Principals reflecting on their leadership
learning with an heuristic: A pilot study
Neil Dempster & Bev Flückiger, Griffith University, Brisbane
Susan Lovett, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
AARE APERA International Conference, Sydney, 2-6 December 2012
Rationale for the Pilot Study
AITSL Review: Strategies for the
professional learning of school leaders
(Dempster, Lovett & Flückiger, 2011)
The review showed:
 Most leadership learning strategies were under the
control of systems
 Studies of system organised learning were not
balanced by studies of individual agency in leadership
learning
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Individual Agency in Professional Learning
A lack of research attention to individual agency
exposed by Timperley’s (2011):
 concern to differentiate between professional learning
and professional development; and
 her worry that individuals expect others to make
provision for their leadership learning
and
Clarke and Wildy (2011) who developed an heuristic
tool highlighting individual agency
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What is an Heuristic Tool?
A device to help individuals observe, investigate,
experiment and discover new knowledge.
It applies especially to methods of teaching and
learning.
In this case we apply the tool to leaders’ learning.
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An Heuristic Tool (from Clarke and Wildy,
2011)
 Place – understanding the context
 People – understanding those I work with
 Self – understanding ‘me’
 System – understanding my employer and education
at large
We added Pedagogy to this heuristic to emphasise the
importance of leadership for learning
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Heuristic Tool Format
Leadership focal point and knowledge
inventory
I plan to gain further leadership
knowledge:
Through
Through
Through With a
I am
organised discussion Informal mentor
confident
courses or with peers learning or
in my
workshops
on the
coach
leadership (online or
job
knowledge face-to

in this area face)
or X

Pedagogy
1. knowledge of growth, learning and development across
the lifespan
 x




2. knowledge of effective strategies for teacher professional
development













3. knowledge of the rationale for and how to plan,
coordinate, implement, monitor and evaluate teaching and
learning
4. knowledge about how to gather data and how to
conduct evidence-based professional conversations on
teaching and learning
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

x
 xx
Heuristic Tool Focal Point Sample: Pedagogy
1. knowledge of growth, learning and
development across the lifespan
2. knowledge of effective strategies for teacher
professional development
3. knowledge of the rationale for and how to
plan, coordinate, implement, monitor and
evaluate teaching and learning
4. knowledge about how to gather data and how
to conduct evidence-based professional
conversations on teaching and learning
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Heuristic Tool Format
Leadership focal point and knowledge
inventory
I plan to gain further leadership
knowledge:
Through
Through
Through With a
I am
organised discussion Informal mentor
confident
courses or with peers learning or
in my
workshops
on the
coach
leadership (online or
job
knowledge face-to

in this area face)
or X

Pedagogy
1. knowledge of growth, learning and development across
the lifespan
 x




2. knowledge of effective strategies for teacher professional
development













3. knowledge of the rationale for and how to plan,
coordinate, implement, monitor and evaluate teaching and
learning
4. knowledge about how to gather data and how to
conduct evidence-based professional conversations on
teaching and learning
8


x
 xx
The Pilot
Trial No.1.
10 Primary and Secondary Principals
Trial No. 2.
6 Beginning Primary Principals
Opportunity Samples in each trial
Online access with 3 open-ended questions
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Open-ended Questions
 Please comment about the items in the heuristic and
any issues in its completion;
 What changes and or additions would you suggest?
The claim is that the heuristic should help principals better
understand important aspects of their leadership learning
profile.
 What response would you have to this claim?
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Summary of Results – there was:
 a spread of learning activity and generally reported
confidence in the focal point – Pedagogy
 variability reported in learning about People
 a favouring of courses or seminars about Place, with
fewer reports of informal learning in work sites or with
the use of a mentor
 on the System – learning with peers dominated
 an absence of reports of learning about Self through
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courses, but frequent reports of learning about self
with mentors.
Results: Suggested Changes
 change column one to allow for differentiated
responses on confidence, eg. very confident,
somewhat confident, and not yet confident
 the need for an electronic heuristic design to enable
individuals to record their expanding knowledge
inventory
 An emphasis on the heuristic as one element of
reflection processes to stimulate thinking and
conversations with others about personal agency in
leadership learning.
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Conclusion - the heuristic tool offers:
 a useful tool for personal reflection, easily addressed
in electronic form, allowing for adjustments in the light
of personal knowledge needs
 the means for leaders to construct a current
leadership learning profile, with future projections
made visible
 a concentration on individual agency rather than
system control of professional development agendas
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