Heads need more training in motivation
The Effective Leadership and Pupil Outcomes Project from the DSCF has reported that head teachers in improving schools are particularly good at motivating staff and maintaining their enthusiasm over a long period of time. However many heads have had little training in motivational techniques.
Leading head teachers are also highly skilled in understanding the characteristics of the local community and building strong links with families, but again training in this area is often week.
Delegation was also a key characteristic of successful head teachers. The study found that head teachers at the improving schools analysed promoted “layered leadership”.
The Effective Leadership and Pupil Outcomes Project was the largest and most extensive study of contemporary leadership to be conducted in England to date. Its sampling methods and innovative mixed methods design have enabled it to examine the work of head teachers and other school leaders in a range of primary and secondary schools nationally.
Analysis of national pupil attainment data identified three groups of schools which had made sustained improvements in academic outcomes but from different starting points.
Questionnaires from a sample of heads and staff in these schools and twenty detailed case studies were used to address the research aims.
You can find it at http://tinyurl.com/mra973
This report appeared on the Motivation and Behaviour news service – on a series of free news services from Hamilton House for teachers. If you would like to susbscribe to any of them please do take a look at our web site.