Neil Dempster & Bev Flückiger, Griffith University, Brisbane
Susan Lovett, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
AARE APERA International Conference, Sydney, 2-6 December 2012
Principals reflecting on their leadership learning with an
heuristic: A pilot study
Rationale for the Pilot Study
AITSL Review: Strategies for the professional learning of school leaders (Dempster, Lovett & Flückiger, 2011)
The review showed:Most leadership learning strategies were under the control of systems
Studies of system organised learning were not balanced by studies of individual agency in leadership learning
2
Individual Agency in Professional Learning
A lack of research attention to individual agency exposed by Timperley’s (2011):
concern to differentiate between professional learning and professional development; and
her worry that individuals expect others to make provision for their leadership learning
and
Clarke and Wildy (2011) who developed an heuristic tool highlighting individual agency
They developed an heurisitc tool to asist leaders to analyse their professional learning strengths and needs
3
What is an Heuristic Tool?
A device to help individuals observe, investigate, experiment and discover new knowledge.
It applies especially to methods of teaching and learning.
In this case we apply the tool to leaders’ learning.
4
An Heuristic Tool (from Clarke and Wildy, 2011)
Place – understanding the context
People – understanding those I work with
Self – understanding ‘me’
System – understanding my employer and education at large
We added Pedagogy to this heuristic to emphasise the importance of leadership for learning
We added pedagogy to the heuristicPedagogy – understanding teaching & learning
5
Heuristic Tool Format
Leadership focal point and knowledge inventory
I am confident in my leadership knowledge in this area
or X
I plan to gain further leadership knowledge:
Through organised courses orworkshops (online or face-to-face)
Through discussion with peers
Through Informal learning on the job
With a mentor or coach
Pedagogy1. knowledge of growth, learning and development across the lifespan
x
2. knowledge of effective strategies for teacher professional development
3. knowledge of the rationale for and how to plan, coordinate, implement, monitor and evaluate teaching and learning
x
4. knowledge about how to gather data and how to conduct evidence-based professional conversations on teaching and learning
xx 6
Heuristic Tool Focal Point Sample: Pedagogy
1. knowledge of growth, learning and development across the lifespan
2. knowledge of effective strategies for teacher professional development3. knowledge of the rationale for and how to plan, coordinate, implement, monitor and evaluate teaching and learning
4. knowledge about how to gather data and how to conduct evidence-based professional conversations on teaching and learning
7
Heuristic Tool Format
Leadership focal point and knowledge inventory
I am confident in my leadership knowledge in this area
or X
I plan to gain further leadership knowledge:
Through organised courses orworkshops (online or face-to-face)
Through discussion with peers
Through Informal learning on the job
With a mentor or coach
Pedagogy1. knowledge of growth, learning and development across the lifespan
x
2. knowledge of effective strategies for teacher professional development
3. knowledge of the rationale for and how to plan, coordinate, implement, monitor and evaluate teaching and learning
x
4. knowledge about how to gather data and how to conduct evidence-based professional conversations on teaching and learning
xx 8
The Pilot
Trial No.1.
10 Primary and Secondary Principals
Trial No. 2.
6 Beginning Primary Principals
Opportunity Samples in each trial
Online access with 3 open-ended questions
9
Open-ended Questions
Please comment about the items in the heuristic and any issues in its completion;
What changes and or additions would you suggest?
The claim is that the heuristic should help principals better understand important aspects of their leadership learning profile.
What response would you have to this claim?
10
Summary of Results – there was:a spread of learning activity and generally reported
confidence in the focal point – Pedagogy
variability reported in learning about People
a favouring of courses or seminars about Place, with fewer reports of informal learning in work sites or with the use of a mentor
on the System – learning with peers dominated
an absence of reports of learning about Self through
courses, but frequent reports of learning about self with mentors.
11
Results: Suggested Changes
change column one to allow for differentiated responses on confidence, eg. very confident, somewhat confident, and not yet confident
the need for an electronic heuristic design to enable individuals to record their expanding knowledge inventory
An emphasis on the heuristic as one element of
reflection processes to stimulate thinking and conversations with others about personal agency in leadership learning.
12
Conclusion - the heuristic tool offers:
a useful tool for personal reflection, easily addressed in electronic form, allowing for adjustments in the light of personal knowledge needs
the means for leaders to construct a current leadership learning profile, with future projections made visible
a concentration on individual agency rather than system control of professional development agendas
13