Middle leaders and the teaching profession: building intelligent accountability from within

Lillejord, Sølvi; Børte, Kristin

doi:10.1007/s10833-019-09362-2

Cited by 11 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…For example, research has examined MLs as facilitators of teachers' on-the-job learning by leading instructional teams and professional learning committees or working directly with teachers to build the latter's expertise (Bryant et al, 2020;Edwards-Groves et al, 2019;Willis et al, 2018). However, beyond an understanding that their professional learning can also come through formal programmes or in situ learning, less has been written about the PD of MLs themselves (Lillejord and Børte, 2019;Lipscombe et al, 2021).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…MLs want help to develop these skills (Irvine and Brundrett, 2017). Second, MLs prioritise practical on-the-job experience over formal leadership training and qualifications (Lillejord and Børte, 2019; Lipscombe et al, 2021). Whereas all development forms can be valuable, learning from external programmes may be less effective if strong linkages to context are not established (Desimone et al, 2002; Spillane et al, 2018).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…MLs’ development is too often self-managed and unsupported by senior leaders (Lillejord and Børte, 2019). There are several reasons for this.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whereas MLs are positioned as curriculum administrators who serve as conduits between senior leaders, that is, principals and vice principals (VPs), and teachers, the research emphasises their potential as pedagogical leaders, innovators, and facilitators of teachers' professional development (PD). MLs play essential roles in school-level decision-making and as instructional leaders (Gurr and Drysdale, 2013;Lillejord and Børte, 2019). When supported by principals, MLs influence the organisation by building teacher capacity (Edwards-Groves et al, 2019), aligning professional activity to mission, and implementing policy (Bryant, 2019;DeNobile, 2019;Gurr and Drysdale, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Principal-designed structures that enhance middle leaders’ professional learning

Bryant¹,

Walker²

2022

Educational Management Administration & Leadership

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Middle leaders in schools are increasingly recognised as playing pivotal roles in school improvement. Although some school systems provide formal professional development for middle leaders, many middle leaders express a preference for job-embedded learning. Yet, international research has documented difficulties in providing intensive support from principals which instead is often ad hoc. This study examines how middle leaders’ professional learning can be supported through the development of appropriate organisational structures. It presents three principal-designed models distilled from qualitative data collected in 12 case study schools, inclusive of public, semi-private, and international schools in four East Asian societies. Each model contributed to the development of middle leadership capacity in areas relevant to the schools’ improvement agendas. The models vary in degrees of formality, resource intensiveness, and processes for engaging and developing leadership. The findings contribute to the growing literature on middle leader development, and the role of school infrastructure in professional learning by suggesting how school-based leader development strategies can be framed in coherent and intentional models that take into account of the available infrastructure and potential professional interactions to provide systematic in situ support for middle leaders.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…MLs’ development is too often self-managed and unsupported by senior leaders (Lillejord and Børte, 2019). There are several reasons for this.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Principal-designed structures that enhance middle leaders’ professional learning

Bryant¹,

Walker²

2022

Educational Management Administration & Leadership

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“…En rekke teoretiske og empiriske bidrag har vist at laererprofesjonens kunnskapsbase i stor grad bygger på interne, lokale kilder, praksisnaere erfaringer, fremstår som personlig og individuell og utfordres i møte med kunnskapskilder som elevresultater og forskning (Hermansen & Mausethagen, 2016;Kelchtermans, 2006;Lillejord & Børte, 2020). Et hovedfunn i forskning om data som drivere i kvalitetsutvikling, viser at slike kunnskapsressurser i liten grad utfordrer skolens eksisterende praksis (Schildkamp & Datnow, 2020).…”

Section: Diskusjonunclassified

Kompetanseutvikling som rekontekstualisering: Skoleledelse i spennet mellom horisontale og vertikale kunnskapsdiskurser

Kirkerud¹

2021

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I denne artikkelen utforsker jeg ulike måter skoleledere rekontekstualiserer kompetanseutvikling. Med utgangspunkt i observasjons- og intervjudata fra fire skoleledere som omhandler hvordan de forholder seg til kunnskapsressurser i et regionalt datadrevet utviklingsprosjekt, finner jeg stor variasjon i hvordan de tilnærmer seg prosjektets kunnskapsressurser. Skolelederne oversetter og tilpasser kunnskapsressursene på tre ulike måter: a) en horisontal, der skoleleder velger bort de eksterne kunnskapsressursene og beskriver kompetanseutvikling som å «rive, slite og dra» i den kunnskapen de allerede har, b) en vertikal, der de eksterne kunnskapsressursene tas for gitt, betraktes som «sannheter» og brukes etter oppskriften, og c) en horisontal og vertikal, der skoleledere og lærere sammen velger, transformerer og tilpasser kunnskapsresursene slik at de gir mening i deres lokale skolekontekst. Studien bidrar til å belyse skolelederens betydning i arbeidet med å ta i bruk eksterne kunnskapsressurser i utviklingsarbeidet på skolenivå, og hvordan ulike oppfatninger av kunnskap kan forme dette arbeidet. Funnene indikerer at for å utvikle skolens praksis, trengs det mer enn kunnskapsressurser utviklet i en vertikal kunnskapsdiskurs. For at eksterne kunnskapsressurser skal bidra til lokalt utviklingsarbeid, viser funnene at skoleledere som aktivt velger ut og tilpasser kunnskapsressursene sammen med lærerne, bidrar til produktive koblinger mellom skolens horisontale kunnskapsdiskurs og eksterne kunnskapskilder.

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From "unintelligent" to intelligent accountability

Lillejord

2020

J Educ Change

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A moral being is an accountable being. An accountable being, as the word expresses, is a being that must give an account of its actions to some other, and that consequently must regulate them according to the good-liking of this other. Adam Smith, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, 1759 (1st Edition Part III, chapter 1) Recent accountability reforms have distorted Adam Smith's interpersonal understanding of what it means, at its core, to be an accountable person. The ambitions behind this Special Issue are twofold: first, to show how the above enlightenment understanding of accountability has changed and culminated in existing dysfunctional systems and second, to build arguments for an alternative, more human accountability practice that strengthens the teaching profession. The Editorial describes why accountability systems emerge, whose interests they serve and what they are set up to achieve. It presents perspectives on the understanding of knowledge and society that underpins accountability systems, and which forms of rationality they support. As current systems favor investment in individual human capital, they tend to neglect social and cultural capital. There is an obvious need for accountability practices that are less technical, bureaucratic and ideology driven as teachers and school leaders feel caught in a one-sided system logic that overshadows essential parts of their job. The relationship between professions and accountability is discussed and arguments put forward for increased professionalization of teachers and educational leaders as a pivotal part of intelligent accountability systems.

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Middle leaders and the teaching profession: building intelligent accountability from within

Cited by 11 publications

References 71 publications

Principal-designed structures that enhance middle leaders’ professional learning

Principal-designed structures that enhance middle leaders’ professional learning

Kompetanseutvikling som rekontekstualisering: Skoleledelse i spennet mellom horisontale og vertikale kunnskapsdiskurser

From "unintelligent" to intelligent accountability

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