Leadership narratives : a learning community develops a systemic approach to primary school leadership through collaborative and responsive inquiry and by making leadership visible

• Main Author: Parker, Anne Christine
• Other Authors: West, Judith ; Anderson, Elizabeth
• Published: University of Leicester 2016
• Subjects: 372.01
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.682410

Set within the context of constant change in primary education in England the research aim was to investigate how one school develops as a learning community. It is a narrative representation of developing school leadership within a systemic approach (Whitaker, 2009). Marshall’s (1999) theory of living life as inquiry informed the identification of four research themes which are interwoven throughout the thesis; ‘living life as’ a teller of tales, the leading learner and learning leader, as a global learner and as a practitioner/leader researcher. A thematic framework was created for the purposes of fieldwork data analysis. The analysis informed the further development and validation of the identified research themes. The notion of a ‘leadership narrative’ is defined and it is within this parameter that the research findings are presented. The school learning community engaged in the process of vision creation and the development of action learning set plans (Senge, 2006; Stark, 2006). Unpredictable and sometimes unnerving events were catalysts for a change in emphasis. The notion of social justice is explored through the active dialogue of a group of ten and eleven year old girls and provides the micro view of organisational learning. This research project was supported, validated and challenged through the engagement with an external action learning group. Research outcomes were confident learners, trusting relationships, improved academic achievement, consistency and innovation and a contribution to leadership theory. The outcomes informed the conceptualisation of a ‘Leadership Development Web’.