The Significance of the Black Stool as an Educational Resource in Akan Traditional Patterns of Learning

The Black Stool has been considered by Western missionaries and missionary established churches mainly as a sacred object and religious material for rituals without much attention to its educational significance. The Western missionaries introduced Christian education and schooling pattern of learning to the Akan societies. The introduction of Western and Christian education came with Bibles, Hymn Books, Liturgy books and other educational materials. Even though the Akan had their own forms of learning, the indigenous educational resources did not attract the consideration of the missionaries. The missionary legacy of not recognizing the indigenous educational materials such as the Black Stool has remained with Christian education in Akan churches and other educational patterns. The study is an examination of the educational dimensions of the Black Stool and its significance for moral and leadership formation. Using both primary and secondary sources to examine the role of the Black Stool in moral education and leadership formation, the study points out the fact that the Black Stool is capable of providing even education in Christian history and calls for the need for re-thinking Akan Christian history to reflect significant intellectual weight embedded in the Black Stool. The study has established that the Akan Black Stool that over the years has been considered mainly from its sacred and religious dimensions has educational dimensions that equally must attract intellectual attention. The study identifies the traditional pattern of learning as a discipline that must attract intellectual attention. Moreover, there is a need for a paradigm shift on the perception of the Black Stool. A paradigm shift on the perception of indigenous educational resources will position the Black Stool as a relevant educational resource for a traditional pattern of learning. The study calls for a need for re-thinking of Akan Christian history to retrieve Christian information and history that have been embedded in indigenous resources like the Black Stool. Keywords: Akan, Black Stool, Traditional Patterns of Learning, Christianity, Educational Resources.

COMPETENCE APPROACH IN AGILE TRANSFORMATION OF EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENT

The subject of the article is development of project, programs and project portfolios management systems with drivers of innovation in Agile transformation of Education Establishment is considered. Substantial changes in the environment require further research into the effectiveness of the application of existing agile methodologies, knowledge systems and competencies of project managers and their leadership. The foundations of environmental change lie in changing the decision-making paradigm in innovation project and programs management in Agile transformation of Education Establishment. The goal is to explore modern approaches to leadership formation when applying agile methodologies of its specificity from the point of view of decision-making processes in project management. The problems of leadership creation and development in the application of agile project management methodologies for the implementation of information and communication systems are considered. The results of studies were conducted on the basis of a competency-based approach modelled by the International Project Management Association. The content model of competency of the leader applying agile management is presented. Conclusion: The Agile leadership and leadership behaviour patterns are formed in a project management behavioural competency system based on agile technology methods and tools. These competencies included: Self-reflection and self-management, Personal integrity and reliability, Personal communication, Relationships and interaction, Leadership, Teamwork, Conflicts and crises, Inventiveness, Reconciliation, and Orientation to results. The patterns of project managers' behaviour as agile leaders in project product creation and agile project management are explored. The differences in the behaviour patterns of leaders and agile leaders were examined by behavioural competencies within the identified key competency indicators. Such patterns allowed the authors to identify bottlenecks in the application of agile project management methodologies in the context of the development of innovative products of innovation systems.

The Akan Traditional Leadership Formation: Some Lessons for Christian Leadership Formation

Traditional and Christian leaders in Akan communities in Ghana provide leadership services for the same Akan people. For proper internal harmony and identity devoid of identity crises, the two leadership systems should not only understand each other but must be willing to learn relevant values and lessons from each other. The integration which has already taken place among Akan traditional leaders as they have over the years learnt Christian leadership values and lessons from churches and mission schools is yet to take place properly in Christian leadership formation. This article seeks to analyse the values and lessons in Akan traditional leadership formation and its significance for Christian leadership formation. Observation and interviews of the Akan traditional leadership institution at Akuapim, Akyem and Asante and examination of secondary materials on early interpreters of the interaction between the Akan traditional leadership institution with the Christian faith are used to gather qualitative data. Akan traditional leadership formation pays much attention to matters of royal consciousness, leadership as service, mentoring, the celebration of the Adae festival and oath swearing. Christian leadership formation that seeks to avoid the church being alien on Akan cultural soil will need to pay attention to the indigenous leadership formation when addressing issues on institutional memory, stewardship, women in leadership, leadership as service and accountability in Christian leadership. Keywords: Akan, Christian, Traditional Leadership, Leadership Formation.

Phenomenologizing the Leadership Practices of the Selected School Heads in the Philippines

Educational leadership has been one of the interesting arguments of many academic researchers over the years. School heads have significant tasks to fulfill as they are responsible for the entire operation of the school as instructional and organizational leaders. In Catholic institutions, school heads are also accountable for the integral formation of the students, as well as the spiritual well-being of faculty and staff, parents and the stakeholder. Most often, they are challenged by various obligations and they need to have strong spirituality in their leadership practices. This qualitative study attempted to describe the leadership practices of a select group of heads of schools run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Hearts in the Philippines as basis for a proposed leadership formation framework. Thirty (30) heads of schools participated in the study. Among them, six (6) were Principals, six (6) were assistant principals, twelve (12) were academic coordinators and six (6) were heads of different offices. They underwent semi-structured depth interviews. The findings formed “The Whirl of Christ-Centred Leadership Model for Heads of Schools”describes the common practices and the critical instances which make the onset experience, and the value engagements that are observed in the institutions. The findings of this study provides valuable inputs to help school heads to become more inclined and spiritually empowered to influence people, work collaboratively that may result to a progressive and smooth working environment.

Cultivating Faith in Young Adults

Current data on trends toward agnosticism, atheism, and religious disaffiliation is compelling and deeply challenging for religious leaders who want to be effective in transmitting faith to succeeding generations and cultivating mature, adult faith in their churches’ members. However, where there is present the desire for meaning, belonging, forgiveness, self- and communal improvement, joy, consolation, or a deeper understanding of life’s big questions, there is a need for religious leadership and pastoral care. There are eight principal insights that can help redress the trend of young adults to eschew religion altogether or to drift and disaffiliate from their religious upbringing. Among the core components that the most effective religious leaders are mindful of are early, personal invitation; leadership formation and training; allowing for mentors; creating a welcoming atmosphere; attending to cognitive expectations; attending to affective expectations; striving for excellence in liturgical, sacramental, communal, and programmatic life; and recognizing the role of parents and family members.

Intercultural Formation and the Leadership Practicum: Competencies in Doctor of Ministry Education

This essay affirms the value of experientially based leadership formation in Doctor of Ministry theological education as a hallmark of developing religious leadership for the African American context. It suggests envisioning leadership practicum goals so students gain intercultural competencies for all ministry contexts. The essay argues it is possible to increase cultural and ethnic literacy, personal formation and development, attitude and values clarification, multiethnic and multicultural social competence, basic ministry skills proficiency, educational equity and excellence, and empowerment for intercultural engagement through focused competency goals. It encourages experiences of cultural disorientation as the context in which students best learn the need to affirm ethnic identity, to be inclusive, to appreciate diversity, and to overcome fear of human diversity. Stated differently, through intentional comprehension of commonalities of human community, DMin students journey more rapidly toward intercultural competence. Keywords: Doctor of Ministry, Intercultural Competencies, Ministry Context, Leadership Formation

Endogenous Stackelberg leadership within a team. The coalition effect

The article engages in a theoretical investigation of the possibility of implementing the Stackelberg strategy within a team. It is assumed that the team gene-rates aggregate income that increases as the efforts invested by each agent intensify, subject to the law of diminishing returns. The goal of each agent in a team is to maximize his own individual gain. In order to achieve an outcome that is Paretopreferable over Nash equilibrium, two approaches may be used: identifying a leader or forming a smaller group (coalition) within the team whose members, in pursuance of increased individual gains, choose the route that maximizes coalition gains. It is shown that the advent of a coalition in a team results in Pareto-improvement in a simultaneous game. We analyse the possibility of endogenous leadership forming according to the Stackelberg model when using the mechanism of timing decisions. It is established that under autonomy of all team members, leadership formation can only be confidently predicted in specific individual cases. In a significantly more general case, all of the prerequisites for the formation of leadership are created by the presence of a single coalition interested in implementing the Stackelberg strategy.

UNIVERSITY COMPETITIVENESS INDICATORS

The article is devoted to the conceptual issues of university leadership formation and ensuring the competitiveness of universities. It is determined that educational leadership is becoming an integral part of the competitiveness of the countries in the world in the context of modern globalization. Ensuring university leadership requires new management approaches, guidelines and mechanisms in the context of global transformations. The factors that cause changes in approaches to strategic management of universities, which require constant monitoring of their strategy, change of vision and most importantly, assessment of the effectiveness of achieving strategic objectives. With the help of the systemic-structural analysis, the essence and basic indicators of a modern university competitiveness at different levels (regional, national, global) are determined. It is pointed out that the main effective tool for assessing the competitive position of universities, in particular as educational leaders, is a balanced scorecard. A model of a balanced scorecard of the university with a set of key indicators is introduced in four blocks, including finance, staff, customers (service customers) and internal processes. With the help of comparative analysis, each component is characterized and studied, which enables to identify the main factors that hinder the achievement of leadership positions by universities, in particular at the national level. The generalized results of the analysis are reflected in the formed matrix of the balanced scorecards according to key indicators in the context of providing competitive advantages and gaining leadership positions at the national and global levels. The offered scorecard clearly demonstrates the existing results and challenges in achieving leadership positions by universities at the national level, which will allow them to adjust and effectively develop strategic directions in the future, securing sustainable competitive advantages and leadership in the global market of educational services.