System leadership for school improvement: A developing concept and set of practices

Dimmock, C. (2016) System leadership for school improvement: A developing concept and set of practices. Scottish Educational Review, 48(2), pp. 60-79.

Abstract

System'leadership'is'a'developing'concept'and'practice'increasingly'seen'as'a' tool'for' school' improvement,' as' policy'makers' switch'from'traditional'top?down' reform' to' professional' models' of' schools' working' collaboratively.' System' leadership' is' being' championed' by the' Scottish' College' for' Educational' Leadership' (SCEL),' but' is' still' in' its' infancy' in' Scottish' education.' Adopting' an' international'perspective'on'system'leadership,'but'with'reference'to'the'Scottish' context,'the'paper'aims'first,'to'clarify'the'concept and'its'various'connotations,' and'to'focus'on'the'notion'of'head'teachers'and'other'school?level'professionals' as'system'leaders.'Secondly,'it'goes'on'to'describe'the'range'of'roles'that'system' leaders'can'play'and'how'these'present'a'degree'of'choice'– and'a'trajectory'? for' head' teachers' in' choosing' appropriate' roles' that' reflect' their' expertise,' experience,'self'efficacy,'credibility,'and'interest.''Finally,'adopting'a'critical'stance' towards'the' concept'and'practice'of' system'leadership'– to'date'the'focus'has' been' more' on' roles' and' less' on' substantive' capacity' building' competences' required' by' system' leaders' for' school' improvement' ? the' paper' redresses' the' imbalance.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: system leadership, school improvement, Scottish education
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Dimmock, Professor Clive
• Authors: Dimmock, C.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Robert Owen Centre; College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Educational Leadership & Policy
• Journal Name: Scottish Educational Review
• Publisher: University of Stirling, School of Education
• ISSN: 0141-9072
• ISSN (Online): 0141-9072
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 University of Stirling, School of Education
• First Published: First published in Scottish Educational Review 48(2):60-79
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.