Pedagogy of Administrative Philosophy

Integrating the modality of leadership philosophy to balance four modes of educational leadership and management

Contemplative : Informative : Transformative : Generative

How Leadership Philosophy provides Integrative balance between

Four modes of Educational leadership theory: Transpersonal / Wicked Leadership; Transformational / Moral Leadership; Emotional / Contingent Leadership; Transactional / Managerial Leadership; Transformational / Moral Leadership

correlated with

Four modes of Educational management theory: Personal / Planetary Sustainability Management; Subjective / Ambiguity Management; Political / Formal Management; Collegial / Cultural Management

Generative Leadership Philosophy

Personal Sustainability Model

Elements of Management: Personal Sustainability (inward)

Level at which goals determined: Emerging between micro and meso levels of sustainability

Processes by which goals are determined: Framework of UNESCO ESD competencies

Relationship between goals and decisions: Decisions based on ESD oriented to personal engagement with SDGs

Nature of decision Process: Combination of Collegial, Political, Subjective modes of inwardly focused decision making

Nature of Structure:  Organisational Ecology

Links with environment:  Place-based rootedness, reverence, resourcefulness & resistance

Style of leadership: Facilitating personal and interpersonal resilience, wellbeing and sustainability

Related leadership model: Transpersonal

Planetary Sustainability Model

Elements of Management: Planetary Sustainability (outward)

Level at which goals determined: Emerging between meso and macro levels of sustainability

Processes by which goals are determined: Framework of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Relationship between goals and decisions: Decisions based on SDGs applied collectively and locally beyond the academy

Nature of decision Process: Combination of Cultural, Formal, Ambiguity modes of outwardly decision making

Nature of Structure: Inter-organisational Ecology

Links with environment:  Bioregion and Biosphere

Style of leadership: Engaging locally with wicked problems focused on regional & global resilience, wellbeing and sustainability

Related leadership model: Wicked

 

Transformative Leadership Philosophy

Subjective Model

Elements of Management: Subjective (inward)

Level at which goals determined: Individual

Processes by which goals are determined: Problematic / May be imposed by leaders

Relationship between goals and decisions: Individual behaviour based on personal objectives

Nature of decision Process: Personal

Nature of Structure: Constructed through human interaction

Links with environment: of individual meanings

Style of leadership: Problematic / May be perceived as form of control

Related leadership model: Postmodern / Emotional

Political Model

Elements of Management: Political (outward)

Level at which goals determined: Subunit

Processes by which goals are determined: Conflict

Relationship between goals and decisions: Decisions based on goals of dominant coalitions

Nature of decision Process: Political

Nature of Structure: Setting for subunit

Links with environment: Unstable external bodies portrayed as interest groups

Style of leadership: Head is both participant and mediator

Related leadership model: Transactional

Informative Leadership Philosophy

Ambiguity Model

Elements of Management: Ambiguity (inward)

Level at which goals determined: Unclear

Processes by which goals are determined: Unpredictable

Relationship between goals and decisions: Decisions unrelated to goals

Nature of decision Process: Garbage Can

Nature of Structure: Problematic

Links with environment: Source of uncertainty

Style of leadership: May be tactical or unobtrusive

Related leadership model: Contingent

Formal Model

Elements of Management: Formal (outward)

Level at which goals determined: Institutional

Processes by which goals are determined: Set by leaders

Relationship between goals and decisions: Decisions based on goals

Nature of decision Process: Rational

Nature of Structure  Objective reality/ Hierarchical

Links with environment: May be ‘closed’ or ‘open’ / Head accountable

Style of leadership: Head establishes goals and initiates policy

Related leadership model: Managerial

Contemplative Leadership Philosophy

Collegial

Elements of Management: Collegial (inward)

Level at which goals determined: Institutional

Processes by which goals are determined:  Agreement

Relationship between goals and decisions: Decisions based on agreed goals

Nature of decision Process: Collegial

Nature of Structure: Objective reality. Lateral

 Links with environment: Accountability blurred by shared decision making

 Style of leadership: Head seeks to promote consensus

Related leadership model: Transformational / Participative / Distributed

Cultural

Elements of Management: Cultural (outward)

Level at which goals determined: Institutional or subunit

Processes by which goals are determined: Based on collective values

Relationship between goals and decisions: Decisions based on goals of the organisation or its subunits

Nature of decision Process: Rational within a framework of values

Nature of Structure: Physical manifestation of culture

Links with environment: Source of values and beliefs

Style of leadership: Symbolic

Related leadership model: Moral

Modality Toolkit

The leading theorists of this modality are Roland Barnett, Tony Bush (who’s original synthesis is integrated here) and Tony Bottery (who’s model of sustainability leadership is also integrated)

Recommended Reading

(under construction)

Questions for Synthesis

 

Questions for personal synthesis

How would you stack its four modes in order of relevance to your own personal philosophy of teaching?

Where would you place this modality in order of preference in the practice of Integrative Teaching (compared to meta-pedagogy, depth didactics, thinking in community and curriculum synergy.

Where would you place this modality in overall order of preference out of all sixteen modalities?

Questions for technical eclecticism

Which of the four component modes could enhance learning in your core Integrative practice?

How might this modality as a whole enhance any other modalities you are using?

Which techniques would you want to experiment with to improve your practice?

Questions for theoretical integration

What is the sixfold interplay between these four modes of practice?

What are the contrasts between the modes which make it difficult but still important to practice together?

Why is this modality essential to enhancing the other modalities of integrative teaching?

Questions for assimilative integration

How could the construction of this modality be improved?

How well does it correlate with other fields of practice not included in the EduSynthesis map?

Which missing aspects of theory might provide a better alternative in a map of your own practice?

What  are your personal preferences for imaginative teaching as an adult learner?

How you can appreciate different uses of language for educational purposes: oral language, writing, theoretic writing, reflexive writing?

How can you enhance your own academic writing in higher education?

How can you utilise imaginative teaching resources in your practice to engage learners?

How could you include all four kinds of understanding in one framework?

Teaching Exercises

How would you stack its four modes in order of relevance to your own personal philosophy of teaching?

Mentoring Exercises

Which of the four component modes could enhance learning in your core Integrative practice?

Leadership Exercises

What is the sixfold interplay between these four modes of practice?

Sustainability Exercises

How could the construction of this modality be improved?

(under construction)

© 2024 EduSynthesis

Centre for Mindful Educational Leadership

Tim Saunders PhD

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