School improvement: ‘Professional learning is the job’
Media release 29 Aug 2017 3 minute readProfessional learning is not only vital in supporting the improvement efforts of school leaders, it is fundamental to teaching and the learning enterprise itself, according to research presented at Research Conference 2017 in Melbourne today.
Research Conference 2017
29 August 2017: Professional learning is not only vital in supporting the improvement efforts of school leaders, it is fundamental to teaching and the learning enterprise itself, according to research presented at Research Conference 2017 in Melbourne today.
The annual research conference of the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), commencing on Sunday 27 August, addresses the theme, Leadership for Improving Learning: Insights from research.
Professor Simon Clarke from the University of Western Australia will report on research showing that teachers flourish, and they become agents for school improvement, when they are both learners and leaders in their classrooms, among their colleagues and across their communities.
“Learning and leadership are not only deeply interrelated but are also indispensable to each other in the day-to-day work of teachers,” Professor Clarke said ahead of the conference. “Leadership doesn’t simply support learning; it is learning. Equally, professional learning doesn’t simply support the job of teaching; it is the job of teaching.”
Also at Research Conference 2017, Associate Professor Susan Lovett from the University of Canterbury will report on the longitudinal Teachers of Promise study of New Zealand teachers’ conceptions and experiences of leadership work, and insights into why it matters for the profession and individuals to ensure teacher leadership is valued and possible.
“Identifying who counts as a leader and the scope of leadership work for school improvement is crucial in identifying, recruiting and supporting aspirant leaders with the potential to influence the practices of colleagues and the learning of students,” Associate Professor Lovett said.
Professor Brian Caldwell from Educational Transformations and Professor Emeritus at the University of Melbourne will report on the findings of four international research projects on leadership for improvement in high-performing school systems around the world and their implications for scaling up leadership capability and capacity.
Research Conference 2017 takes place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 27 to 29 August.
Further information is available from www.acer.org/rc
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Media enquiries: Steve Holden, 03 9277 5582 or 0419 340 058 communications@acer.org