scholarly journals Cultivating Leadership Imagination with Cognitive Tools: An Imagination-Focused Approach to Leadership Education

2021 ◽  
pp. 194277512110220
Author(s):  
Gillian Judson
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Educational Theory ◽  
Leadership Education ◽  
Cognitive Tools ◽  
Collective Leadership ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Imaginative Education

This conceptual and practical paper aims to expand understanding of imagination in ways that have direct implications for leadership education and research. First, imagination is conceptualized as soil, an analogy that can address misconceptions about imagination and broaden understanding of the multiple ways it contributes to leadership. Next, an educational theory called Imaginative Education (IE) is introduced that offers theoretical understanding of imagination and practical tools for its development. Finally, what imagination yields in terms of individual and collective leadership processes is described along with specific “cognitive tools” that may be used to cultivate imagination in school leadership.

Educating Perfinkers: How Cognitive Tools Support Affective Engagement in Teacher Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian Judson ◽  
Ross Powell ◽  
Kelly Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Lived Experiences ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
Cognitive Tools ◽  
Affective Engagement ◽  
Research Praxis ◽  
Imaginative Education ◽  
Relational Process

Our intention is to share our lived experiences as educators of educators employing Imaginative Education (IE) pedagogy. We aim to illuminate IE’s influence on our students’, and our own, affective alertness, and to leave readers feeling the possibility of this pedagogy for teaching and learning. Inspired by the literary and research praxis of métissage (Chambers et al., 2012; Hasebe-Ludt et al., 2009; Hasebe-Ludt et al., 2010), we offer this polyphonic text as a weaving together of our discrete and collective voices as imaginative teacher educators. Our writing reflects a relational process, one that invites us as writers and colleagues to better understand each other and our practices as IE educators (Hasebe-Ludt et al., 2009). It also allows us to share with other practitioners our struggles, questions, and triumphs as we make sense of our individual and collective praxis: how IE’s theory informs our practice, and how our practice informs our understanding of IE’s theory. This text, like IE’s philosophy, invites heterogeneous possibilities.

Humanizing practices in online learning communities during pandemics in the USA

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 205-212
Author(s):  
Nimo M. Abdi ◽  
Elizabeth Gil ◽  
Stefanie LuVenia Marshall ◽  
Muhammad Khalifa
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Women Of Color ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Leadership Education ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Learning School ◽  
Reflective Essay

PurposeIn this reflective essay, the authors, four educators of color, explore the relevance of humanizing practices of community in teaching and learning, school leadership and the potential challenges for equity work in education, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThis reflective essay draws on lessons learned from the pedagogical practices of women of color, literature on teachers of color, as well as our experiences as educators of teachers and school leaders, as the authors think about new possibilities and challenges for anti-racist practice and living during the pandemic.FindingsThis essay describes community-oriented practice of women of color educators to be important in orienting teaching and learning toward more humanizing practice. The reflections highlight both possibilities and challenges that can be helpful reimagining the practice in teacher and leadership education, as the authors prepare educators for an uncertain future.Originality/valueThis essay offers valuable lessons from women of color educator practice that can offer humanizing approaches to teaching and learning as well as school leadership education.

Collective Leadership: Principals’ Decision Influence and the Supportive or Inhibiting Decision Influence of Other Stakeholders

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 216-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongmei Ni ◽  
Rui Yan ◽  
Diana Pounder
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
School Environment ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Collective Leadership ◽  
Public School Principals ◽  
Principal Characteristics ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Right ◽  
Almost All

Purpose: Using the collective leadership framework, this study examines (a) how principals perceive their own influence and that of other key stakeholders in various school decisions and (b) how principals’ perceived influences of other stakeholders are associated with their own influence. Research Method/Approach: This study uses the nationally representative database of public school principals from the 2007 to 2008 School and Staffing Survey. A series of ordinary least squares regression models were estimated to examine how principals’ perceptions of decision influence were associated with principal characteristics, school contextual factors, and influences of other stakeholders. Findings: Among all the stakeholders, principals perceived themselves to have the greatest influence in school decisions in almost all key decision areas, while other stakeholders also exerted significant influences to different extents. Depending on the decision area, principals viewed other stakeholders’ influence as either supporting or inhibiting their own influence. For example, principals perceived influences from teachers and school districts as high and supportive. On the other hand, the influence of state agencies were perceived as generally inhibiting. In addition, collective leadership was more prevalent in some decision areas (e.g., setting standards and establishing curriculum) than others (e.g., hiring and evaluating teachers). Conclusions and Implications: School leadership does not have to be a zero-sum game. Principals’ decision influence does not necessarily diminish when other stakeholders gain more influence. Improving collective leadership and maintaining the right balance of decision influence among stakeholders and across decision zones have the potential to create a harmonious and high-functioning school environment.

scholarly journals Leadership for learning

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 183-200
Author(s):  
Kjell Atle Halvorsen ◽  
Siw Skrøvset ◽  
Eirik Johannes Irgens
Keyword(s):  
School Leadership ◽  
Role Models ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Leadership Education ◽  
Leadership Theories ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
National Leadership ◽  
Improving Student Learning ◽  
Open Question ◽  
Question Survey

Hvordan konseptualiserer deltakere i den norske rektorutdanningen skoleledelse, og hvordan har deres deltakelse i programmet påvirket dem som ledere? Disse spørsmålene drøfter vi i denne artikkelen på grunnlag av data fra en gruppe på 63 studenter. Vi har analysert en av deres mappetekster og svar på et elektronisk spørreskjema med åpne spørsmål. Funnene drøftes i lys av teori om skoleledelse, Mintzbergs (2009) triangulære ledelsesteori og et gradert teorikonsept (Ertsås & Irgens, 2016). Deltakerne konseptualiserer skoleledelse som en kompleks praksis utøvd av kunnskapsrike rollemodeller, hvis lederskap er fokusert og transparent og for-ankret i felles kjerneverdier, med gode relasjoner mellom kolleger og fokus på elevenes læring. Deltakerne påpeker at ulike elementer i rektorutdanningen har påvirket den måten de utøver ledelse på. Kombinasjonen av sterk teori og praktiske øvinger synes å ha vært viktig. Funnene våre står i kontrast til den kritikken som har vært rettet mot utdanning av ledere internasjonalt. Våre analyser bygger på deltakernes selvrapportering. Dette setter grenser for hvilke konklusjoner vi kan trekke. Det er behov for mer forskning på forbindelsen mellom skolelederes uttrykte handlingsteori og den ledelsen de praktiserer.Nøkkelord: skoleledelse, lederutdanning, rektorutdanningenAbstractHow do participants in the National Leadership Education for School Principals conceptualize school leadership, and how has their participation in the program affected them as leaders? These are the questions analyzed in this article, based on data from a student cohort comprising 63 students. We have analyzed one of their portfolio texts and their responses to an electronic open-question survey. Findings are discussed in the light of school leadership theories, Mintzberg's (2009) triangular theory of leadership and a graded concept of theory (Ertsås & Irgens, 2016). Participants conceptualize school leadership as a complex practice exercised by knowledgeable role models, whose leadership is focused and transparent, rooted in common core values, sound working relations, bent on improving student learning. A variety of elements in the program have contributed to developing participant concepts of leadership. The fusion of strong theory and practical experience seems to have played a predominant role. Our findings contrast criticisms of management education programs in the international literature. Our analyses are based on participant self-reports, which restricts the scope of our conclusions. There is a need for further research on the links between leaders’ espoused conceptualizations of leadership and their actual leadership practice.Keywords: school leadership, leadership education, National leadership education for school leaders 

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