Unit Code: EDU827

Unit Name: Educational Leadership

Description: Schools need great leaders in this 21st century fast changing world. Schools need leaders who are visionary, have courage, show passion, have emotional intelligence and are team builders, make the right calls, resilient and are persuasive says Jeremy Sutcliffe (2013) of the UK study he conducted where successful head teachers outline these qualities. https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/sep/24/eight-qualities-successful-school-leaders. Furthermore, changing roles and responsibilities and broader distribution of leadership require principals to develop new skills. Leadership tasks required for schools of the 21st century include guiding teaching and learning by enhancing teacher quality that will lead to improved learning outcomes, managing resources, setting goals and measuring progress, and leading and collaborating beyond school borders (OECD, 2009: 21). Leaders styles are many and leaders have a lot to choose from for guidance besides theories, reforms and developments in global, regional and national education agendas. These are among other factors have also infused and shaped the styles of leadership school leaders choose. School leaders in developing contexts like Fiji and Pacific Islands are challenged as well with contexts where leaders move between indigenous local ideas of leadership and those that are borrowed from outside. Indigenous theories of leadership have emerged as well, as Pacific educators and academics continue to dig and search for as aspects of their cultures and related worldviews and life values and philosophies to inform the work of educators -Nabobo ? Baba, (2013). The first part of this courses addresses the philosophical underpinnings of the work school leaders do within the context that is ever-changing. The moral, ethical and political challenges that come with the role is examined as well as the much needed reforms that need to take place to ensure success is sustainable.

Learning Target Outcomes:

Prerequisite: None

Prerequisite Sentence: N/A

Credit Point: 30

Offered In: Semester 2