1st Edition

Relational Leadership in Education A Phenomenon of Inquiry and Practice

By David L. Giles Copyright 2019
    186 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    186 Pages 1 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    When is leadership not relational? When is education not relational? When is life not relational? Relationships always matter to our living, educating and leading. Relational Leadership in Education considers this ‘Relational Leadership’ within the context of education, critiquing the current ideological ‘context’ and contemporary understandings of its influence. Employing a phenomenological approach, this book explores the relational nature of education, Relational Leadership, and the organizational culture to provide a more sophisticated exploration of practice-based wisdom. It offers an extensive range of activities for further thinking on the experiential nature of Relational Leadership, grouped around a number of themes: Relational Leadership and sensibilities; organizational culture; professional development; curriculum, pedagogy and assessment; and the reconstruction of a postgraduate Educational Leadership and Management programme for experienced, emergent and aspiring leaders.

    ‘Relational Leadership’ is not about describing yet another style of leadership but rather about a relational way of being in leadership that utilizes refined relational sensibilities. ‘Relational Leadership’ is also a reminder of what is critical in a leader’s practice — leadership is always relational, and relationships are the essence of leadership.

    List of Figures and Tables

    Section 1: Education as A Critical Context

    Chapter 1. Introduction

    Chapter 2. The Ideological Context of Educational Relationships

    Chapter 3. Contemporary Understandings of Relationships & Leadership

    Section 2: The Phenomenology of Relationships

    Chapter 4. Relationships: The Essence of Leadership

    Chapter 5. Relational Leadership

    Chapter 6. Relational Sensibilities

    Chapter 7. Ethical Leadership

    Section 3: Intentional Engagement: Practices and Strategies for Enhancing Relationships

    Chapter 8. The Relational Nature of Organizational Culture

    Chapter 9. Relational Approaches to Professional Development and Learning

    Chapter 10: Embedding the Phenomenological Nature of Relationships and Leadership Within Postgraduate Programmes for Principals and Educational Leaders

    Chapter 11: Relationships in Everyday Teaching

    Chapter 12: Looking Back - Looking Forward

    Biography

    Professor David L. Giles taught in elementary and secondary schools prior to teaching and researching Educational Leadership and Management and Teacher Education in universities across New Zealand, Australia and China.