Overview
Global education policymakers have embraced school level leadership as a lever for educational change and there is a substantial body of research that illustrates both the power of and the impact of effective principals (school heads) on student outcomes. However, most of this literature has emerged from Canada, the United States, and the UK. What of the rest of the world? The field of comparative education in particular has engaged the topic of school leadership unevenly, leaving large gaps in what is known in most of the world. This presentation will invite participants to ask why that is, and to consider the research and policy contexts that have told some stories about school leadership but not others. The presentation will provide an overview of the current international knowledge base about school level leadership—the knowledge, skills, and beliefs of effective principals as well as the professional pathways that produce school leaders. It will then provide an overview of “leadership in the middle tier,” a concept of growing interest with global education organizations like UNESCO. And it will conclude with a discussion of the ways that deeper understanding of context can shape future research into school leadership, for the benefit of both the scholarly field and day-to-day practice in schools.
Date and Time
Monday, December 9, 2024, 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
＊After the lecture, a social event with light refreshments will be held.
Place
Room A200, 2F, Akamon General Research Building（AKAMON SOGO KENKYUTOH）, Hongo Campus, The University of Tokyo
＜ Access＞
https://www.p.u-tokyo.ac.jp/access
https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/campusmap/cam01_08_02_j.html
Speaker
Prof. Joseph Flessa
The Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toront
Bio
A former teacher and school principal, Joseph Flessa’s earned a PhD in policy research from the University of California, Berkeley. His current scholarship focuses on comparative educational administration, and school leadership and policy in diverse schools. He has worked in principal development in the US and in Chile; in Canada he helped establish the First Nations Schools Principals’ Course for leaders of Indigenous schools on reserve. Professor Flessa is widely regarded as an exemplary teacher and dedicated supervisor. In 2021, he was awarded OISE’s Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award. He is currently Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy where he supervises many EdD and PhD students, and Associate Dean, Programs at OISE.
Holding style
face-to-face
Language
The seminar will be held in English.
*We are considering using Japanese subtitles.
How to apply for participation
To participate, please fill out the form below by Sunday, December 8.
https://forms.office.com/r/GBpC7y27KW
