Developing a comprehensive leadership development model in higher education context: A co-design approach

Higher education (HE) in the changing context requires leadership training and development as a vital element for university governance and innovation. While there are several theoretical frameworks on leadership development, most of them are outcome evaluation-oriented. Consequently, there is a lack of a leadership development model which emphasises both design process and expected outcomes. In addition to this, HE leadership development has been gradually transformed toward complexity and flexibility due to the volatile external environment of the 21st century. Thus, instead of having a development programme that simply focuses on individual skill enhancement, a comprehensive leadership development programme that equally fosters leaders' competencies (leader development) and develops collective leadership (leadership development) is increasingly utilised. Unfortunately, previous theoretical frameworks fail to take into consideration these new features. The main aim of this study was to develop a comprehensive theoretical model for academic leadership development (ALD) that promotes both leader development and leadership development. In the present study, 24 academic leaders, lecturers and researchers from five European and six Chinese HE institutions co-designed the ALD model. The constructed model consists of four main dimensions: theoretical core, types of training and providers, training format and ultimate goals. The results contribute to developing, promoting and enhancing leadership development in academic settings.     

Contextualizing distributed leadership in higher education

This case study of development in a technical university situates distributed leadership in higher education in an organizational perspective. Analysis of documentation from development programs and interviews with 10 faculty members showed that leadership practices were related to different institutional logics prominent in four key activities in this specific university: education, research, formal organization and boundary-spanning cross-scientific environments. A shared understanding of these logics was accompanied with a reported increase in organizational understanding and leadership awareness that helped establish collaboration and sensemaking. Furthermore, we show that the theory of logic multiplicity provides a way to analyze previously neglected aspects of power, tensions, context and the practical relevance of the concept of distributed leadership.     

Towards leadingful leadership literacies for higher education management

This paper locates ‘leadingful leadership literacies’ as a lens for considering changing contexts for leadership and work in higher education management. It makes a contribution to higher education leadership studies by offering an empirical account of expanded notions of leadership. These extend the field beyond those unwilling to critique managerialist knowledge claims. I will argue that not only managerialist practices per se are of concern as we face discontinuous change in the sector – changes which move well beyond rationalist truth claims – but that these remain largely unchallenged and have moved into spaces that should be (re)claimed by leadership.     

Action learning in virtual higher education: applying leadership theory

This paper reports the historical foundation of Northeastern University’s course, LDR 6100: Developing Your Leadership Capability, a partial literature review of action learning (AL) and virtual action learning (VAL), a course methodology of LDR 6100 requiring students to apply leadership perspectives using VAL as instructed by the author, questionnaire and survey results of students who evaluated the effectiveness of their application of leadership theories using VAL and insights believed to have been gained by the author administering VAL. Findings indicate most students thought applying leadership perspectives using AL was better than considering leadership perspectives not using AL. In addition as implemented in LDR 6100, more students evaluated VAL positively than did those who assessed VAL negatively.     

Developing an action learning way of working within a leadership context in higher education: barriers and enablers

This account of practice considers action learning within an accredited leadership course at a post-1992 university. It outlines a more individualistic approach than that envisioned by Reg Revans and questions how this technique, inherited from a Staff Development colleague, could potentially be improved.     

The impact of some demographic variables on academic leadership preparedness in Indian higher education

The current study investigated the impact of certain demographic variables on academic leadership preparedness. The sample comprised 372 academic leaders from various higher education institutions in India. Data were collected using online and postal surveys. Results indicate that leaders’ age, number of years’ leadership experience and academic disciplinary background are significantly related to their preparedness. Type of institution (private or government) of the leader, however, did not affect their preparedness. Leaders with a disciplinary background in natural sciences were found to be the least prepared in the group. Leaders with a disciplinary background in humanities and social sciences were found to be more prepared as compared to those with a disciplinary background in physical sciences. Understanding the predictors of academic leadership preparedness is necessary in order to strengthen leadership in higher education. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Credits, curriculum, and control in higher education: Cross-national perspectives

Through an examination of the higher education systems in threecountries (Indonesia, Nicaragua, and Vietnam), the authors explore howthe use of academic credits for monitoring student progress has been andcontinues to be linked to policies and institutions associated withcapitalist, market-driven economic systems. The recent histories ofthese countries and their current social and political contexts areanalyzed in relation to three interrelated themes that have emerged fromthe analysis of the three cases. These themes are: (1) Linkages topolitical and economic systems: higher education as vocationaltraining, (2) Standardization, efficiency, andtechnocracy, and (3) Who controls the curriculum? Inconclusion, the authors suggest that the academic credit system,embedded within a network of other educational practices, hastransformed the university into an institution focused on relativelynarrow, utilitarian aims rather than a more universal pursuit ofknowledge.     

知识经济与高等教育的相关性探析

探讨知识经济与高等教育的相互关系,是知识经济条件下高等教育改革与发展的理论前提。高等教育的逻辑起点是知识,其中包括高新科技知识,这是高等教育与知识经济联系的纽带。从教育的外部关系规律来看,知识经济引导和推动高等教育的改革与发展,高等教育的改革与发展又促进知识经济的发展,两者存在互动性;从教育的内部关系规律来看,高等教育的育人活动需要知识经济的物质保障,知识经济实现可持续发展需要高等教育育人活动的精神保证,两者存在互补性。     

新时期高职德育教育方式的改革创新简

网络发展深刻影响高职德育教育方式的变革,传统德育以教师为主体,满堂灌的教学模式,已不能适应教育需要,利用网络进行德育教育已成为德育教育改革的必由之路。而网络德育实施过程中也存在着系列问题：教师网络教学技能弱,网络负效应明显,学生网络适应差异较大等。因而,树立以学生为中心的理念,充分利用网络德育优势,将校园内外的学习和培训结合起来,营造文明的网络环境,才能尽快提升德育教育效果,实现高职人才培养目标。     

Diverse experiences of women leading in higher education: locating networks and agency for leadership within a university context in Papua New Guinea

The ways in which women deliberately press back against practices of oppression and demonstrate agency in higher education institutions are highly contextual and culturally bound. The formal and informal networks that women develop and maintain are important elements of generating agency and enhancing women's access to and opportunities for leadership. This article presents a case study from research that explored women's leadership experiences in a higher education context in the Pacific Islands – Papua New Guinea. Situated within a feminist poststructural methodology, the research examined women's experiences of leadership and considered aspects that influenced women's access to formal leadership roles. The findings illustrated that the women faced numerous barriers to formal leadership opportunities. A range of culturally and contextually located approaches supported women to demonstrate agency with regard to their own leadership development and practice. This research highlighted the importance of considering the relationship between networks and agency and the impact of associated cultural and contextual practices within organisations, providing insights into the culturally located complexities of women's leadership in higher education contexts.     

美国远程高等教育的现状、特点及展望

当前,我国正在大力开展远程教育特别是远程高等教育。美国远程高等教育已成为其高等教育重要组成部分,作为世界上电脑、网络技术运用得最普及和高等教育最发达的国家之一,了解和研究美国远程高等教育开展的情况和特点,对于我国正在大力实施的“现代远程教育工程,”推进我国远程高等教育的健康发展具有重要的现实意义。     

Pathway from vocational education and associate degree to higher education: Chinese international students in Australia

Understanding factors influencing international students' decision to engage in international education is essential for education providers to better cater for students' educational expectations and enhance their attractiveness to international students. Whilst there has been extensive research on the reasons why international students undertake cross-border higher education, international students' motivations for enrolling in vocational education and associate degree programmes are still under-researched. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 30 international students from China, this research found that pathway to higher education appears to be the most important factor motivating international students to undertake vocational education and associate degree programmes. In addition, prospect of immigration, English language proficiency, previous academic performance, agent's recommendations and relatives' and friends' advice are amongst the important factors that students take into account in their decision to choose vocational education and associate degree programmes. This research also examines why Chinese international students have chosen vocational education programmes in a dual-sector university over vocational education colleges. It found that the flexibility to articulate to higher education, international reputation of the programme, practical training and favourable location are key issues that these students draw on when making their decision to study in a dual-sector university.     

论高深知识与高等教育

Advanced knowledge is the basis for higher education, but less research on higher education deals with it. The essay elaborates on the major point in several ways: first, the practice-oriented higher education research tends to ignore advanced knowledge; secondly, higher education shall never turn a blind eye to advanced knowledge due to their close relation; thirdly, the paper presents a tentative discussion over the external and internal characteristics of advanced knowledge. The research on advanced knowledge can not only provide better support for the reform of higher education, but also has great significance in perfecting the present theoretical system of higher education. __________ Translated from Beijing Daxue Jiaoyu Pinglun 北京大学教育评论 (Peking University Education Review), 2006, (4): 2–8     

网络时代高等教育应注重传统文化的传承

网络信息传播的全球化让大学生在扩大知识视野的同时,也面临网络道德失范的问题。针对这个问题,大学应尽引领社会进步的责任,同时注重传统文化的传承,塑造大学生的网络人格,促进网络时代道德文明的发展、进步。     

精英高等教育与大众高等教育:两个体系的解读

高等教育机构应该按功能分化,而不是趋同。精英高等教育与大众高等教育作为两个体系,既是概念层面的划分,也是操作层面的划分。绝大部分的高等教育机构应该有清晰的定位,或者属于精英高等教育,或者属于大众高等教育。有质的差别的教育应该在不同质的教育机构内完成。精英高等教育与大众高等教育的关系既是冲突的,又是和谐的。我们既要防止精英高等教育压抑大众高等教育,又要防止大众高等教育消解精英高等教育。     

Developing a characterisation of citizenship education: issues arising from work undertaken in a higher education network

In order to understand better the way in which the emerging field of citizenship education is being characterised we reflect on work emerging from a higher education network (citizED) for citizenship education. Three of the four authors of this article are closely involved in that network. CitizED was established with funding from the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) (now the Training and Development Agency for Schools, TDA) in order to establish a network and provide resources to support the initial training of citizenship teachers. We analysed download data from the network's website, a sample of the resources produced by the network, and interviewed a sample of users and developers. In this article we identify who is using the resources, how they are using them and what form of citizenship education is developing as a result. We argue that there is now a clear citizenship teacher education community that uses common resources for a variety of purposes. We suggest that there is some consensus in relation to the official characterisation of citizenship, but that ‘turf wars’ still exist in this contested field.     

Trends in private higher education in Australia

The last decade has witnessed a significant growth of private higher education around the world. The growth included the number of private education providers, and also the growing number of students. While some countries are experiencing trend growth, others are witnessing decline. Some of the reasons for the decline include increased regulation and stringent accreditation and reaccreditation of higher education institutions and courses, government policies to encourage the growth of public universities, and acquisition of small providers by large private education institutions. The growth of private higher education has increased competition, and it has also established collaboration with public institutions. The growth of private higher education has also raised concerns about ethical governance, maintenance of academic standards, and mechanisms to plan, review, and improve educational outcomes. This paper focuses on Australia where despite growth, there is limited research about private higher education. This paper reviews literature on the global growth and decline of private higher education. It then analyses the trends in Australia and possible scenarios for the future of private higher education in the country.     

Reading,engagement and higher education

ABSTRACT

This article explores the close association between higher education and reading. I draw on the resources of literary studies to illuminate the phenomenon of educational ‘engagement’. I explore the accounts of reading offered in the phenomenological literary theory of Rita Felski and Marielle Macé and extend their ‘stylistics of existence’ into higher education to elaborate engagement’s ‘eventful’ character: it is not in the power of teacher or student to ‘bring about’ engagement. In place of pedagogical ‘method’, I demonstrate how Padraig Hogan’s treatment of education as the ‘courtship of sensibility’ is consistent with this phenomenological treatment of engagement. I am thus able to illustrate how engagement is in tension with instrumental approaches to teaching and learning. I conclude by offering an ethical relation of mutual belonging to subject matter as a corrective to the centrality of ‘knowledge’ in recent attempts to unify the different degrees and objects of engagement.     

由隐含知识看高等职业教育技能型人才的培养

迈克尔·波兰尼把知识按性质分为两种,一种是显性的明晰知识,一种是隐含型知识。当前,高等职业教育培养的人才就业率低,难以达到高素质技能型人才培养目标,其症结就在于高职学生缺乏隐含型知识的学习与掌握。因此,高职院校应转变观念,开放办学,建立稳定的专业实训基地,建立“双师型”教师队伍,开展丰富的校园文化活动,充分发挥多媒体及网络教学作用,以利于学生隐含知识的学习与掌握。     

Hybrid configurations of leadership in higher education employer engagement

Recent literature has emphasised the distributed nature of leadership in higher education (HE) and the multitude of actors and factors that contribute towards organisational outcomes. Gronn suggests, however, that rather than using such evidence to provide broad, normative accounts of leadership practice, greater attention should be directed to mapping the ‘hybrid configurations’ through which leadership practice emerges. This article responds to this call through an analysis of employer engagement activities in UK HE. Using a qualitative case study approach, it illustrates the complex, interdependent and contested nature of leadership practice in cross-boundary environments. The article concludes by suggesting how a hybrid perspective may enhance leadership theory and practice in tertiary education.