The Focus Will Be On Different Dimensions Of Leadership: Leadership For Quality Learning Assignment, UCD, Ireland

Preamble:

Throughout this module, the focus will be on different dimensions of leadership for learning and the challenges and opportunities of the various ways of considering leadership, and the need to target school leadership and management activities to enhance teaching and learning within the school.

The assignment is essentially an examination of those considerations and an opportunity to examine, understand and criticize the application of principles underpinning a theory/theories of school leadership.

Structure of the assignment:

Introduction:

The first section should identify the ‘problem’ you wish to address – maybe outlining a research question(s). For example, you might choose to ask if there is a place for Distributed Leadership in leading schools. You should also identify the ‘rationale’ for choosing to examine this question – why it is of interest/importance to you and how it might be associated with dominant policy priorities i.e. why it might be of interest/importance to the system at large. In doing this, there will invariably be some brief reference to the literature. It would also be helpful to the reader if there was a short paragraph indicating the content of each of the subsequent chapters – some ‘signposts’ to guide the reader.

Main Section:

The main body of the assignment will work to answer the research question and, in doing so, present/analyze/interpret/integrate the literature around the topic you have chosen. This might draw solely on evidence from that literature or may include evidence from your own professional experience. Sweeping generalizations, unsupported by evidence, about the system should be avoided. This section might be divided into two chapters or so. For example, if you were focussing on ethical or Distributed Leadership, you might discuss the potential benefits of the same, before highlighting the cultural/structural challenges, etc. You are free to draw on the literature/resources from the Contemporary Issues module and to discuss one in terms of the other (if this applies to you).

Conclusion:

The concluding element of the assignment should provide a succinct summary of the discussion presented. This concluding discussion should also indicate the general import for the practice of leadership, as you understand it.