Prompted by the need for leaders able to turn around chronically low-performing schools, states, universities, education groups, and school districts in the US have initiated a variety of principal development programs. Some programs focus on enhancing the skills of experienced administrators, while others target talented teachers and even…

Teaching and learning observations (TLOs) are used in educational environments worldwide to measure and improve quality and support professional development. TLOs can be positive for teachers who enjoy opportunities to "perform" their craft and/or engage in professional dialogue. However, if this crucial, collaborative developmental…

This article explores the purpose of governance in the further education (FE) sector in England and the increasing tasks demands that are expected from the governors of standards committees (SC) as part of their changing role. It will then examine how these task demands impact SC governors' perceptions of FE governance. This research is done…

This article starts from the recognition that senior staff contribute to the operation of further education college governance through working time, professional insight and public performance. The theoretical underpinning for the article draws upon social identity theory, governance accountability and the psychological contract for senior staff…

This article explores the nature of the reflective learning undertaken by pre-service trainee teachers training to teach in the lifelong learning sector in the UK. The argument made is that reflecting on the student voice can support novice teacher's boundary-crossing and legitimate peripheral participation (Lave and Wenger, 1991; Heggen, 2008).…

Teacher observation takes on a myriad of forms and serves a multitude of purposes. Within UK further education (FE) colleges, lesson observations play a vital role in monitoring a college's provision for the purpose of its annual self-assessment report; this in turn lays the foundations for its overarching quality improvement strategies. This…

This paper discusses the neglected theme of job design in education. It argues that the traditional top-down method of designing work roles ignores the interests, abilities and needs of employees and leads to individuals adopting an unsanctioned approach to job design, "job crafting". It is posited that a third approach is needed, that of…

This paper examines the nature of taught masters' degrees (M courses) and their potential for development in the contexts of a rising graduate population and of government aspirations for lifelong learning. Attention is paid to theories of adult learning as applied to M courses. Small-scale empirical investigation in the UK and Germany is used to…

There is an increasing blurring of boundaries between Higher Education (HE) and Further Education (FE), not only in delivery of programmes, but also in progression through programmes. The government has reiterated its commitment to widening participation and the removal of the divide between academic and vocational higher level skills. Further…

Taking as its starting point a series of interviews with senior and middle managers in FE colleges across the country, this paper argues that the values and practices which reflect a commitment to inclusive education and training are unlikely to become effectively embedded within the organisational structures and ethos of a college simply through…

Forces of demand and supply are changing the dynamics of the higher education market. Transformation of institutions of higher learning into competitive enterprise is underway. Higher education institutions are seemingly under intense pressure to create value and focus their efforts and scarce funds on activities that drive up value for their…

In 1993, colleges in Scotland became independent corporate bodies, funded directly by central government. This article is a review of the evolution of college management practice within the context of the political reform of the public services and recent educational policy developments in Scotland. It is an analysis of a complex and continuous…

Twenty years after the introduction of the 1988 Education Reform Act (ERA), BELMAS (British Educational Leadership, Management & Administration Society) held a discussion forum for academics, teachers and all those interested in education policy and practice. Was the ERA a success or a failure? The one-day forum of presentations and discussions in…

The Scottish Qualification for Headship (SQH) was established in 1998 and is organised and delivered by two (previously three) consortia comprising a partnership model with universities and local authorities. SQH participants are encouraged to adopt a distributed style of leadership in taking forward their School Improvement Project. Currently,…

The belief that educational leaders need to be ethical decision-makers is recent. Thomas and Bainbridge suggest that an educational leader needs to develop technical competency in ethical leadership. Yet few leaders in schools have been trained in conflict resolution of an ethical nature and little importance has been given to this within existing…