare (Fluckiger, Lovett and Dempster, 2014).
The PIVOTAL Project (2014–2015), funded by an OLT Seed grant (SD14-3720), was a cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional investigation aiming to address this deficit. The project has interrogated how postgraduate leadership courses offered within Education and Business Schools could be more relevant and provide better preparation for current and aspiring school leaders in state, catholic and independent schools in regional Australia. The University of the Sunshine Coast and the University of Southern Queensland formed a partnership for this research, focussing on the comparability of regional context of both institutions whilst examining any contextual differences in local school leaders’ learning needs. The PIVOTAL research team included academic staff from Education and Business Schools at both universities who have a broad range of expertise and experience.
The research involved initial consultation with external practitioners: local school principals who formed a Reference Group engaging in an online survey and/or discussion group at USC; and the examination of external feedback from the USQ Review of Leadership Studies: For school leaders and aspiring school leaders, 2014. The results of these activities guided subsequent phases of the research, which comprised online surveys and focus group discussions undertaken by past and present leadership students who are also current or aspiring school principals, at both USC and USQ. The research questions were designed to determine students’ evaluation of the leadership course they had studied, whilst indicating what was important to add to the course to better serve school leaders’ learning needs. This data was then used to inform innovations in leadership courses in the Master of Education (M Ed) and Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) programs offered in Semester 1 2015 at USC and USQ. A second round of online surveys and focus groups provided data concerning the effectiveness of the innovations implemented in these specific courses. Themes emerging from each phase of the research were analysed by the researchers to effectively steer curriculum redesign to meet school leaders’ learning needs. A final in-depth analysis of findings will inform the future direction of this research.
Innovations made to Education leadership courses included: increased opportunities for gaining experience in giving and receiving peer support through written and verbal feedback; the addition of Professional Learning Conversations as part of an assessment task; consideration of the Dimensions of Vitality Model for school leaders; specialised leadership readings for different learning contexts; and the introduction of a simulated leadership project option. Innovations made to Business leadership courses included: the introduction of a ‘flipped classroom’ methodology to encourage increased group discussion; the development of a group-based ‘viva’ assessment to facilitate collegial sharing; the incorporation of the Australian Professional Standard for Principals (AITSL, 2011) into the range of leadership models to be discussed; problem-solving activities; and discussion of the ‘personal vitality’ concept as a key motivator of strategic leadership. The approach taken in the PIVOTAL Project and the findings and innovations incorporated have already been disseminated internally at USC and at academic fora such as the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference, July 2015. Submission of a series of peer-reviewed articles has commenced, with three publications already published or in press. Several more articles are being written. An overview of the components and phases of this research project that will lead to future wider application and extension of the research is depicted in the PIVOTAL Road Map (Simon, Graham, Christie and Call, 2015).
The outputs from the research include the PIVOTAL Model and an electronic booklet, PIVOTAL Leadership Guidelines, which is available to higher education institutions and academics involved in similar research methods, course design and research topics. Innovations to leadership courses have already been implemented and this process will continue to ensure sustainability of the approach in meeting the leadership learning needs of school leaders.
The PIVOTAL Project has been guided by a range of influences, including the foundational school leadership research of Dempster, Lovett and Fluckiger (2011), a number of significant OLT-funded research projects and an in-depth literature review on dimensions of personal vitality for school leaders.
The cross-disciplinary approach taken by the PIVOTAL Project has proved successful in gathering feedback from the range of school leaders who study postgraduate leadership courses through either a Master of Education or an Executive Master of Business Administration. The approach of the PIVOTAL Project more generally has been highly successful because of the researchers’ shared goal to address a gap in school leader preparation and their commitment to the project, and the invaluable contribution of practitioners in the field who have partnered with researchers for this purpose. Plans are being made to expand the research base, to increase impact in this important dimension of school leader preparation and to form collaborations with interstate and international higher education partners. Alignment with other current OLT-funded projects and building on the outputs of projects with themes contributing to the learning and teaching priority areas of curriculum design, employability skills and the student experience are credible future linkages for mutual benefit.
Recommendations:
· That the PIVOTAL team establishes links with and builds on other projects and fellowships in the OLT’s priority areas of curriculum design, employability skills and the student experience
· That the research team further investigates the various dimensions of personal vitality and peer support for leaders
· That future potential research collaborations include other Queensland, interstate, Australian and international higher education institutions
· That the research team continue to build relationships with school leaders for further practitioner advocacy as fostering partnerships is important for future research
· That potential application of the PIVOTAL Model to other disciplines be considered (eg. Clinical Education and Engineering).
Table of Contents Page
1.1 A global snapshot of school leadership preparation 11
1.2 The Australian context 11
1.3 The AITSL Model 11
1.4 The aims of PIVOTAL research 12
1.5 A regional focus and application 13
1.6 A cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional initiative 14
Chapter 2. Project approach and methodology 15
2.1 Overview 15
2.3 Reference groups 15
2.6 Dissemination of findings 20
2.7 The PIVOTAL Road Map 22
Chapter 3. Project outputs and findings 23
3.1 Resources and outputs 23
3.2 How the project used and advanced existing knowledge 26
3.3 Disciplinary and interdisciplinary linkages 27
3.4 Analysis of factors critical to the success of, or impeding the project 28
3.5 Potential implementation in a variety of institutions or locations 29
3.6 Links with other projects and fellowships in the OLT’s priority areas 29
Appendices
Appendix B: References 32
Appendix C: Bibliography 34
Appendix D: Reference group online survey 36
Appendix E: Revised course outline for USC Education course EDU705 37
Appendix F: Revised course outline for USC Business courses 47
Appendix G: Revised course outlines for USQ Education courses 59
Appendix H: Revised course outline for USQ Business courses 73
Appendix I: HERDSA article (published) 81
Appendix J: Expression of interest for ISEA Special Edition: 94
The changing nature of principals’ work (pending outcome)
Appendix K: Abstract for paper and presentation at the AARE 95
Conference, November 2015 (accepted)
Tables Page
Table 2: PIVOTAL Dissemination Plan 21
Figures
Figure 1: Integrated Model of Professional Standards for Principals (AITSL, 2011) 12
Figure 2: The USC Reference Group in action, USC, October, 2014 16
Figure 3: Analysis of data from the focus groups, July 2015 17
Figure 4: Dimensions of Vitality Model 19
Figure 5: The PIVOTAL Road Map 22
Figure 6: The PIVOTAL Model 23
Chapter 1. Project context and aims
1.1 A global snapshot of school leadership preparation
Townsend and McBeath’s (2011) study of school leadership experiences in more than 60 countries found that school leadership preparation programs must reflect relevant leadership learning needs and be attainable for young aspiring leaders. These claims reflect the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Report of 2008 on Improving School Leadership, which emphasised that leadership preparation must be current, relevant and able to ‘deal with the complex challenges schools are facing in the 21st century’ (Vol 1, p.16). Debates about effective school leadership continue to resound widely in fora such as the European Union. In that forum, Androulla Vassiliou, member of the European Commission responsible for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, advocated identification of ‘early in their careers, those teachers that have leadership potential’, which ‘gives them the opportunity to develop their leadership skills over time’ (Vassiliou, 2013). The findings of Fluckiger, Lovett and Dempster (2014) in their global evaluation of school leadership preparation programs indicate that measurement of the effectiveness of such programs is rare.
1.2 The Australian context
In Australia, engagement in learning about leadership through postgraduate programs to develop leadership capacity is not mandated but is generally encouraged (and sometimes funded) by employers. It is generally deemed important for current and aspiring school leaders to continue to engage in professional learning to progress in their chosen career of school leadership. It is also informally confirmed by enrolled postgraduate students that collegial interaction is a key benefit of such postgraduate learning activities, perhaps helping to address what Caldwell (2006) has described as a situation where ‘all too often leaders feel isolated and alone’. Thus, Education and Business schools in universities have developed leadership programs and courses covering content they deem important for this profession and engage their postgraduate students in learning activities which they believe will be relevant and supportive for the students in their leadership practice.
1.3 The 2011 AITSL model
Within Australia, the Integrated Model of Professional Standards for Principals (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership [AITSL], 2011) provides professional standards for current and emerging principals to aspire to. This model, shown in Figure 1, elaborates on leadership requirements and professional practices which underpin a school leader’s performance and success in this complex role.
Figure 1: AITSL’s Integrated Model of Professional Standards for Principals (2011)
Currently, within the state school system in Queensland, the autonomy and responsibilities of school principals in the new independent state schools is increasing and, likewise, the need for these leaders to develop skills and capacity in a broader range of leadership responsibilities in order to improve school effectiveness. Consequently, school leaders within all school systems (state, catholic and independent) now need to acquire broader leadership and management skills as well as retain confidence in their capacity to undertake a challenging role. One potentially effective way to do this is through postgraduate leadership studies. However, this has implications for tertiary providers of such leadership development programs. Leadership course design must be innovative and responsive to school leaders’ learning needs, and program designers must ensure that courses reflect the nationally mandated standards for principals if they are to meet the current needs of the profession in Australia.
1.4 The aims of the PIVOTAL research
Improvements in school leadership preparation
The research undertaken by the PIVOTAL (Partnerships, Innovation and Vitality — Opportunities for Thriving Academic Leadership) research team aims to fill the gap which education employers in Australia, and globally, have identified regarding the knowledge, skills and understandings required by aspiring school leaders for promotion into increasingly demanding leadership roles. The research has used as its framework the currently nationally endorsed Integrated Model of Professional Standards for Principals (AITSL, 2011) for the preparation and continuing development of practising school leaders. Research has been conducted into leadership courses in two disciplines in two regional universities. It has been observed that the learning needs of principals in regional areas can be different from and more complex than those of principals in metropolitan contexts.
Innovation in postgraduate leadership course design
Additionally, the project aims to contribute an innovative approach to curriculum design for postgraduate courses and programs in education leadership to facilitate improved educational leadership practice. The culminating PIVOTAL Leadership Model and set of guidelines address the theory-to-praxis gap and include innovative, transferable and sustainable approaches to leadership course design. Outcomes from these innovations aim to directly empower leadership students and to enhance leadership practice, confidence and personal satisfaction.
Partnerships
Most importantly, the practice of engaging in partnerships and professional collaborations utilised within the research aims for significant impact on leadership capacity. Improvements in school effectiveness are anticipated through this resultant increased leadership capacity and ongoing professional partnerships — phenomena which will be tested through future research projects.
Student voice
The researchers’ primary goal was to improve communication with and be responsive to students in leadership courses and practising school leaders regarding professional learning needs. In a broader sense, the research aimed for effective collaboration with external education communities to ultimately make a unique contribution to tertiary leadership preparation courses across Australia and internationally.
1.5 A regional focus and application
This project aimed to be the catalyst for innovation within the postgraduate learning experiences of school leaders, specifically in two regional contexts within Queensland. The University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) and University of Southern Queensland (USQ) share a vision to be regionally relevant, providing excellent learning opportunities which address the needs of their students and practising professionals in their specific regions. The PIVOTAL research supports USC’s Strategic Priority 2 to ‘offer innovative programs, in particular via partnerships’, and programs which ‘produce graduates with knowledge, skills and attributes to succeed in a world characterised by rapid change’. USC’s Strategic Priority 3 targets ‘contributions from partners to create distinctive learning experiences’, a goal which is served well through the research approach. The project also aimed to reinforce USC’s Graduate Attributes of ‘sustainability-focussed’ and ‘empowered’ in the redesign of the curriculum in response to student contributions (USC, 2011). USQ’s strategic goals of personalised learning and enriched communities were key connections for this project. USQ endeavours to partner with learners in the pursuit of their study objectives regardless of their background, location or stage of life. In all activities at USQ the goal is to value and nurture ongoing relationships with students, business and industry, government, professional bodies and communities. This project was designed to particularly reinforce USQ’s graduate qualities pertaining to discipline expertise and professionalism (USQ, 2013).
Research into the effectiveness of the Integrated Model of Professional Standards for Principals (AITSL, 2011), as perceived by practitioners in schools within the sectors (state, catholic and independent) on the Sunshine Coast and in the Toowoomba region of Queensland, informed the research team’s approach to innovation in their leadership course designs. AITSL’s model clearly aligns ‘leadership requirements’ with ‘professional practices’; these factors formed the basis for questions posed to practising school leaders in unique learning environments in the two regions (see Appendix D: Reference Group online survey). The questions probed what it is that leaders in these contexts need to demonstrate and develop to fulfil the last two dimensions of the AITSL model: ‘high quality learning, teaching and schooling’, which then leads to ‘successful learners, confident, creative individuals and active, informed citizens’. It transpired that the two institutions approached the initial Reference Group research in slightly different ways, due to other research activity which had recently been conducted at USQ (see page 15). The subsequent reasons for different approaches and the consequent outcomes to date are recorded in relevant sections on pages 16, 17, 20 and 26.
1.6 A cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional initiative
The composition of the project team, drawn from the two disciplines of Education and Business, aligns with the strategic priority of both USC and USQ to enhance cross-disciplinary scholarship and research. Dr Wayne Graham and Associate Professor Jane Summers are experienced teachers of leadership in Business programs, while Dr Susan Simon and Associate Professor Karen Noble are experts in Education. Research findings aimed to inform innovations in leadership programs in both disciplines, as well as future potential cross-disciplinary collaborations in both universities. In addition, the approach taken in the PIVOTAL research may well encourage other tertiary institutions to adopt similar cross-disciplinary approaches.
Chapter 2. Project approach and methodology
2.1 Overview
Practitioner advocacy concerning what is needed in leadership courses for school leaders commenced with consultation with local school principals. The research then took the form of online surveys and focus group discussions with students who are also practising school leaders. Findings informed changes made to courses in Education and Business programs, thus impacting the quality of leadership courses at USC and potentially at USQ (details to be published on the Pivotal website when available). Expected outcomes included more relevant courses for leaders of learning communities in these two regions through practitioner-based research. However, it was also anticipated that future partnerships with other universities, employer groups and professional associations would encourage more widespread development of sustainable and innovative leadership programs within a rapidly changing learning landscape.
2.2 Composition of the project team
The PIVOTAL research team benefitted from a range of expertise: research, leadership development, and school experience and expertise. Whilst the project leader is an early career academic, she offered significant project management experience gained through her own leadership in schools, including as the foundation principal of a new college. The inclusion of Associate Professor Michael Christie provided invaluable mentoring and strategic project advice based on his significant research profile both within Australia and internationally. Associate Professor Karen Noble contributed research expertise in education, whilst Dr Wayne Graham and Associate Professor Jane Summers contributed expertise in leadership in business programs. Research Assistant Kairen Call was appointed from the cohort of USC Education HDR students, not only capitalising on her relevant school-based experience but also providing her with opportunity for relevant research experience.
2.3 Reference groups
Prior to external consultation regarding leadership learning needs, an analysis was conducted on data from (a) the universities’ processes of Student Evaluation of Teaching and Courses (SETAC) for the Master of Education (M Ed) and the Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) programs over the past three years, (b) the Graduate Destination Survey (GDS) and (c) the Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). However, the establishment of Reference Groups was anticipated to provide essential contextualisation and clarity concerning leadership needs within all sectors of schooling, and that these criteria would be important to meet early in the planning stage.
Consequently, working closely with representative external educators to maximise input from schools, this research benefitted significantly from gathering input from a Reference Group convened for this specific purpose at USC (Figure 2), and from data received through a broad investigation and sector scan completed at USQ as part of the process for re-accreditation. This investigation was the USQ Review of Leadership studies: For school leaders and aspiring school leaders, 2014. The report contained specific advice based on internal and external consultation concerning the nature and content of leadership courses relevant to the school context. At USC, principals selected from local schools within the sectors (state, catholic and independent) participated in a facilitated discussion at USC’s Innovation Centre specifically for the purpose of informing the direction of the research project.
Figure 2: The USC Reference Group in action, USC, October, 2014
2.4 Surveys and Focus Groups
The next phase of the research incorporated the opportunity to participate in online surveys and focus group discussions between current and past M Ed and EMBA students who are also practising (or aspiring) school principals. The process involved two stages: online surveys and focus groups were held in October 2014 to inform potential changes to programs, followed by a second stage of online surveys and focus groups in June 2015 to evaluate the changes incorporated in identified courses.
To indicate the scope of the research, 55 school leaders who had been postgraduate students in either education or business courses were invited to participate at USC, with 52 per cent completing the survey and 41 per cent participating in the first focus group discussions. The focus group sessions with these groups of participants expanded further on the trends identified in the Reference Groups and the online surveys, through collegial interaction within an environment conducive to professional sharing. The Integrated Model of Professional Standards for Principals (AITSL, 2011) was used as the framework for research questions, incorporating AITSL’s designated Leadership Requirements of Vision and Values, Knowledge and Understanding and Personal Qualities, and Social and Interpersonal Skills.
The methodology followed by USQ was to dovetail the investigation in with the USQ Review of Leadership studies: For school leaders and aspiring school leaders, 2014 which was being undertaken at the same time. This involved a large number of participants from a variety of schools and systems throughout Australia and consultation with relevant documentation from Federal and State Governments, Principals Associations, and Professional Organisations such as the Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL). The Education and Business faculties worked in cooperation for this activity in order to cater effectively for their cohorts of postgraduate students who were also school leaders.
There were two stages of online surveys and the focus groups in the PIVOTAL Project. Firstly, the October 2014 data was examined to inform the innovations to leadership course design (for example, by adding the components of ‘mentoring’ and ‘personal vitality’ to course curriculum in both Education and Business leadership courses at USC, with other components to be confirmed which were amended at USQ based on their research). Secondly, focus groups and surveys were used in June 2015 to evaluate these innovations and to identify deeper observations and potential themes for future investigation. A PIVOTAL Research Day in July 2015 enabled the researchers to focus on the data (Figure 3) and to plan for future NVivo analysis (Table 1). USQ team members were invited to attend this research day but were unable to participate. Their findings will eventually augment the findings of the USC research and be added to the NVivo results in process at the time of writing. They will all be available through the website www.thePIVOTALproject.com.au from early 2016.
Figure 3: Analysis of themes from the focus groups at a PIVOTAL research day, July 2015
2.5 Innovations to leadership courses
Parent nodes
Children nodes
Grandchildren nodes
AITSL Model
Leadership requirements
Managing the school, e.g.
Strategies
Master of Education (E14 and E15)
Structure
Content
Different prior knowledge Context and current work situation
Proposed innovation
Structure
Content
Current challenges of the job of educational leader
Can’t be all things to all people
HR matters
Difficult conversations
Financial responsibilities
Increasing complexity
Added responsibilities
Table 1: Themes for further NVivo analysis
Designing innovations for leadership courses, implementing the changes and then seeking feedback from students in Semester 1 2015 constituted the practical implementation of the findings. Evaluations of the changes to leadership courses in 2015 are leading to recommendations for future revisions, and a model for Education Leadership Learning at has been devised to reflect this process (see 3.1.1 The PIVOTAL Model).
One specific example of an innovation is the inclusion of the Vitality Model (Simon et al., 2015) (Figure 4) into the redesigned USC course EDU705 Leadership for Learning Communities offered in Semester 1 2015 (Appendix E). In USC Business leadership courses, the ‘personal vitality’ concept was discussed as a key motivator of strategic leadership in both EMB762 Strategic Management (Appendix F) and MGT703 Strategic Management (Appendix G) in Semester 1 2015.
Figure 4: Dimensions of vitality in school leadership
In addition, an increased emphasis on mentoring in the leadership role has also been added: USC’s EDU705 Leadership for Learning Communities now features peer feedback, both oral and written (Tasks 1 and 3); the Business course EMBA762 has a ‘Viva’ assessment to enable group work where students can gain insights from colleagues working in a variety of contexts, including schools; and MGT703 now includes a ‘flipped classroom’ approach to learning and teaching to enable group discussions about pre-class activities concerning concepts including leadership, personal vitality and practitioner advocacy.
Additional emphasis was also given to the Australian Professional Standard for Principals (AITSL, 2011) in USC’s EDU705 leadership course. Within USC’s Business courses, this model was introduced as a model of leadership with the potential to be transferred (and adapted) to a ‘business’ context (EMB762 Session 2, Module 1/MGT703 Week 4), compared to other leadership frameworks within the Strategy literature and included as an option for consideration in the case study titled ‘Gazprom: Build to Dream’ (a Russian utilities company).
At USQ the new Master of Education program was designed with both student and professional input. A national advisory board was established with representatives from every state and included school principals, directors general of education and teachers. It was recognised that the role of educational leaders has changed and now requires additional skills beyond just pedagogical leadership. Skills relating to organisational change, marketing, innovation and management of human and physical resources are all part of every educational leader’s day. Whilst there are many traditional business programs (such as the MBA) which offer insights into some of these skills and knowledge, educational leaders generally felt that whilst the theory was useful it needed to be contextualised into the education landscape to be useful to educational leaders. After feedback from the USQ MBA advisory board (consisting of business and industry leaders and alumni representatives), curriculum teaching strategy changes have been made to the following MBA courses: MGT8033 Leading Organisational Change and MGT8022 Strategic Management and a specialisation in leadership consisting of 3 postgraduate courses is being planned.
2.6 Dissemination of findings
The dissemination of research findings to potential adopters through the use of OLT’s D-Cubed Framework (Hinton, Gannaway, Berry and Moore, 2011) has been a priority throughout the project. Presentations at USC events such as Learning and Teaching Week and a faculty research seminar have been undertaken. Abstracts for a number of education conferences have been submitted, two paper presentations have already been delivered, and more will be delivered before the end of 2015. Opportunities for collaborations with other regional universities, professional associations and school systems — both nationally and internationally — are being explored at these events. Additionally, a number of peer-reviewed journal articles based on the PIVOTAL research have been or will be published (Table 2).
Date
Type
Key: purple shaded area indicates completed dissemination activity
October 2014
Presentation
USC Learning and Teaching Week – led by the USC PIVOTAL Team and Associate Professor Jane Summers from USQ on Skype link-up
PIVOTAL — Partnerships, Innovation and Vitality — Opportunities for thriving academic leadership
November 2014
Peer-reviewed article
e-BEST Journal
Pivotal ways of improving leadership and the scholarship of learning and teaching in Higher Education
June 2015
6–9 July 2015
PIVOTAL — designing innovative leadership courses: a roadmap for anticipating the twists and turns in school leaders’ journeys.
Peer-reviewed article based on conference presentation
HERDSA Conference Proceedings
(see Appendix H)
PIVOTAL — designing innovative leadership courses: a roadmap for anticipating the twists and turns in school leaders’ journeys
9–11 July 2015
Peer-reviewed article based on conference presentation – submitted 16 January 2016 (awaiting feedback and acceptance)
Educational Organisation and Leadership (The Learner Knowledge Community)
The PIVOTAL Leadership Model: Improving school leaders' professional capacity and personal vitality through innovative postgraduate course design
July 2015
Peer-reviewed article for special edition with the theme ‘The changing nature of the Principal’s work in complex times’ (to be published September 2016)
Abstract sent 31 July (see Appendix I)
ISEA — International Studies in Educational Administration (see Appendix I)
Principals sharing and tertiary leadership course designers listening = better preparation for complex roles in rapidly changing times
29 November – 3 December 2015
Presentation: completed (see Appendix J)
AARE (Australian Association for Research in Education) Conference, Fremantle, WA
The PIVOTAL Model: improving postgraduate leadership learning for practising school leaders
Peer-reviewed article submitted 21 August 2015 – to be published in Conference proceedings February 2016
AARE Conference Proceedings
Early 2016
Transformational leadership and vitality article: Fine tuning transformational leadership for school leaders. Use the qualitative data and case study to align with the transformational leadership model.
Early 2016
Probable target journal: International Journal of Management Education
Reading between the lines. Example: hearing themes such as collaboration.
By mid-2016
PIVOTAL final article: Culminating dissemination of findings and the PIVOTAL Model and Guidelines
Table 2: PIVOTAL Dissemination Plan
2.7 The PIVOTAL Road Map
In summary, the stages of the PIVOTAL Project and methodology are shown in Figure 5, as presented at the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference, Learning for Life and Work in a Complex World, 6–9 July 2015.
Figure 5: The PIVOTAL Road Map Chapter 3. Project outputs and findings
3.1 Resources and outputs
The following outputs have already been or will be made available to the higher education sector and to school leaders and school systems across Australia and internationally. Apart from the official dissemination of the findings, model and guidelines at the AARE Conference (see details below) the PIVOTAL website – www.thePIVOTALproject.com.au - will be available with all PIVOTAL resources and outputs from early 2016 to facilitate easy access of the information for anyone interested in this research.
3.1.1 The PIVOTAL (Partnerships, Innovation and Vitality — Opportunities for Thriving Academic Leadership) Model
The PIVOTAL Model (Figure 6) will be presented to the higher education community at the AARE Conference in November 2015, along with the Guidelines as described in 3.1.2. There will be an accompanying paper to be published as part of the conference proceedings. After this, the information will be available via the PIVOTAL website from early 2016.
Figure 6: The PIVOTAL Model
3.1.2 The PIVOTAL Leadership Guidelines electronic booklet
This electronic booklet (Appendix K) will be launched along with the PIVOTAL Model at the AARE conference in November 2015. The Guidelines propose Six Principles for Impact - partnerships, practitioner advocacy, listening to the student voice, innovation, evaluation and sustainability. The e-booklet will be available PIVOTAL website early in 2016.
3.1.3 Innovative leadership courses
This research was devised partly in response to Seed Project Priority 3.1.1 (Innovation and Development) and specifically with regard to curriculum design of postgraduate leadership courses. These innovations were intended to improve leadership confidence and practice. Already various elements of innovation have been embedded in leadership courses and evaluations of the effectiveness of these innovations continue.
University of the Sunshine Coast:
Education Leadership courses:
USC’s Master of Education course EDU705 Leadership for Learning Communities’ innovations include the following (see also the course outline in Appendix E):
1. Peer review activities (written and verbal) to support peers in Task 1 and Task 2.
2. The introduction of Professional Learning Conversations into Task 2 to encourage mentoring and professional engagement.
3. Consideration of the Vitality Model (Figure 4) and the way that the dimensions impact on the personal vitality of school leaders.
4. The creation of specialised readings for educational leaders in specific contexts (i.e. schools, higher education and clinical settings).
5. The introduction of a simulated leadership project for students not currently engaged in leading learning in a formal setting.
Business Leadership courses:
USC’s Business leadership courses have had the following improvements informed by the conversations at the Reference Group and initial Focus Groups (see also the course outlines in Appendix F):
Content:
1. The AITSL model was introduced as a model of leadership with the potential to be transferred (and adapted) to a ‘business’ context (EMB762 Session 2, Module 1/MGT703 Week 4)
2. The model was compared to other leadership frameworks within the Strategy literature
3. The model was included as an option for consideration in the case study titled ‘Gazprom: Build to Dream’ (a Russian utilities company)
4. The ‘personal vitality’ concept (Figure 4) was discussed as a key motivator of strategic leadership
Process:
5. A ‘flipped classroom’ approach to learning and teaching was adopted for MGT703 to enable group discussions about pre-class activities concerning concepts including leadership, personal vitality and practitioner advocacy
6. A group based ‘viva’ assessment was adopted for EMB762 to enable group work where students could gain insights from colleagues working in a variety of contexts which included schools  
University of Southern Queensland:
Education Leadership courses:
USQ’s Education leadership courses have had the following improvements informed both student and professional input. (See also the course outlines in Appendix G):
· Leadership theory is now contextualised into the education landscape in order to be useful to educational leaders. (The courses have all been redesigned and are based on the principle of allowing students to explore and engage with the relevant theory according to each student’s cultural and contextual nuances). Theory through Practice is used as the guiding principle.
· Opportunities to reflect and establish a framework of understanding of basic organisational theory essential to build and develop students’ own unique leadership skills and knowledge.
· Advanced courses (EDU8400, EDU8510 and EDU8318) are all designed to conclude with a final reflective assessment task. The teaching teams in these courses also use these reflections to provide additional input into the redesign of the courses into the future.
· The mentoring and coaching course (EDU8400) has been devised and will be introduced in Semester 2 2016. Students in this course are required to be engaged in a mentoring process so that their reflections of their learning are thus contextualised.
· In the capstone course, EDU8318, students develop a plan for how they could mobilise their school resources to effect transformational change. Case studies and group discussion, interaction and reflections are also used in this course.
Business Leadership courses:
Innovations have been made to the following MBA courses: MGT8033 Leading Organisational Change and MGT8022 Strategic Management (see Appendices H) and a specialisation in leadership consisting of three postgraduate courses has commenced.
The feedback received suggested that employers were seeking graduates with well-developed problem solving and critical thinking skills as more so than general theoretical management and leadership knowledge. Whilst it was noted that it was important that managers know “why” they should or should not take a particular course of action, it was more important that they correctly identified the issues they were dealing with and identified strategies that would maximise success and engagement from other staff. Understanding the nuances of power, politics, human behaviour and motivation were stated by both employers and alumni as being essential for leadership success.
Emphasis on specific leadership skill and/or approach
Innovations
* Understanding nuances of power, politics, human behaviour and motivation
* Responsibility and engagement
* Psychology and ethics
* Assessment strategy to be more problem-based
* A model of open sourced materials, selected readings and peer sharing of information and resources
* Learning activities and assessment items which pose questions, scenarios, videos and other resources for students to critique, comment on and debate
* Students have opportunity to defend their recommendations with specific reference to personnel issues and political lenses applied to the scenarios
* Ensure that interaction with peers works well in the digital environment
* Development of a specific leadership specialisation in the MBA with 3 dedicated leadership courses
3.2 How the project used and advanced existing knowledge
3.2.1 Knowledge about professional learning needs
Underpinning the national Integrated Model of Professional Standards for Principals (AITSL, 2011) was an extensive review of the literature conducted by Dempster et al. (2011). This project has been influenced by this work and aims to address what Dempster et al. define as a ‘gap in research regarding the effects of leadership learning experiences and subsequent development’ (p.35). The long-term project aim is to build on Dempster et al.’s research, fill the identified gap and improve the sustainability of leadership practice.
3.2.2 Cross-disciplinary approaches
The outputs from the PIVOTAL research can complement the resources which were developed by Professor Cynthia Mitchell through a 2006 ALTC Associate Fellowship to enhance trans-disciplinary collaboration (Office for Learning and Teaching, 2013b).
3.2.3 Dissemination
As outlined in 2.6, the D-Cubed Framework devised by Hinton et al. (2011) has been utilised in the dissemination of the PIVOTAL research findings.
3.2.4 Leadership of learning and teaching in Higher Education
The PIVOTAL Project has also addressed the principles outlined in the OLT’s Handbook for executive leadership of learning and teaching in higher education (McInnis, Ramsden and Maconachie, 2012), in particular, Principle 5: Involving students.
3.2.5 Personal vitality
Based on the findings from the Reference Group discussions with local school principals in 2014, a subsequent literature review was conducted into the perceived dimensions of personal vitality for school leaders (see Appendix C: Bibliography). This literature review has contributed to the content of articles such as the HERDSA paper (Appendix H), which contains a comprehensive reference list, including relevant references underpinning the Vitality Model. Further investigations into the various dimensions will continue to support future developments in this area of research.
3.2.6 Peer support
Fluckiger et al.’s (2014) recent global research into the components of successful leadership preparation programs included Criterion 7: Peer-supported. Our innovations such as peer review activities and Professional Learning Conversations included in postgraduate leadership course design, as well as the subsequent evaluation of these innovations, will build on the research work of Fluckiger et al.
3.3 Disciplinary and interdisciplinary linkages
The basis of this research has been, from the outset, cross-disciplinary collaboration between Education and Business disciplines at both universities involved in the project. This has been a particularly appropriate approach for investigations into relevant and sustainable leadership study because school leaders choose to study at the postgraduate level in both disciplines. However, there may well be other alignments emanating from the findings that can be incorporated into future collaborative research. In facilitating focus groups from a discipline other than their own, it has been enlightening for the researchers to discover how students evaluate different discipline approaches and learning activities. Thus the cross-disciplinary collaboration has resulted in a broadening of perspectives.
3.4 Analysis of factors critical to the success of, or impeding, the project
PIVOTAL — a focus on Partnerships, Innovation and Vitality
The choice of name for the project suggests characteristics deemed as crucial at the start of the project. ‘Pivotal’, as an adjective, suggests that things are in motion or not static, therefore creating an opportunity to see things from a different perspective. The acronym ‘PIVOTAL’ focusses on the involvement of partnerships in order to capitalise on practitioner advocacy, an aspect which has been fundamental to the successful adoption of innovations then made to leadership courses. The decision to involve reference groups of local school principals and to facilitate focus groups of students who are also school leaders has resulted in innovations in courses which are relevant and sustainable. Additionally, the process of redeveloping leadership courses through partnerships has introduced a high level of vitality to course content, and the end results will potentially invigorate and revitalise school leaders.
A committed team
The PIVOTAL team members have shared a common purpose and have worked hard to investigate and interrogate critical dimensions of school leadership. The team wishes to continue this research through further successful grant applications and through involving other potential partners. Future research will be based on the collaboration and successes experienced to date.
A high level of dissemination activity
The PIVOTAL team at USC has successfully presented findings at several conferences during 2015 both in Australia and internationally to make the findings of the PIVOTAL research available to education and higher education conference attendees. Moreover, there was an early peer-reviewed journal article about the project at the end of 2014 to alert interested others that this project was in process. Since then a number of peer-reviewed articles have been written and submitted to high-ranking journals, and the HERDSA paper has been published (August 2015). Three more articles are in the pipeline to be published, bringing the total of publications for this Seed Grant-funded research to seven. The experience of the USC research team is that a well-structured dissemination strategy is essential and that early successes with this encourage further dissemination. The USQ dissemination activity will augment this dissemination profile and be highlighted on the PIVOTAL website.
Establishing institutional partners for research
The partnership of USC and USQ was established close to the start of the project for unavoidable reasons and there was a limited time-frame to prepare for the impact of the interventions planned in the PIVOTAL approach. Thus, results from the designated stages of research, confirmation of innovations made to programs and dissemination of information is still to be collated, advised and shared. The advice to other intending collaborators for this type of research is, where possible, it is preferable for the institutional partners to work together to formulate the proposal and to begin to vision the project as early as possible in order to facilitate an authentic joint ownership of the investigation from its inception, and to ensure that time-frames are manageable and workloads balanced so that the aims of the project can be accomplished in the short time-frame of a Seed Grant-funded project of just 12 months.
3.5 Potential implementation in a variety of institutions or locations
The PIVOTAL Model, guidelines, resources and findings from the research will be made available to other higher education institutions by the end of 2015 through conference presentations (at the AARE Conference, Fremantle, WA) and journal article publications, and, from early 2016, via the PIVOTAL website – www.thePIVOTALproject.com.au . As an extension of this initial study, partnerships with other tertiary providers of postgraduate programs in education leadership throughout Australia, and internationally, will be established to build on findings.
The research team has also discussed ways in which the PIVOTAL approach could be adopted by higher education disciplines other than Education and Business. Clinical Education course design and delivery are well suited to being based similarly on professional partnerships and input, along with the requirement to address professional standards. Therefore, a PIVOTAL Model for Clinical Education would potentially include a reference group of past and current students who are practising medical educators. These practitioners can contribute their suggestions concerning the redesign of courses in this field of study, based on their professional learning needs. Similarly, Engineering course design and delivery requires inclusion of professional engagement and must address professional accreditation accountabilities; thus the PIVOTAL Road Map approach (Figure 5) is potentially useful for course designers in this field.
3.6 Links with other projects and fellowships in the OLT’s priority areas
Curriculum design
There have been several OLT-funded projects of relevance to the curriculum design aspect of the PIVOTAL Project. With regard to cross-disciplinary curriculum design, the project entitled Designing and implementing interdisciplinary undergraduate subjects (Office for Learning and Teaching, 2014a), led by Dr Victoria Millar and with team members Dr Chi Baik and Dr Maurizio Toscano from the University of Melbourne, is particularly relevant.
The PIVOTAL Project has a focus on curriculum design relevant to professional needs; this aligns with a project entitled Graduate qualities and journalism curriculum renewal: balancing tertiary expectations and industry needs in a changing environment (Office for Learning and Teaching, 2011) led by Professor Stephen Tanner, with team members Marcus O'Donnell, Professor Kerry Green and Dr Trevor Cullen at the University of Wollongong.
Employability skills
RMIT’s Associate Professor Margaret Jollands (Project Leader) and team members Associate Professor John V Smith, Dr Margaret Hamilton, Bronwen Clark, Dr Danilla Grando, Dr Sophia Xenos, Associate Professor Angela Carbone, Professor Lorelle Burton and Catherine Pocknee were involved in the project Developing graduate employability through partnerships with industry and professional associations (Office for Learning and Teaching, 2013c). The professional partnerships created through the PIVOTAL Project directly impact on the development of leadership skills which will increase employability; thus, the PIVOTAL Project builds on the body of knowledge presented through the RMIT project.
The student experience
The PIVOTAL Project has given a voice to postgraduate students’ experiences of leadership courses. The results of this consultation have guided innovations in the leadership courses with the intention of enhancing school leaders’ leadership learning experiences. Engaging postgraduate students and supporting higher education to enhance the 21st century student experience (Office for Learning and Teaching, 2014b) is a similar OLT-funded project led by Associate Professor Linda Crane from Bond University, with team members Associate Professor Gary Hamlin, Professor Ken Udas, Professor Helen Partridge, Associate Professor Bill Eckersley, Dr Sarah Richardson, Megan Hopper and Madelaine-Marie Judd; the PIVOTAL approach and findings also build on this body of research.
Appendix A
Certification by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (or equivalent)
I certify that all parts of the final report for this OLT grant provide an accurate representation of the implementation, impact and findings of the project, and that the report is of publishable quality.
Name: …………………………………………......…....................................Date: ……............………
2
Caldwell, B. (2006). Re-imagining educational leadership, ACER Press, Victoria, Australia.
Dempster, N., Lovett, S. and Fluckiger, B. (2011). Strategies to develop school leadership. A select literature review, AITSL, Australian Government, Canberra.
Fluckiger, B., Lovett, S. and Dempster, N. (2014). Judging the quality of school leadership learning programmes: an international search, Professional Development in Education, 40(4), 561-575.
Hinton, T., Gannaway, D., Berry, B., & Moore, K. (2011). The D-Cubed Guide: planning for effective dissemination, Australian Teaching and Learning Council, Sydney.
McInnis, C., Ramsden, P. and Maconachie, D. (2012). Handbook for executive leadership of learning and teaching in higher education, Office for Learning and Teaching, Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, Canberra.
Office for Learning and Teaching (2013a). Creating a collaborative practice environment which encourages sustainable interprofessional leadership, education and practice, OLT-funded project of Curtin and Charles Sturt Universities, 2012, retrieved 12/8/15 from http://www.olt.gov.au/list-projects?text=Creating+a+collaborative+practice+environment+which+encourages+sustainable+interprofessional+leadership%2C+education+and+practice
Office for Learning and Teaching (2014b). Engaging postgraduate students and supporting higher education to enhance the 21st century student experience, retrieved 12/8/15 from http://www.olt.gov.au/list projects?text=Engaging+postgraduate+students+and+supporting+higher+education+to+enhance+the+21st+century+student+experience
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) (2008). Improving school leadership. Volume 1: Policy and Practice, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Simon, S., Graham, W., Christie M. and Call, K. (2015). PIVOTAL – designing innovative leadership courses: a roadmap for anticipating the twists and turns in school leaders’ journeys. A paper presented at the HERDSA (Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Inc.) Conference: Learning for life and work in a complex world, 6–9 July 2015, Melbourne. Retrieved 12/8/15 from http://www.herdsa.org.au/?page_id=4078
Townsend, T. and MacBeath, J. (Eds.) (2011). Springer international handbook of leadership for learning, Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.
University of Southern Queensland (2013). Institute Strategic Plan 2014–2018. Retrieved 12/8/15 from http://www.usq.edu.au/research/research-at-usq/institutes-centres/iage/about/strategic-plan
Vassiliou, A. (2013). EU must invest in innovative leaders in schools, transcript of speech at European Union, retrieved from http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_SPEECH-13-682_en.htm?locale=en
Appendix C: Bibliography
Barber, M., Whelan, F. and Clarke, M. (2010). Capturing the leadership premium: How the world’s top school systems are building leadership capacity for the future, McKinsey & Co., UK.
Beatty, B. (2006). Principals explore emotions of school leadership, Redress, 15(1), 22-33.
Caldwell, B. (2006). Re-imagining educational leadership, ACER Press, Victoria, Australia.
Carey, W., Philoppon, D. and Cummings, G. (2011). Coaching models for leadership development: An integrative review, Journal of Leadership Studies, DOI: 10.1002/jls.20204
Devos, G., Bouckenooghe, D. Engels, N., Hotton, G. and Aelterman, A. (2007). An assessment of well-being of principals in Flemish primary schools, Journal of Educational Administration, 45(1), 33-61.
Eacott, S. (2103). The return on school leadership preparation and development programmes: A study on Australian university-based programmes, International Journal of Educational Management, 27(7), 686-699.
Earley, P., Weindling, D., Bubba, S. and Glenn, M. (2009). Future leaders: the way forward? School Leadership & Management, 29(3), 295-306.
Fernet, C. (2011). Development and validation of the Work Role Motivation Scale for school principals, Educational Administration Quarterly, 47(2), 307-331.
Gottfried, A. E., Gottfried, A. W., Reichard, R., Guerin, D. W., Oliver, P. and Riggio, R. (2011). Motivational roots of leadership: A longitudinal study from childhood through adulthood, The Leadership Quarterly, 22, 510-519.
Government of South Australia (2015). Building a stronger South Australia, Government of South Australia, retrieved 25/5/15 from http://stronger.sa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/building_a_stronger_sa-high_quality_education.pdf
Guglielmi, D., Simbula, S., Schaufeli, W. and Depolo, M. (2012). Self-efficacy and workaholism as initiators of the job demands-resources model, Career Development International, 17(4), 375-389.
Halsey, R.J. (2011). Small schools, big future. Australian Journal of Education, 55(1), 5-13.
Hannah, S., Avolio, B., Luthans, F. and Harms, D. (2008). Leadership efficacy: Review and future directions, The Leadership Quarterly 19, 669–692.
Lohman, J. (2000). Professional development requirements for school principals, OLR, USA, retrieved 26/5/15 from http://www.cga.ct.gov/2000/rpt/2000-R-0012.htm
Maulding, W., Peters, G., Roberts, J., Leonard, E. and Sparkman, L. (2012). Emotional intelligence and resilience as predictors of leadership in school administrators, Journal of Leadership Studies, 5(4), 20-29.
Moss, S., Dowling, N. and Callanan, J. (2009). Towards an integrated model of leadership and self-regulation, The Leadership Quarterly, 20, 162-176.
Murphy, S. and Johnson, S. (2011). The benefits of a long-lens approach to leader development: Understanding the seeds of leadership, The Leadership Quarterly, 22, 459-470.
Robbins, S. (2013). Educational leadership programmes in the UK. Who cares about the school leader? Management in Education, 27(2), 50-55.
Sahlberg, P. (2012). Finnish lessons. What can the world learn from educational change in Finland? Hawker Brownlow Education, Victoria, Australia.
Shaw, A. (2011). Autonomous school leadership and relationship building, Independence, 36(2), 28-33.
Simon, S., Christie, M., Graham, W. and Call, K. (2014). Pivotal ways of improving leadership and the scholarship of learning and teaching in Higher Education, e-Journal of Business Education & Scholarship of Teaching, 8(2), 32-38.
University of the Sunshine Coast (2011). Strategic Plan (2011–2015), retrieved 12/8/15 from http://www.usc.edu.au/explore/vision/strategy-quality-and-planning/strategic-plan-2011-2015
Appendix D: Reference Group online survey
The PIVOTAL Leadership Model: Innovative curriculum design and enhanced postgraduate learning experiences for School Leaders
Reference Group Online Survey Questions:
1. Are you currently:
Member of the Senior Leadership Team of a School
2. Based on your experience to date, prioritise the following Leadership Requirements* (1 – 3, with 1 being the most important and 3 being the least) in order to be an effective leader of schools :
Vision and Values
Knowledge and Understanding
Personal qualities, social and interpersonal skills
3. Which of the above Leadership Requirements is / are most in need of additional development in aspiring and current leaders? Please comment in the box below and detail any particular aspect of the requirement which you feel is especially important for leadership development:
Comment:
4. Prioritise the following five key Professional Practices* (1 – 5, with 1 being the most important and 5 being the least) in order to be an effective leader of schools :
Leading teaching and learning
Developing self and others
Leading the management of the school
Engaging and working with the community
5. Which of the above key Professional Practices is / are most in need of additional development in aspiring and current leaders? Please comment in the box below and detail any particular aspect of the development of professional practices which you feel is especially important for school leadership effectiveness:
Comment:
*The Leadership Requirements and five key Professional Practices are taken from the framework for professional learning – the Standard Integrated Model (Australian Government, 2011) which depicts the interaction of the Professional Standards for Principals in Australia.
Reference:
Appendix E: USC’s revised Education course outline
Course outline
Code: EDU705
Faculty of: Science, Health, Education and Engineering
Teaching Session: Semester 2
Course Coordinator: Dr Sue Simon Email: ssimon@usc.edu.au Tel: 5430 1286
Course Moderator: Associate Professor Deborah Heck
1. What is this course about?
1.1 Course description
This leadership course is for those aspiring to lead the development and continuous improvement of learning communities. Globalisation, diverse needs of clientele and the ever-increasing pace of change continue to impact on every learning environment. This four-module course highlights current research findings, policy changes, leadership theories and organisational change models which can be applied to your specific learning context. This course will be delivered through either an intensive six-day block or by course work over 13 weeks.
1.2 Course content
*Understanding yourself in relation to leadership * Exploring your own leadership experience, style, drive, professional knowledge and capacity to lead others in their learning journeys * Leadership theories and case studies * Strategic planning, visioning, cultural change and team development. * Effective communication, and analysis of formal and informal leadership positions * Frameworks for futures thinking and strategies for anticipating and transforming the future. * Project Development and Action Research * Conceptualisation and delivery of a leadership project to be implemented in your learning community
2. Unit value
3. How does this course contribute to my learning?
On successful completion of this course you should be able to:
You will be assessed on the learning outcome in task/s:
Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming:
Reflect on and theorise about your own learning and leadership styles in relation to your learning journey to date, and formulate goals for future leadership skills development.
Task 1 Intended Leadership Project Presentations and Peer Reviews Task 2 Leadership Project Multi-media Presentations, Professional Learning Conversations and Reflection Task 3 Leadership Folio
Engaged.
Sustainability-focussed.
Justify the links between your own practice and contemporary leadership theories, relevant literature, policies and other leadership stimuli.
Task 2 Leadership Project Multi-media Presentations, Professional Learning Conversations and Reflection Task 3 Leadership Folio
Engaged.
Sustainability-focussed.
Critically analyse your own and others’ practice and further action through the use of relevant theoretical frameworks.
Task 1 Intended Leadership Project Presentations and Peer Reviews
Task 2 Leadership Project Multi-media Presentations, Professional Learning Conversations and Reflection Task 3 Leadership Folio
Empowered.
Task 2 Leadership Project Multi-media Presentations, Professional Learning Conversations and Reflection
Task 3 Leadership Folio
Generate a futures-thinking approach to leadership, identifying emerging problems, trends and/or issues in education and hypothesising on global as well as local issues in Education.
Task 2 Leadership Project Multi-media Presentations, Professional Learning Conversations and Reflection Task 3 Leadership Folio and
Sustainability-focussed.
Apply your knowledge to the creation of a plan of action to be taken in your own context in terms of improving leadership skills development and organisational capacity.
Task 1 Intended Leadership Project Presentations and Peer Reviews
Task 2 Leadership Project Multi-media Presentations, Professional Learning Conversations and Reflection
Task 3 Leadership Folio and
Engaged.
Create, organise and present key ideas in a professional manner that maximises learning outcomes for you and audience members. APA6 referencing style is used throughout written and oral presentations.
Task 1 Intended Leadership Project Presentations and Peer Reviews
Task 2 Leadership Project Multi-media Presentations, Professional Learning Conversations and Reflection
Task 3 Leadership Folio
4. Am I eligible to enrol in this course?
Refer to the Undergraduate Coursework Programs and Awards - Academic Policy for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”
4.1 Enrolment restrictions
Students must be enrolled in ED508, ED703, ED704, ED705 or any postgraduate program
4.2 Pre-requisites
4.5 Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (optional)
Knowledge of a learning context from which experience and understanding concerning learning-related leadership issues have resulted, and for which you will be able to devise an appropriate leadership project which will have improved learning outcomes as its most significant goal.
5. How am I going to be assessed?
5.1 Grading scale
Standard – High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL)
5.2 Assessment tasks
When should I submit?
1
Individual
20%
Week 3
Week 5
In Class
Individual
40%
Week 12
Week 13
In Class
In Class
Goal:
You will develop and outline the Leadership Project you intend to undertake in your chosen community including the rationale for undertaking the project at this time in this context, your approach to leading change and innovation as well as the anticipated outcomes of the project.*
Product:
You deliver a presentation to your peers during scheduled course time. You peer-review other presentations and consequently reflect on the feedback you receive from others in order to develop your own and others’ leadership skills.
Format:
The focus of the presentation is an exploration of your intended Leadership Project. The peer-reviews will be undertaken during the class presentations and using a provided template based on the learning outcomes of the course. Your reflection, based on your own and others’ reviews of your presentation, will be created individually and should relate to the learning outcomes of the course.
Criteria
Reflect on and theorise about your own learning and leadership styles in relation to your learning journey to date, and formulate goals for future leadership skills development.
Critically analyse your own and others’ practice and further action through the use of relevant theoretical frameworks.
Formulate peer feedback which effectively contributes to others’ leadership skills development, and reflect on feedback received from others.
Apply your knowledge to the creation of a plan of action to be taken in your own context in terms of improving leadership skills development and organisational capacity.
Create, organise and present key ideas in a professional manner that maximises learning outcomes for you and audience members. APA6 referencing style is used throughout written and oral presentations.
Generic skill assessed
Skill assessment level
Organisation
Developing
Communication
Developing
*For students who do not currently have a leadership role in a school or other learning community, a range of appropriate simulated leadership projects will be provided for you to choose an appropriate one. The chosen simulation will entail periodic interventions which will mirror real-life leadership scenarios and necessitate reflection and remedial action.
Assessment Task 2: Leadership Project multi-media presentations, Professional Learning Conversations and Reflection
Goal:
You deliver a multi-media presentation to a community group relevant to your Leadership Project*. A key purpose of this presentation is to enrol support and engage the group in the Leadership Project. Specifically, in your presentation you outline the proposed Leadership Project and the intended outcomes. Further, you demonstrate understandings in relation to futures thinking and identify emerging problems, trends and/or issues in learning communities. You also articulate the proposed action to be undertaken in your own context in terms of improving leadership and organisational capacity. You participate in Professional Learning Conversations based on yours and others’ presentations. You then reflect further on your own and others’ leadership growth and development during this course.
Product:
Format:
Criteria
Justify the links between your own practice and contemporary leadership theories, relevant literature, policies and other leadership stimuli.
Critically analyse your own and others’ practice and further action through the use of relevant theoretical frameworks.
Formulate peer feedback which effectively contributes to others’ leadership skills development, and reflect on feedback received from others.
Generate a futures-thinking approach to leadership, identifying emerging problems, trends and/or issues in education and hypothesising on global as well as local issues in education.
Apply your knowledge to the creation of a plan of action to be taken in your own context in terms of improving leadership skills development and organisational capacity.
Create, organise and present key ideas in a professional manner that maximises learning outcomes for you and audience members. APA6 referencing style is used throughout written and oral presentations.
Generic skill assessed
Skill assessment level
Communication
Graduate
Collaboration
Graduate
*For students who do not currently have a leadership role in a school or other learning community, a range of appropriate simulated leadership projects will be provided for you to choose an appropriate one. The chosen simulation will entail periodic interventions which will mirror real-life leadership scenarios and necessitate reflection and remedial action.
Assessment Task 3: Leadership Folio
Goal:
You are to compile a Leadership Folio based on your Leadership Project. You are encouraged to use the folio as a basis for critical conversations within your community, celebration at the close of the program and, importantly, for your multi-media presentation to a community group relevant to your actual Leadership Project. The portfolio consists of a series of evidentiary artefacts that offer insights into a personal/professional leadership framework that articulates a philosophical and theoretical statement about your concept of leadership for the 21st century. Such a statement includes an articulation of values and beliefs, along with evidence of how the statement resonates with specific learning contexts, your personal learning journey, as well as current literature, research, trends and issues in Education.
Product:
Folio
Format:
Specifically, the FOLIO contains:
1. A Thematic Statement
The Thematic Statement outlines your values and beliefs in relation to what you have learned about yourself and your leadership style and skills in the leadership of people and of learning communities. This statement is based on your own experience to date, augmented by the readings and activities engaged in during the course and consolidated by what you have learned from your leadership project within your actual learning context or from your experiences during interaction with a supplied simulated leadership project.*
Such a statement reflects an understanding of the richness and diversity found in all learning communities. Your articulate your understanding of the notion of lifelong learning, your plans to develop yourself and others in your leadership roles and your formulated strategies for adaptability to differing learning cultures and preservation of your own vitality whilst undertaking a challenging leadership role. Appropriate reference to the literature needs to be made to substantiate claims. The values and beliefs articulated in this statement should provide an integrating theme throughout the entire folio.
1. Statement of Project
In this section of the Leadership Folio, you outline the project you have planned, the rationale for undertaking the project at this time in this context, as well as the anticipated outcomes of the project. You reflect on the feedback received from others during the course and the opportunities you have had to contribute to others’ leadership learning journeys by offering feedback to them.
1. Leadership Artefacts
These may include peer feedback documents, critical reflections, a suite of learning experiences, project summaries, strategic plans, professional development activities, presentations, meeting agendas, reviews, as well as change process, other management or strategic documents. Artefacts are selected and used on the basis of their relationship to the Leadership Project to be undertaken. For example, a strategic plan may be used to illustrate the gaps and silences that exist; a meeting agenda might be used to highlight issues and approaches to be used in the project.
The leadership artefacts themselves are not considered as part of the word limit for this task. Importantly, you are required to write a commentary on each artefact used. The commentary states how the artefact relates to the rationale for undertaking the project, the anticipated project outcomes, as well as reference to relevant theoretical material from the literature.
1. Leadership Toolkit
The toolkit will contain a list of key learnings, theories, references, support network contacts and other leadership tools you have selected as the necessary items in your personal leadership toolkit that you will use to address the leadership challenges in your future learning journey.
Criteria
Reflect on and theorise about your own learning and leadership styles in relation to your learning journey to date, and formulate goals for future leadership skills development.
Justify the links between your own practice and contemporary leadership theories, relevant literature, policies and other leadership stimuli.
Critically analyse your own and others’ practice and further action through the use of relevant theoretical frameworks.
Formulate peer feedback which effectively contributes to others’ leadership skill development, and reflect on feedback received from others.
Generate a futures-thinking approach to leadership, identifying emerging problems, trends and/or issues in education and hypothesising on global as well as local issues in education.
Apply your knowledge to the creation of a plan of action to be taken in your own context in terms of improving leadership skills development and organisational capacity. Create, organise and present key ideas in a professional manner that maximises learning outcomes for you and audience members. APA6 referencing style is used throughout written and oral presentations.
Generic skill assessed
Skill assessment level
Organisation
Graduate
Collaboration
Graduate
*For students who do not currently have a leadership role in a school or another learning community, a range of appropriate simulated leadership projects will be provided for them to choose an appropriate one. The chosen simulation will entail periodic interventions which will mirror real-life leadership scenarios and necessitate reflection and remedial action
5.3 Additional assessment requirements
Blackboard As a student enrolled in this course you will have access to course information on the Blackboard site. You are strongly recommended to log onto the course site on a regular basis. All course announcements, course changes, posting of course materials and grades (via My Interim Results) will be accessed through Blackboard. It is your responsibility to ensure they have adequate internet access (either off campus or on-campus) in order to access Blackboard regularly and to complete required assessment tasks.. Safe Assign In order to minimise incidents of plagiarism and collusion, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks are submitted electronically via Safe Assign. This software allows for text comparisons to be made between the students submitted assessment item and all other work that Safe Assign has access to. If required, details of how to submit via Safe Assign will be provided on the Blackboard site of the course. Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying: a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47 per cent to 49.4 per cent b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale c) You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct
5.4 Submission penalties
Late submission of assessment tasks will be penalised at the following maximum rate:
· 5 per cent (of the assessment task’s identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task.
· 10 per cent (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the third day
· 20 per cent (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task.
· A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task.
Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late.
To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.
6. How is the course offered?
6.1 Directed study hours
6.2 Teaching semester/session(s) offered
Semesters 1 and 2
What activities will I engage in to learn the concepts/content?
Directed Study Activities
Independent Study Activities
Lectures:
· the draft PIVOTAL Leadership Model (Simon et al, 2014)
· other theoretical frameworks with which to explore own personal learning styles, life experiences and professional knowledge
· self-identification of characteristics as learning leaders
· qualities of a learning leader able to assist others to navigate through multiple life-pathways in their professional futures
· introduction to leadership styles and theory
· in-depth exploration of requirements of Tasks 1–3
· Confirmation of choice of Leadership Projects
Consideration of appropriate leadership projects in own learning community. Liaison with key personnel in context, professional mentors and /or academic advisor.
OR
Appropriate choice of one of the supplied simulated leadership projects – in education/ other professional field / community-based projects. Liaison with experienced leaders/ academic advisor as appropriate.
Readings from the general leadership reading list and from one of the specialist reading lists:
a. School leadership
b. Business leadership
All available on Blackboard.
Weeks 3 and 4
Week 3 - Task 1 Intended Leadership Project Presentations
Peer review of others’ presentations using a provided template based on the learning outcomes of the course
Week 4 Lecture:
· models for strategic planning, visioning, cultural change and team development
· communication for leadership
Distribution of Peer Reviews to individuals for their own Written Reflection (to be submitted in Week 5
Readings from the general leadership reading list and from one of the specialist reading lists:
a. School leadership
b. Business leadership
All available on Blackboard.
Progress with own Leadership Project.
Weeks 5 and 6
Lectures:
· models for building organisational capacity within the broader agenda of developing social capital
· case studies
· frameworks for futures thinking, strategies for anticipating and transforming the future
· revisit the AITSL Leadership Model and the draft PIVOTAL model – review and reflection
· preservation of vitality, health and well-being of leaders
Week 5 - Submission of Written Reflection for Task 1
Readings from the general leadership reading list and from one of the specialist reading lists:
a. School leadership
b. Business leadership
All available on Blackboard.
Progress with own Leadership Project.
Weeks 7 and 8
Lectures:
· Simulation interventions as hypothetical scenarios
· Small group discussion and feedback
· Mentoring and developing self and others based on progress of the Leadership Projects
Readings from the general leadership reading list and from one of the specialist reading lists:
a. School leadership
b. Business leadership
All available on Blackboard.
Progress with own Leadership Project
Weeks 9 - 11
· Professional Learning Conversations format and aims
· Guidelines for writing commentary on chosen artefacts for the Leadership Folio
· Multi-media presentation support and guidelines
· Small group and individual consultation re progress with Leadership Project
Peer feedback
Weeks 12 and 13
Week 12 - Task 2 Leadership Project multi-media presentations in class
Week 13 - Professional Learning Conversations
Submission of Written Reflection for Task 2
Submission of Task 3 – Leadership Folio
Please note that the course activities may be subject to variation.
7. What resources do I need to undertake this course?
7.1 Prescribed text(s)
7.2 Required and recommended readings
Lists of required and recommended readings may be found for this course on its Blackboard site. These materials/readings will assist you in preparing for tutorials and assignments, and will provide further information regarding particular aspects of your course.
7.3 Specific requirements
7.4 Risk management
There is minimal health and safety risk in this course. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the Health and Safety policies and procedures applicable within campus areas.
8. How can I obtain help with my studies?
In the first instance you should contact your tutor, then the Course Coordinator. Student Life and Learning provides additional assistance to all students through Peer Advisors and Academic Skills Advisors. You can drop in or book an appointment. To book: Tel: +61 7 5430 1226 or Email: studentlifeandlearning@usc.edu.au
9. Links to relevant University policies and procedures
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
· Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
· Review of Assessment and Final Grades
· Supplementary Assessment
Faculty Student Support Office
Teaching Session: Session 1
Office: K2.39
1.1 Course description
In today's uncertain and rapidly changing environment, organisation leaders face the challenge of making difficult decisions on a wide range of issues vital to achieving their organisations’ goals and objectives: Who should be targeted as customers? What products or services should be offered to the chosen customers? What activities are necessary to achieve desired goals? Without clear decisions on these parameters, the organisation will drift like a rudderless ship in the high seas (Markides, C. (2004), what is the strategy and how do you know if you have one? Business Strategy Review, Vol. 15, Issue 2, pp.5-12.) In reaching these decisions, business leaders are involved in strategic thinking, strategic planning, and strategic management. This course provides organisation leaders with the basic tools of strategic planning and management.
1.2 Course content
The course consists of the following two modules, each with three lecture blocks:
· Module 1: Competitive advantage: strategy process and context
· 1. Introduction to strategy and strategising2. Industry and organisational context3. Strategic formation, change and innovation Module 2: Competitive advantage: strategy content and context
1. Mission, vision, values and governance 2. Business, corporate and network level strategy3. International context
2. Unit value
Specific Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this course you should be able to:
Assessment Tasks
You will be assessed on the learning outcome in task/s:
Graduate Qualities
Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming:
Discuss the recent developments in theory, issues and practice relating to strategy
1 and 2
1 and 2
Creative and critical thinkers.
Determine the optimal pathway for an organisation to achieve a competitive advantage using the