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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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

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