Exploring Educator Leadership Practices in Gifted Education to Facilitate Online Learning Experiences for (Re)Engaging Gifted Students

Michelle Ronksley-Pavia,Michelle M Neumann

doi:10.3390/educsci12020099

Michelle Ronksley-Pavia, Michelle M Neumann

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci12020099

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Journal: Education Sciences	Publication Date: Jan 31, 2022
Citations: 3	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Griffith University

Abstract

This article draws on case study findings of educator leadership in an online gifted education school, which emerged from a larger study exploring online engagement practices used by specialist gifted education teachers to (re)engage gifted learners. The gifted education teachers and their team leader were interviewed about leadership practices for supporting online engagement of gifted primary and high school students. Semi-structured interview data were transcribed, coded, and thematically analysed. Findings related to teachers voicing the importance of a passionate and committed team leader who understood giftedness and who acted as a facilitator in both the continuous development of teaching team skills and facilitation of online engagement practices for gifted students. Findings indicated five key themes related to transformational leadership practices: (1) understanding requirements of online practices for teaching gifted students; (2) supporting digital and online innovation and creativity for engaging gifted students; (3) leveraging the unique skills of the specialist teaching team for teaching gifted students in the online space; (4) actively facilitating and encouraging (re)engagement of gifted students through online participation; (5) follow-through to meet the needs and concerns of the specialist teaching team, gifted students, and their parents and/or carers. These leadership practices are of importance for actively supporting gifted education teachers and their students in online learning environments in order to achieve positive student engagement and learning outcomes commensurate with student potential.

Highlights

Significant research currently exists on leadership development for gifted students; there is a plethora of research on the characteristics of effective teachers of gifted students
This article draws on findings of transformational educator leadership in online gifted education, which emerged from a larger study exploring online engagement practices used by gifted education teachers toengage gifted learners
The Lake Online School (LOS) manager and LODTs expressed the importance of a team leader who understood the requirements of online practices for teaching gifted students; supported digital and online innovation and creativity; was able to leverage the unique skills of the specialist teaching team; could actively facilitate and encourageengagement of gifted students through online participation; and, follow through to meet the needs and concerns of the specialist teaching team, gifted students, and their parents/carers

Summary

Introduction

Significant research currently exists on leadership development for gifted students; there is a plethora of research on the characteristics of effective teachers of gifted students (e.g., teachers as passionate subject experts, strong achievement orientation, intuitive thinkers). There is little empirical research that explores the leadership practices and characteristics that enable and empower teachers to support the learning and engagement of gifted students. This article draws on findings of transformational educator leadership in online gifted education, which emerged from a larger study exploring online engagement practices used by gifted education teachers to (re)engage gifted learners. There are two common leadership styles—distributional and transformational—that are useful in understanding what ‘quality’ education leadership may look like. Distributed leadership purports that there is not just one traditional leader but multiple leaders who work collaboratively in reciprocal ways to achieve positive outcomes and change [1,2,3]. In educational contexts, every teacher is a leader. Studies have demonstrated that a distributed leadership approach enhances teacher morale and confidence where sharing and collegiality occur [4,5]. Opportunities for distributed leadership may be limited by systemic issues, such as entrenched rigid and formal hierarchies [6]

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