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Conceptualizing School Leadership & Management from a Distributed Perspective

An Exploration of Some Study Operations & Measures

What is a distributed perspective of leadership?

A conceptual framework

"Distributed leadership" is the latest educational buzz word, but what does it mean? HGSE Associate Professor John Diamond, former director of a major 4-year study on distributed leadership

John Diamond sheds insight:

What it IS What it’s NOT

analytical frame for understanding something that you do or don't do

A way of thinking / conceptualizingabout the situation as an integral part of the leadership context

a type of leadership or a style of leadership. It's not a model of leadership.

it is an integrated view of leaders' thinking, their activity and behaviors, and the situation

It's not something you place on top of a school and say, 'Now you are doing distributed leadership.

It is not the leadership activity but the conceptualization of it: "think about the constellation of people who are involved, how the context

shapes what happens with that activity, and how artifacts might be an integral part of that activity. The distributed perspective is integrative thinking about all

of those pieces and on leadership activity itself."

Distributive perspective is about the interactions within the system, but Healey and Spillane urge caution by arguing for

more attention to research fundamentals in the form of study operations and research measures before seeking causal inferences.

There are 2 Aspects to the Framework

1. Leadership-plus Aspect○ Who leads and manages and, ○ How these individuals as a collective are

arranged in carrying out work of leading and managing

2. Practice Aspect○ Formal & Informal Designation○ Practice is fundamentally about interactions (not

actions)

AbstractA distributed perspective on school leadership and management has garnered

considerable attention from policy makers, practitioners, and researchers in many countries over the past decade.

However, we should be skeptical of its appeal as a measure of worth. While optimism is high with respect to taking a distributed perspective, we urge caution by arguing for more attention to research fundamentals in the form of study operations and research measures before seeking causal inferences.

The question is not, does distributed leadership work? but rather, how are leadership and management related to school and classroom conditions and school outcomes? To answer this question from a distributed perspective, we need to engage study operations and measures when taking a distributed perspective in school leadership and management research. This article attempts to extend that conversation.

What’s the goal?

to more effectively & reliably seek causal inferences and evidences of effectiveness between leadership and school outcomes

● to extend dialogue (among scholars) ● to develop solid study operations and reliable

and valid measures to frame investigations of school leadership and management

Methodology

Site & Sample

Data Analysis

Research Instruments

1. Principal questionnaire2. School staff questionnaire

Sample Schools 1. Taylor2. Hancock3. Chase

Primary Unit of Analysis

The School

Variables Data aggregated from individual school staff members

To borrow from Activity Theory and Distributed Cognition:

Distributed cognition suggests that people's thinking and actions don't happen in a

vacuum. Thinking happens through social interaction and interaction with the

environment. These impact how the leadership activity happens.

Operationalizing and Measuring Leadership & Management:

Formal and Informal Aspects of the School Organization

The Formal Organization

There are a few dimensions & ways of operationalizing leadership and management from a distributed perspective, and they reveal tremendous variation between schools

1.Leader to staff ratio2.Position focus3.Formally designated leadership team

diversity4.Strengths and limitations

Factoring in the Informal Organization

Relations between formal and informal can inform our understanding of school leadership and its influence on valued school conditions and outcomes.

1. Leader to staff ratio reconsidered2.Leadership team diversity:

compensation3.Formal and informal congruence

(informal as key advice givers)4.Strengths & Limitations

Formal-Informal Aspects, Relations & Composition

AfterthoughtsDo you think that this is a “commonsense” way of

conceptualizing leadership?

I definitely do not think this is a “commonsense” way of conceptualizing leadership, this is an extremely intensive, exhaustive, and ‘empirical’ way of understanding school leadership and management. It is not a matter of what is leadership, nor is it a matter of whether or not leadership impacts school outcome, but rather an “extended conversation” to perpetuate research methodology regarding how leadership impacts school outcome. Though it isn’t a “commonsense” way that non-researchers conceptualize the matter, it is definitely a more reliable and viable method to reach causal inferences between the two variables at hand.

AfterthoughtsWhat do you think are the most important role of leadership?

Influenced by the (interactive) framework introduced in this essay as well as inferred from previous knowledge and past experiences, one of the most important role of leadership is the notion that it is scalable within the learning community and educational ecosystem. If every stakeholder including management level, to classroom teachers, to students feel a sense of engagement to contribute and support those around us as “leaders” do, that will have a great impact on school outcome in many different aspects.

Conclusion / Key Findings

1. variation across schools 2. positive and significant correlation between

the two measures of formal-informal congruencea. the proportion of formally designated leaders who

are also key advice giversb. the proportion of advice-seeking ties directed toward

formally designated leaders

Design for Scalability: A Case Study of the River City Curriculum

Main content

This paper presents a framework on how to design educational innovations for scalability through enhancing their adaptability for effective usage in a wide variety of settings.

Dimensions Important for Scalability

Key Definitions:

• Depth: evaluation and research (design-based research) to understand and enhance causes of effectiveness

• Sustainability: ‘‘robust design’’ to enable adapting to inhospitable contexts

• Spread: modifying to retain effectiveness while reducing resources and expertise required

• Shift: moving beyond ‘‘brand’’ to support users as co-evaluators, co-designers, and co-scalers

• Evolution: learning from users’ adaptations to rethink the innovation’s design model

Activities to achieve scale along each dimension:

Case Study

The River City multi-user virtual environment (MUVE):

1. a technology-based curriculum designed to enhance engagement and learning in middle school science

2. over 250 teachers and 15,000 students throughout the United States and Canada have participated

Introduction River CityRiver City is a technology-based middle school science curriculum designed

around national content standards and assessments in biology, ecology, epidemiology, and scientific inquiry.

Interface DesignThe technological infrastructure that delivers the curriculum is a (MUVE).

MUVEs are online digital contexts where multiple participants can communicate, navigate, and share experiences.

Depicting a Nineteenth Century Virtual CityThe River City virtual ‘‘world’’ is an industrial nineteenth century city with a river

running through it.The storyline of the curriculumstudents have been commissioned by the mayor of River City to travel back intime to 1878 and help her figure out why the residents of the town have fallen

ill.

Using Robust Design to Develop River City• Depth: The River City research team employs design-based research

methods in order to understand what conditions are more flexible and adaptable to meet needs of students and teachers in various conditions.

• Sustainability: Through design-based research, the River City research team develops different strategies to meet needs for different types of learners.

• Spread: The River City research team automate as many processes as possible through creating an online dashboard for teachers and automated reports.

• Shift: The River City research team and teachers have been co-evaluators and co-designers at every stage of implementation.

• Evolution: The River City research team not only provides teachers with ownership, but also incorporate their ownership into the evolution of the curriculum.

Conclusion and Implications for Further ResearchBringing a technology innovation to scale in education

requires a design that is flexible enough to be used in a variety of contexts and robust enough to retain effectiveness in settings that lack its conditions for success; this may involve developing variants that are the equivalent of hybrid plants designed for inhospitable locales.

Is there a theory of change that underpins the theory of scalability put forward in this paper?

The Theory of Diffusion:The main elements in the diffusion of new ideas

are: (1) an innovation, (2) which is communicated through certain channels, (3) over time, (4) among the members of a social system.

Diffusion is a special type of communication concerned with the spread of messages that are perceived as new ideas.

Is there a theory of change that underpins the theory of scalability put forward in this paper?

The Theory of Scalability:“Depth” refers to deep and consequential change in classroom

practice, altering teachers’ beliefs, norms of social interaction, and pedagogical principles as enacted in the curriculum.

“Sustainability” involves maintaining over substantial periods of time the consequential changes in classroom practice enabled by an innovation’s depth.

“Spread” involves the diffusion of the innovation to large numbers of classrooms and schools.

During ‘‘shift,’’ districts, schools, and teachers assume ownership of the innovation, deepening, sustaining, and spreading its impacts.

“Evolution” is when the adopters of an innovation revise it and adapt it in such a way that it is influential in reshaping the thinking of its designers.

Towards a Mapping Framework of ICT-enabled

Innovation for Learning

Objectives of this report & Background

Up-scaling Creative Classroom in Europe----SCALE CCR● define and classify● concept of CCR and reference parameters● identify and analyse● proposeObjectives of this report● define and classify ● provides the basis for an in-depth analysis

Setting the context-Definition of innovation

● intentional activity● address unsolved problems and benefit● change and novelty● a dynamic and unpredictable social process● occurs in a specific context

Setting the context-Definition of educational innovation

According to OECD/CERI(2010,p.14):

“...any dynamic change intended to add value to the educational process and resulting in measurable outcomes, be that in terms of stakeholders satisfaction or educational performance”

OECD: Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development

CERI : Center for Educational Research and Innovation

Setting the context-Definition of ICT-enabled innovation for learning

the profoundly new ways of using and creating information and knowledge made possible by the use of ICT

● a new culture of learning ● flexibility, personalisation and different

learning styles● peer-to-peer informal interactions● open, collaborative, free and characterised

as ‘with’ those involved

Classifications of (ICT-enabled) innovation for learning

Three major dimensions● product-process● radical-incremental● technological-administrativeICT-supported pedagogical innovation● learning objectives● teachers’ roles● learners’ roles● ICT used● connectedness● learning outcomes

A proposal for a mapping framework of ICT-enabled innovation for learning

Aim:● a further understanding of the nature of ICT-

enabled innovation for learning● map the impact of ICT in E&T contextFive trajectories(the path followed by an object moving through space):

● Nature of innovation ● Implementation phase● Access level ● Impact area ● Target

A proposal for a mapping framework of ICT-enabled innovation for learning

Using the mapping framework

Innovating Learning: Key Elements for

Developing Creative Classrooms in Europe

Objectives & Background

● conceptualization of ‘Creative Classrooms’● reference parameters● up-scaling

Setting the scene

● What are Creative Classrooms Innovative learning environments that fully embed the potential of ICT to

innovate and modernise learning and teaching practices.

● Innovative teaching and creative learning T: any kind of teaching which addresses creativity and applies it to methods

and content L: the possibility for learner to develop their thinking skill and learn in a new,

creative way

● Innovative pedagogies and ICT Innovative forms of pedagogical practice with ICT encourage learner-

centred approaches, group work and participative learning and promote inquiry- based learning, learning-by-doing, problem-solving and creativity.

Creative Classrooms: a multi-dimensional concept

● The rationale● The key dimensions of Creative Classrooms

Reference parameters for Creative Classrooms

Aim:● most innovative elements● sustainable implementation and progressive

up-scaling

CCR reference parameters

Reference parameters for Creative Classrooms

Applying the CCR multi-dimensional concept: an example

The Seven Principles of Sustainable Leadership

The definition of sustainable leadership

❖ Sustainability: nourish particular initiatives be developed without compromising now and in the future.(Hargreaves & Fink 2000)

❖ Sustainable leadership: a share responsibility, not deplete resources, avoid damage on surrounding

The seven principles of sustainable leadership Principle 1: creates and preserves sustaining learning - depth

1.Learning to know

2.Learning to do3.Learning to be4.Learning to live togetherUNESCO 19965.Learning to live sustainablyHargreaves & Fink, 2006

The seven principles of sustainable leadership

Principle 2: secures over time - enduranceFew things succeed less than leadership succession (Hargreaves & Fink, 2006)

How to get succession?

Approach to succession

The public sector1.Seeks replacement for existing roles

2.Selects in relation to current competencies

3.lets candidates emerge

The private sector1.Defines future leadership skills and aptitudes2.Emphasises flexibility and lifelong learning in the face of changing needs3.•recruits and encourages potential leaders

The seven principles of sustainable leadership

Principle 3: sustains the leadership of others - breadth “ ”授人以渔

Achievement and Engagement

Collaboration Learning and teaching focus

Learning and reflection Use of evidence

The seven principles of sustainable leadership

Principle 4: addresses issues of social justice● do not steal your neighbour’s capacity● use multiple indicators of accountability● emphasize collective accountability● coach a less successful partner school● make a definable contribution to the

community your school is in● pair with a school in a different social or natural

environment● collaborate with your competitors

The seven principles of sustainable leadership

Principle 5: develops rather than depletes human and material resources- resourcefulness

Energy Exchange

Renewal

The seven principles of sustainable leadership

Principle 6: develops environmental diversity and capacity

You learn more from people who are different from you, than ones who are the same (Hargreaves 1988)

Short-term strategies1.Exam strategies

2.Revision sessions

3.Tutoring

4.Recognition of achievements

5.Pupil-teacher conference

Long-term strategies1.Restructuring

2.Student-centered

3.Continuous improvement

4.Teaching and learning

The seven principles of sustainable leadership

Principle 7: undertakes activist engagement with the environment- conservation

❖ Respect and build on the past

STOPWhat is less valuable

STARTWhat is more valuable

CONTINUE

What remains highly valuable

Compatible with seven principles

Theory of change Compatible elements with seven principles

Diffusion communication & principle 3Social system & principle 3

Education Epidemic

collaborative and competitive & principle 5self-organized & principle 1

Ecological Diversity & principle 5Connectedness & principle 3Indepedence & principle 7