ELMA News and Events
| ELMA Seminars |
The ELMA monthly seminar series brings together academics, higher degree researchers, post-graduate coursework students and those interested in educational leadership, management and administration research. The overarching purpose of these seminars is to facilitate a research environment that is focused on pushing the boundaries of what is known and producing cutting edge research on educational leadership. This innovative and intellectually stimulating series works to improve the quality of both individual and collective research programmes. For information on the next seminar, or to join the ELMA mailing list, please contact the ELMA convenor Dr Scott Eacott via email (Scott.Eacott@newcastle.edu.au ).
PUBLIC FORUM: IS WHAT IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS GOOD FOR SCHOOLS? |
Autonomy, liberation, freedom and local decisions: Good for business but is it good for public schooling?
When: 13 June
Time: 4:30-6:00pm
Location: John Goodsell Room 119, The University of New South Wales
Format
This year the School of Education at the University of New South Wales is holding a series of forums in which contentious issues relating to the field of education will be discussed by academics, practicing teachers and interested parties. Four times a year an expert will be invited to speak on a current issue, presenting controversial arguments that will be relevant to education professionals. Headlining the series will be Dr Scott Eacott of the University of Newscastle and Prof Colin Evers (UNSW) on the 13th of June when the topic, "Autonomy, Liberation, Freedom and Local Decisions: Good for Business but is it Good for Public Schooling?" will be up for debate. It is with great pleasure that we announce this event and encourage all practicing teachers and educational professionals to join us in discussion.
Abstract
As our nation is being swept once again with moves toward greater level of autonomy for schools it is timely to ask questions of such a move. At its most basic, what is it we seek autonomy from? That is, while bureaucratic structures are frequently demonised, is autonomy what is really required to achieve the changes in public education that we seek, or is it yet another seductive term taken from the corporate world? Research, and experience, tells us that the closer decisions are made to coalface the greater buy-in from staff, and ultimately better outcomes for students. However history shows that it is common sense arguments that detract from some of the larger social matters overlooked in the adoption of business models of educational management. Drawing on a range of experiences in schools, research on school leadership and public discourse, in this presentation I seek to problematise the arguments for school autonomy and suggest alternate paths which would be more productive and fruitful in advancing the goals of public education in Australia.
AWARD WINNING PUBLICATION FROM DR SCOTT EACOTT |
“New look leaders or a new look at leadership?”, a paper written by Dr Scott Eacott, convenor of the ELMA research group, published in the International Journal of Educational Management has been chosen as a Highly Commended Paper Award Winner at the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2012.
Founded in 1967 as an offshoot of the University of Bradford, Emerald Group Publishing has become the world’s leading scholarly publisher of journals and books in business and management with a strong and growing presence in disciplines including social sciences, engineering, linguistics and audiology. The International Journal of Educational Management provides those interested in the effective management of the educational process with a broad overview of developments and best practice in the field, with particular reference to how new ideas can be applied worldwide.
Each year, Emerald invites each journal’s editorial team to nominate what they believe has been that title’s Outstanding Paper and up to three Highly Commended Papers from the previous 12 months. Dr Eacott's paper was selected as it was “one of the most impressive pieces of work the team has seen throughout 2011”.
The award winning paper takes up the challenge of complex social, political and cultural influences, uncertain economic conditions, ever advancing technologies and increasingly diverse student populations in the context of educational leadership of effective educational leadership.
The framework presented privileges the philosophical and scholarly elements of being an educational leader over the administrative and managerial. It is argued that this is what is needed in the leadership of educational insitutions for the future and a framework for preparing the next generation of leaders.
(International Journal of Educational Management, Vol. 25 No. 2, 2011. pp. 134-143 Emerald Group Publishing Limited 0957-8234 DOI 10.1108/09513541111107560)