Leadership Skills for School Improvement

Course details

On completion of this course, participants will be able to explain the multiple concepts of leadership (as opposed to management), be able to analyse and assess how leadership is practiced in their own school community and reflect on the skills required to exercise leadership and to assess their own leadership capabilities. The course will also cover topics such as the meaning of instructional leadership and the theories behind motivation, and then use these to identify how he/she can create a richer motivational environment for staff.

Course Modules

Module 1:

• he differences between leadership and management in education
• The different conceptualisations of leadership
• Why leadership is not necessarily the province of school management only
• Analyse and assess how leadership is practiced in your own school community
• Skills required to exercise leadership and to assess your own leadership capabilities
• The dynamics of team development

Module 2:

• The meaning of instructional leadership
• The powerful forms of leadership influence upon what happens in classrooms
• Analyse and outline their own school organisational structures, systems and processes critical to supporting learning-centred leadership
• How Instructional Leadership influences school self-evaluation and school improvement

Module 3:

• Identify the cause or causes of problems within their school community
• Describe the process of the Solution Path
• Explain the importance of goals in problem solving
• Understand the need to collect information about problems
• Two different techniques used in problem solving within the school
• Generate a range of possible solutions and decide which works best

Module 4:

• Explore what differentiates a project from other types of work
• Identify the essential stages in the project life cycle
• Define the vision, objectives and scope of a project with the key stakeholders in the school community
• Identify the key elements of a project plan
• Practice analysis techniques for project planning

Module 5:

• Apply the theories of motivation within their school community
• Describe what motivates learning
• The motivational factors that stimulate and sustain student learning
• Learn some tools and strategies to help increase motivation
• Measure your ability as a motivational manager

Assessment

Each module will require participants to contribute a post to the course forum in response to a question posed by the course facilitator. Each question will require critical thinking and stimulate discussion among the community of learners, all of which will be discussed using the moderated forum and will in turn develop a community of practice. During the course, participants will answer multiple-choice questions to encourage knowledge retention.

When finished the five modules the learner is expected to do an end of course assignment.

This is to be presented in printed or electronic format:

A detailed Mind Map of any one of the modules (This may also be drawn by hand)

Give an account of how you have used or how you intend to use in your school community, the ideas, concepts, skills, or/and techniques discussed in any of the modules in this course.