HRC0638/1 - Educational Innovation and Leadership

Decision-makers at all levels of a general education system: national and local government officials, university academic and non-academic staff, key players in non-governmental organisations, teacher educators, general education system representatives (e.g. school leaders, teachers).

To acquire an overview of: (a) the key principles and measures used to lead highly centralised versus decentralised education systems; (b) potential consequences of applying these principles and measures in diverse contexts. To develop: (a) an understanding of evidence-based high-impact influences on student learning; (b) the lines of argument needed to promote the use of high-impact strategies and interventions; (c) a plan for instituting related reforms at the individual, organisational and systems level. To build their competence in leading an ongoing process of evidence-based educational renewal suitable to their given context (including navigating leadership approaches, change management models).

Module 1: Drivers of Evidenced-based Innovation in Education. What May Matter Most: potential high-impact influences on student learning (Hattie, 2023), competences students need in the future (McKinsey, Global Forum, participants’ countries, Estonian example); vision (EU key competences, OECD learning compass, participants’ countries, Estonian example); an ecosystemic view (Bronfenbrenner,1979); results-based planning (Estonian strategic and work plans); connections to own context and plans. Key Triggers/Concepts Needed for Leading Educational Renewal: key concepts (agency, co-agency, learner autonomy, collective efficacy, equity, inclusion, meritocracy); implications of concepts for leadership/management/ planning; connections to own context and plans. The Power of Context: diverse approaches/ systems (e.g, centralised vs decentralised) wholesale policy borrowing vs an evidence-based approach rooted in context; ways of building context; stakeholder theory and inclusion; connections to own context and plans.
Module 2: Leading Educational Innovation. Curriculum: Embodiment of the Vision: curriculum types; intended content, language and learning skills outcomes; assessment principles and strategies; PISA; potential benefits and negative backwash effects of PISA and high-stakes assessment; assessment for learning (including whole system learning); connections to own context and plans. Teachers and Leaders: autonomy and accountability; self-assessment versus external assessments; standards and competence models; leadership approaches; professional development and competence building; connections to own context (honing draft plan). Leading Educational Renewal: change management modules (e.g. Kotter, Fullan, Shirley, Design Thinking); valid and reliable data; Future School framework and characteristics of whole-school change process; results-based and evidence-based planning; elaboration of own education development/innovation project.

Identifies high-impact influences on student learning and proposes ways of education systems can take these into account; is able (a) to describe the key principles and measures used to lead highly centralised versus decentralised education systems; and (b) the potential the consequences of applying these principles and measures in diverse contexts; identifies, through cross-case analysis, the characteristics of successful and largely unsuccessful education reform initiatives in diverse contexts; analyses the multi-decade Estonian education reform journey through multiple lenses in order to draw conclusions about the system’s strengths, weaknesses and development needs; develops a results-based plan that is rooted in evidence and supported by stakeholders for instituting one education development/innovation project (in their context); analyses and identifies his/her own competences and self-development needs in reference to leading innovations in education, and has a plan of action for continued professional development.

Belonging to the target group, having a higher education degree, English language skills (minimum CEFR proficiency level B2).

Distance learning in Zoom-environment, contact learning in Tallinn University rooms combined with study visits to other organisations. Contact learning is supported by the e-learning environment.

Main trainers both PhDs. Assistant trainer is a PhD student.

Participation in introductory and final webinars, interactive lectures and seminars required engagement with and completion of tasks. Independent reading of literature and group work. The described activities will be combined with tasks requiring engagement and completion. In addition, the learner keeps a self-reflection diary and prepares an individual educational development/ innovation project that is enhanced throughout the course based on course learning, as well as peer and instructor feedback.The learner presents his work.

TLÜ tunnistus