The Practices of School Middle Leadership

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvii

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2. Introduction to Middle Leading

   • Peter Grootenboer

   Pages 1-19

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3. Theories and Models of Educational Leadership

   • Peter Grootenboer

   Pages 21-41

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4. Practice Philosophy and Theories

   • Peter Grootenboer

   Pages 43-59

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5. Investigating Middle Leading

   • Peter Grootenboer

   Pages 61-83

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6. The Practices of Middle Leading

   • Peter Grootenboer

   Pages 85-105

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7. Middle Leading Within Practice Architectures

   • Peter Grootenboer

   Pages 107-133

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8. The Ecological Arrangement of Middle Leading Practices

   • Peter Grootenboer

   Pages 135-153

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9. Site-Based Staff Development Practices

   • Peter Grootenboer

   Pages 155-174

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10. The Praxis of Leading in the Middle

    • Peter Grootenboer

    Pages 175-194

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11. Back Matter

    Pages 195-196

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This book uses practice theory to examine the role of ‘middle-leadership’. In particular, it investigates the practices of ‘leading in the middle’ in the cultural-discursive, material-economic, and social-political domains – i.e., the sayings, doings and relatings of middle leading. This perspective acknowledges the ecological arrangement of leading practices in schools, and the necessity of considering the unavoidable reality of the site. The analysis is used to promote the need to view leading in the middle as a form of praxis – a morally and ethically informed practice that requires thoughtful decision-making and action in situations where the outcomes are not always clear. This book focuses on the practice of leading for those in ‘middle management’ positions in primary and secondary schools, such as those responsible for curriculum leadership, including senior teachers, assistant principals, and curriculum leaders. In their positions that bridge ‘management’ and ‘the classroom’ they are significant leaders in promoting and sustaining effective pedagogy for good learning outcomes, and they have to continue to provide high-quality teaching in their own classrooms, while simultaneously being a mentor, coach, supporter and evaluator for their colleagues.

• Action learning
• Australian education
• Curriculum leadership
• Dispersed and Distributed leadership
• Ecologies of educational practice
• Educational leadership
• Instructional leadership
• Leading in the middle
• Material-economic
• School leadership
• Middle leadership
• New Zealand education
• Practice architecture
• Practice theory
• Self-directed professional development
• Site-based staff development
• Social-political
• Teacher appraisal
• Teacher leaders
• Transformational leadership

• School of Education, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia

  Peter Grootenboer

Peter Grootenboer was a school teacher and leader for 12 years before moving into the tertiary sector. He received the national Jim Campbell Award for teaching excellence. He is now a Professor of Education at Griffith University and the Deputy Director of the Griffith Institute for Educational Research. His research interests include mathematics education, educational leadership, practice/praxis theory, and action research.

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