Leadership for Learning: Embracing Purpose, People, Pedagogy and Place

Abstract

This final chapter addresses the question with which the book commenced: are Instructional Leadership and Leadership for Learning two sides of the same coin or are they two very different approaches to leading school improvement? The argument is put that leadership for learning is very different, though the influence of the former is embedded in the domains and practices of the latter. There is, however, a distinctive orientation towards voluntarism and collective activity in explanations of leadership for learning, transcending the determinism and individualism implicit in instructional leadership. This position is elaborated and justified in the discussion of a set of themes derived from the chapters in this book, supplemented by research findings and scholarly writing from added sources. Given this corpus of work, it is undeniable that there is now a comprehensive research-informed knowledge base on what it takes to connect leadership activities with the improvement of student learning and achievement. Two examples of “frameworks” are highlighted in the chapter and used as seven themes are examined, namely (1) the obligation to embrace the moral purpose of the educator, (2) the pedagogical value in listening to student voice, (3) the relentless focus on learning, (4) the wide engagement of people in leadership activities, (5) the downplaying of structural hierarchies, (6) the networking of partners in leadership and (7) understanding the context and harnessing its resources in support of learning. The conclusion reached highlights the need for leadership coalitions with people tightly connected in their commitment to the purpose of education, people who know and understand children and the needs, hopes and aspirations they and their communities have. Leadership for learning, seen in this light, is much more than instructional leadership. It relies less on positional power and more on principals, teachers, students and community agents exercising autonomy in collective actions committed to making a difference in the life journey of learners.