The Gamal by Ciarán Collins, Winner of The Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and Le Prix Des Lecteurs Escpades, France. Extras

The Gamal by Ciarán Collins, Winner of The Rooney Prize for Irish Literature and Le Prix Des Lecteurs Escpades, France. Extras-Creatosity

Creativity Research

The power of coaching in the professional learning and development of school leaders: an ecological framework and critical insights from a systematic review Ciarán Collins, Regina Murphy and Martin Brown

READ FULL ARTICLE

Abstract
School leadership has been shown to have a profound influence on students’ experiences and outcomes. Following the success of leadership coaching in industry, coaching has started to feature as a mechanism in the professional learning and development of school leaders. However, to date, evidence of how the various elements of coaching are embedded in the professional learning and development of school leaders is limited. To fill the lacuna of research in this area, this study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review of coaching as a form of the professional learning and development of school leaders, based on papers published in peer-reviewed journals between July 2014 and July 2024. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used, and the work was framed within Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory. An overview of the concept of coaching and its development in the context of the professional learning and development of school leaders was provided. The methodology used in the study was then described, before the research evidence on coaching in the professional learning and development of school leaders was reported and discussed across five thematic findings, illuminating the factors that may advance the success of coaching as well as those that may impede it. Gaps in the literature were identified that may inform further research on this important topic.

Enhancing Student Creativity: An Exploratory Study of the Views and Experiences of School Leaders Ciarán Collins

Abstract
This research inquiry is an exploratory study on the views and experiences of School Leaders (SL) on the enhancement of student creativity. Creativity has been growing in importance for educators in recent years, as the world that students of today will enter as adults is one characterized by rapid and constant change. It is in this context that a focus on creativity has emerged in Irish government policies and initiatives in the educational and cultural domains, which include the aim of increasing opportunities for young people to develop their creativity. As well as this investment, the government invests in a model of distributed leadership in primary and post-primary schools that encourages SLs to view schools as learning organisations, where school improvements can be brought about by internal school review, to improve students’ learning. It is a model that puts SLs at the centre of leading teaching, learning and school development in their schools. The research used an interpretivist qualitative method of semi-structured interviews, to gather the views and experiences of school leaders, on enhancing student creativity in their schools. 14 were interviewed, seven primary and seven post-primary, including principals, deputy principals and assistant principals. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data that was produced, and this yielded three overarching themes, which each had three subthemes. While SLs greatly value the enhancement of creativity, there was considerable variation in SL’s conception of what creativity is and how it can be fostered in schools. Those SLs who, in their education or pastimes, had a background in creativity appeared to be the most confident, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable in the promotion of creativity in their schools. Many SLs, while having very valuable insights in the area, had preconceptions about creativity that are misaligned with accepted conceptions of creativity in the literature. Creative partnerships, where artists partner with teachers or schools were reported by the minority of SLs who had an experience of them as being positive and culturally transformative. SLs felt there was inconsistency across the curricula where enhancing student creativity is concerned, with, according to most SLs, the Established Leaving Certificate leaving very little scope for student creativity, outside of arts or practical subjects.

info@company.com