Educational Organization and Leadership

Monsoon 2024
Assignment 2 (30% weight)
Submission Date: 12 November 2024
We are giving you a choice in this Assignment
Respond to either Q. 1 or Q. 2

Question 2
Attempt any two questions (in about 750 words each) (30% weight overall)
A. Are the notions “teacher leadership’’ and “instructional leadership” similar or
different? Explain.
B.
“Educational leadership should strive to influence processes rather than structures”
.
Discuss this statement drawing on educational leadership theories and models.
C. Drawing on your learning on this course (readings, classes, and discussions), list
and discuss three working principles for leadership actions in an educational context.

A. Are the notions “teacher leadership’’ and “instructional leadership” similar or different?
Explain

In the study of education, the role of leadership plays an important role in shaping the school and
effective teaching environment. The two key concepts of teacher leadership and instructional
leadership both involve improving the teaching and learning process and are somehow related to
each other although there are some differences in how they are structured with their own scope
and implications.

Teacher leadership is the involvement of teachers in the leadership roles and responsibilities in
the institution not just within the students and teacher interaction. Teachers are the most
important key elements in building the educational quality with the teaching experience and the
teachers understanding of their students' needs. Taking and conducting informal classes and
doing activities which increase the learning and being a part of the curriculum that extends
beyond the classroom learning that encourages students and teachers in the leadership role that
shapes and changes the educational practices. In the outside classroom, even in the community or
society conducting various levels of education and learning, assuming a leader gives more
information and guidance that makes them feel more invested in their work bringing better
student outcomes.

Instructional leadership is the actions and responsibilities of school leaders in shaping the school
environment with an approach where there are principals and school administrators. Instruction
that guides students and learning outcomes focusing on the teaching and learning, emphasising
on the importance of changes in giving quality education ensuring that it is effective in students
progress in their academic and curriculum development within the school. In instructional
leadership it is not about an individual teacher whereas it is to enhance their instruction quality,
ensuring that teachers have all the resources necessary to foster the students' learning, setting a
clear academic goal to achieve. It is all about the classroom experience, be it giving feedback on
learning, observation and checking the students performance and understanding to improve the
teaching skills with better strategies that align with professional learning and needs to be
provided for continuous improvement in both teachers and students.

Similarities:
The teacher leadership and instructional leadership shared some key characteristics:
The concept of both leadership has a positive goal and influences in achieving a successful
learning outcome on the students and teachers. The teaching practices to improve the learning
and promote professionalism among teachers and to bring a positive impact on learning
environments.
The teachers and instructional leaders make a positive impact on the learning process while
teachers assess by giving extra curriculum outside the classroom to understand the lessons and
the instructions that are made to bring changes in the teaching and learning which both identify
the gaps in learning and data are being analysed both the concepts always involved to meet the
needs of the students.
The educators are always working together towards the improvement of the classroom
experience. Teachers sharing their opinions and ideas, the practices to facilitate the best learning
in a professional environment. One teacher collaborated with the other teacher in assessing the
learning experience with more strategies working together towards the students better learning in
the school.

Differences:
In the teacher leadership their focus lies in the performance of an individual teacher towards their
goals influencing the peers and contributing towards the development of the school. Respecting
their own professional standards and strategies are used to ensure that students are engaged in the
classroom. Inviting teachers that are experts and have more experience in that particular topic to
share their knowledge encourages students to develop their own skills through personal learning.
On the other hand, instructional leadership is all about the formalities being under the influence
of the school authorities and principals. Although they do collaborative work it is within the
instructional level by an instructor. Setting an instructional goal which is aligned with curriculum
and structure to support teachers involving high level instruction that impacts the whole school
system bringing new resources and implementation of a new policy.
Another important difference is that Instructional leadership has a broader approach that focuses
on the big picture, a vision that is to be formalised in the school. Whereas, the teacher leadership
is more an immediate focus and local that provides a practice for improvement in their own
subject areas and specific grade level however, the instructional leaders work on the higher
levels such as district or state to provide and implement a new policy making.

Conclusion:
They both have a positive impact on the school system. They are not seen as separate entities but
working together to bring a better education system in the school with much effort by providing
suggestions or feedback and instructional bringing new policies to create a better environment
for students and teachers. Although there are many differences in the way they function they
both foster education improvement providing a stronger learning environment and better
outcomes for students which is led by improvement in teaching practices.

B. “Educational leadership should strive to influence processes rather than structures”.

Discuss this statement drawing on educational leadership theories and models.

“Educational leadership should strive to influence processes rather than structures” stated that the
hierarchical models of leadership to more adaptive systems that focus on daily activities with
more collaborative approaches on how to function the school. The instructional leadership that
reforms the policy of the classroom that controls over should be less and more of exploration on
the daily basis of learning through participation and activity in the environment.
Structures in the educational organisation refers to the formal framework of the school system,
leadership hierarchy, the responsibilities, rules and regulations of the school system. These all
policies are somehow being enforced in the classroom which becomes a staffing model.
Processes the means of being able to teach students and teachers collaborate with the ongoing
learning, the activities and teachers organising practical learning, interaction with students about
the decision making process and communication-feedback to improve learning, these processes
are flexible and adaptive which is based on the needs of the students and broader their learning.

Educational leadership theories and models focus on the importance of processes rather than
structures learning with a well aligned argument that leadership should focus more on the
processes.

Chris Argyris's theories of action, double-loop learning and organisational learning. He supports
the idea of processes rather than rigid structures in educational leadership. The concept of single-
loop and double-loop learning highlights the importance of improving processes rather than just
maintaining the structure. The single-loop involves the detection and correction of error within a
fixed framework or set of assumptions that makes an adjustment in the existing processes
without questioning the underlying beliefs that shape them. The double-loop is learning that
leads to an alteration in the governing variable shifting in the way in which strategies and
consequences are framed. The ways of correction that involve the modification of an
organisation underlying norms, policies and objectives.
He argues that double-loop learning is necessary if practitioners and organizations are to make
informed decisions in rapidly changing and
often uncertain contexts to improve the core processes that shape teaching and learning such as
curriculum development, teacher collaboration, student engagement and assessment practices.
Changing from hierarchical practices to processes where teachers engaged in interaction and
innovation of the classroom.
In the organisational setting he talks about the rapid changes in the particular setting that has to
adapt to changing circumstances, adjust in the environment and according to the students' needs
in the school system. The leaders should be able to see all these challenges and make a decision
based on the students' needs to improve where feedback and reflection plays an important role in
shaping the learning.

Models 1 & 2 of educational leadership of Argyris’s.

The model 1 involves making references about another person’s behaviour without checking
whether they are valid and advocating one’s own views abstractly without explaining or
illustrating one's reasoning. The defensiveness of being embarrassed and maintaining status. An
individual takes control of the situation and interactions without consideration or involving the
perspective of others which often leads to hierarchical or one sided decisions making.
The Model 1 brings inflexibility; the higher authority in the name of being a failure might tend to
keep the rule and not accept the changes of the system of school. Avoiding feedback and not
being open minded about the consequences and teachers in the near future avoid discussing the
same issues leading to the school failing in higher education. In the model 1 an individual is
being defensive about themselves, the teacher for instance once to share about the students
engagement in the classroom however due to the fear that other teachers might judge them that
they do not teach professionally which limits the learning of the students.
When leaders fail to grow personally and professionally in such an environment of very less
opportunity, what can be expected of the students' learning outcomes.
In Model 2, individuals are open to feedback, which promotes the learning oriented approach.
Engaging in collaborative learning, problem solving, seeking opportunities for feedback,
encouraging openness and vulnerability, reflection and critical thinking. The goal of the model 2
is to create an open learning environment where everyone can get feedback and support and
share knowledge from their experience among their colleagues.

Conclusion:
The two models have shown us a deep insight into the concept of teachings and learning in an
organisation that can be drawn into the educational leadership. Model 1 emphasising on the
defensive of an individual, control oriented and fear of failure among the colleagues bringing
lack of responsibility and poor reflection into the educational system. Whereas the Model 2,
encouraging the open discussion and personal feedback to improve personal growth and in a
professional setting, collaboration among colleagues to enhance a positive learning outcome and
able to provide the needs of the students.