Purpose: This research paper explores the perspectives of Australian school principals in the state of New South Wales (NSW) regarding what they believe constitutes "merit" when selecting deputy principals, assistant principals (primary) and head teachers (secondary). Design/methodology/approach: An online survey was utilised to collect…

Early childhood pedagogical leadership has been found to enhance program quality by assisting educators to reach deeper understanding of pedagogical practices. In the early years of school where pedagogical tension resides, research on early childhood pedagogical leadership is scarce. Furthermore, there are few models of early childhood…

As COVID-19 unfurled around the world in early 2020, it triggered volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) for school leaders. This study explores the experiences of four school leaders, working in inner Melbourne, Australia, through a VUCA lens, and identifies their perceptions of such contextual disruption. Data were collected…

We share our experience of establishing a network for primary and secondary mathematics leaders working in rural and regional Catholic schools in Victoria. We evidence the influence of our sector leadership that addressed a tension concerning the leaders' work isolation through a network initiative. This network initiative was in response to the…

This paper explores the professional development needs of leaders in response to emergent demands for leadership and competing pressures within the changing landscape of Australian international education. Framed within Bourdieu's concepts of field and habitus, this study addresses five dimensions of professional development needs reported by…

Just as we can't expect actors trained primarily for the stage to perform the same way in films, conventional Public Speaking (PS) must adapted to digital environments. This shift emphasizes the need to treat Digital Oratory (DO) as a separate, skill-based discipline. Our research aims to examine DO instruction in English as a Foreign Language…

It could be suggested that persistent workforce problems in the early childhood (EC) field in Australia -- such as job satisfaction and turnover may be related to ineffective leadership practices, low pay and lack of professional acknowledgement. In this article we report on a small qualitative study completed in 2017, investigating 12 educators'…

Developing leadership in students is part of the remit of higher education institutions. In recent decades, student leadership development programs have proliferated at universities worldwide. However, the contested understanding of the term 'leadership' has resulted in lack of clarity regarding how this may be 'developed' in higher education.…

Performance ethnography is a form of performed research that creates a theatrical representation of ethnographic inquiry. Walford (2009) proposes that frequently performance ethnographers neglect traditional ethnographic practices such as participant observation and substantial time in the field. This paper draws on research which investigated the…

This paper examines the application and efficacy of performance ethnography designed for adult professional learning. An ethnographic performance related to women in research leadership was constructed and performed in an executive tertiary leadership programme and the responses from the female audience/participants were investigated. The study…

This paper examines formations of the 'self' as a wise leader at both personal and professional levels. Drawing on Aristotle and theories of reflective and experiential learning, the possibility of cultivating wisdom through an experience of a leadership course, provided at the University of Melbourne for PhD candidates, is explored. Applying an…

This paper critically explores the opportunity for leadership development in higher education within an interpretative inquiry paradigm from the perspective of middle-level academics transitioning into leadership/management roles in Australian universities. Middle-level academics are described as being at a mid-point in their careers and…

Transition from teacher to principal involves both a technocratic response based on 'yearning for certainty' that requisite leadership skills will be learned, and a critically-reflexive approach to adopting a new professional identity (Crow and Møller 2017. "Professional Identities of School Leaders across International Contexts: An…

Much of the literature on leadership within education has centred on the heroic leader. Despite recent approaches moving away from trait and behavioural theories, the centrality of the individual leader persists. Recent practice perspectives have shifted the focus from leadership as an individual activity of a leader to leading as practices. This…

Increasingly, universities are involved in providing leadership development opportunities that support students' academic endeavours and their personal and professional development, including employability and citizenship skills. Leadership experiences are beneficial not only for students, but also for universities, the wider community, and future…