Leadership of teaching for student learning in higher education: what is needed?

Abstract

Mainstream higher education research on leadership largely overlooks the leadership of teaching and learning. This paper presents a model of leadership that integrates various elements needed to create universities that intentionally promote holistic student learning and development. The model links organisational development, the development of leaders as people who are in relationship with other members of the community (transformative leadership), and knowledge of teaching and learning. Through a creative synthesis of these various literatures, it proposes what is needed for sound educational leadership in higher education. The paper highlights the content and context of leadership, emphasising not leadership or even leadership in higher education generally, but leadership of teaching (by explicitly including knowledge and evidence related to teaching and learning) for student learning.

Keywords:

• educational leadership
• higher education
• holistic development
• instructional leadership
• leader knowledge
• student learning
• transformative leadership

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education for funding the stimulus paper Developing the whole student: leading higher education initiatives that integrate mind and heart, on which this paper is based. I also appreciate Robbie Coleman's assistance with extensive literature searching on these issues.