An introduction to school leadership for quality global learning in Initial Teacher Education

Abstract

This article introduces a project, School Leadership for Quality Global Learning, which focuses on the relationship between leadership at different levels within educational institutions and quality global learning. The article outlines briefly the changing societal context within which education is operating currently before exploring key ideas, issues and strategies by reporting on a workshop involving some 25 student primary teachers.

The workshop was designed to challenge the student teachers' thinking about leadership in an increasingly globalised society, how the education system should respond and the implications for learners and education leaders. It also raised questions about the purposes of schools and the roles of learning and of educational leadership. Following introductory activities that allowed the participants to share their initial perceptions about globalisation and raise their overall awareness, the student teachers used a ‘World Café activity’ to investigate in greater depth the educational implications of two aspects of globalisation: the potential for individuals to be overwhelmed by the scale and complexity of the challenges faced by society and the nature of difference and commonality that have always been features of society. In the final phase of the workshop, the participants synthesised their thinking by considering the implications of their discussions for learners and for educational leaders.

The workshop revealed that the student teachers welcomed engagement with issues relating to globalisation, but that they had previously given little thought as to how these issues may impact on learners. Furthermore, it would appear that few had considered previously their roles in school beyond that of ‘teachers’ and certainly not as ‘leaders’. The workshop left some of the student teachers frustrated, for example in wanting to explore further the implications of their debates for the taught primary school curriculum and how they could to teach it. In effect, the students generated a substantial agenda for further exploration.

School Leadership for Quality Global Learning seeks to identify ways for such agendas to be more central to education so that it meets more effectively the needs of learners, teachers and leaders.

Keywords:

• global learning
• educational leadership
• globalisation
• Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

Acknowledgement

An abridged version of this article was presented at the UK ITE Network for Education Sustainable Development/Global Citizenship Inaugural Conference, June 10, 2008, and is available at http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/ccci/presentations.shtml.