Creating fashion professionals for the 21st century : a tale of pedagogical tensions and emerging challenges

The ‘Fashion Tales’ Conference identifies three fashion discourses: that of making, that of media, and that of scholarship. We propose a fourth, which provides a foundational base for the others: the discourse of fashion pedagogy. We begin with the argument that to thrive in any of these discourses, all fashion graduates require the ability to navigate the complexities of the 21st century fashion industry. Fashion graduates emerge into a professional world which demands a range of high level capabilities above and beyond those traditionally acknowledged by the discipline. Professional education in fashion must transform itself to accommodate these imperatives. In this paper, we document a tale of fashion learning, teaching and scholarship – the tale of a highly successful future-orientated boutique university-based undergraduate fashion course in Queensland, Australia. The Discipline consistently maintains the highest student satisfaction and lowest attrition of any course in the university, achieves extremely competitive student satisfaction scores when compared with other courses nationally and internationally, and reports outstanding graduate employment outcomes. The core of the article addresses how the course effectively balances five key pedagogical tensions identified from the findings of in-depth focus groups with graduating students, and interviews with teaching staff. The pedagogical tensions are: high concept/ authenticity; high disciplinarity/ interdisciplinarity; high rigour/ play; high autonomy/ scaffolding; and high individuality/ community, where community can be further divided into high challenge and high support. We discuss each of these tensions and how they are characterised within the course, using rich descriptions given by the students. We also draw upon the wider andragogical and learning futures literatures to link the tensions with what is already known about excellence in 21st century higher and further education curriculum and pedagogic practice. We ask: as the fashion industry becomes truly globalised, virtualised, and diversified, and as initial professional training for the industry becomes increasingly massified and performatised, what are the best teaching approaches to produce autonomous, professionally capable, enterprising and responsible graduates into the future? Can the pedagogical balances described in this case study be maintained in the light of these powerful external forces, and if so, how?

Making mentoring explicit : articulating pedogogical knowledge practices

Mentoring pedagogical knowledge is fundamental towards developing preservice teachers’ practices. As a result of a train-the-trainer mentoring program, this study aimed to understand how mentors’ engagement in a professional development program on mentoring contributes to their mentoring of pedagogical knowledge practices. This qualitative research analyses the mentoring of pedagogical knowledge from six paired mentor teachers and preservice teachers (n=12) after a four-week professional school experience. Findings indicated the train-the-trainer model was successful for mentoring pedagogical knowledge on 10 of the 11 advocated practices. This suggested that a well-constructed professional development program on mentoring can advance the quality of mentoring for enhancing preservice teachers’ practices.

Pre-service teachers' pedagogical relationships and experiences of embedding Indigenous Australian knowledge in teaching practicum

This paper argues from the standpoint that embedding Indigenous knowledge and perspectives in Australian curricula occurs within a space of tension, ‘the cultural interface’ (Nakata, 2002), in negotiation and contestation with other dominant knowledge systems. In this interface, Indigenous knowledge (IK) is in a state of constancy and flux, invisible and simultaneously pronounced depending on the teaching and learning contexts. More often than not, IK competes for validity and is vexed by questions of racial and cultural authenticity, and therefore struggles to be located centrally in educational systems, curricula and pedagogies. Interrogating normative western notions of what constitutes authentic or legitimate knowledge is critical to teaching Indigenous studies and embedding IK. The inclusion (and exclusion) of IK at the interface is central to developing curriculum that allows teachers to test and prod, create new knowledge and teaching approaches. From this perspective, we explore Indigenous Australian pre-service teachers’ experiences of pedagogical relationships within the teaching habitus of Australian classrooms. Our study is engaged with the strategic transgressions of praxis. We contend that tensions that participant Indigenous Australian pre-service teachers experience mirror the broader (and unresolved) political status of Indigenous people and thus where and why IK is strategically deployed as ‘new’ or ‘old knowledge within Australian liberal democratic systems of curriculum and schooling. It is significant to discuss the formation and transformation of the pedagogical cultural identity of the teaching profession within which Indigenous and non-Indigenous pre-service teachers are employed.

What can grassroots leadership teach us about school leadership

This paper explores grassroots leadership, an under-researched and often side-lined approach to leadership that operates outside of formal bureaucratic structures. The paper’s central purpose is the claim that an understanding of grassroots leadership and tactics used by grassroots leaders provides valuable insights for the study of school leadership. In this paper, we present and discuss an original model of grassroots leadership based on the argument that this under-researched area can further our understanding of school leadership. Drawing upon the limited literature in the field, we present a model consisting of two approaches to change (i.e. conflict and consensus) and two categories of change (i.e. reform and refinement) and then provide illustrations of how the model works in practice. We make the argument that the model has much merit for conceptualizing school leadership, and this is illustrated by applying the model to formal bureaucratic leadership within school contexts. Given the current climate in education where business and management language is pervasive within leadership-preparation programs, we argue that it is timely for university academics, who are responsible for preparing school leaders to consider broadening their approach by exposing school leaders to a variety of change-based strategies and tactics used by grassroots leaders.

Leadership change, policy issues and voter defection in the 2010 Australian election

Leadership change formed the backdrop to the 2010 Australian federal election, with the replacement of Kevin Rudd as prime minister by Julia Gillard, the country’s first female prime minister. This article uses the 2010 Australian Election Study, a post-election survey of voters, to examine patterns of voter defection between the 2007 and 2010 elections. The results show that the predominant influence on defection was how voters rated the leaders. Julia Gillard was particularly popular among female voters and her overall impact on the vote was slightly greater than that of Tony Abbott. Policy issues were second in importance after leadership, particularly for those moving from the Coalition to Labor, who were concerned about health and unemployment. Labor defectors to the Greens particularly disliked Labor’s education policies. Overall, the results point to the enduring importance of leaders as the predominant influence on how voters cast their ballot.

Leadership for creating a thinking school at Buranda State School

This article explores the role of principal leadership in creating a thinking school. It contributes to the school leadership literature by exploring the intersection of two important areas of study in education - school leadership and education for thinking - which is a particularly apt area of study, because effective school leadership is crucial if students are to learn to be critical and creative thinkers, yet this connection has not be widely investigated. We describe how one principal, Hinton, turned around an underperforming school by using critical and creative philosophical thinking as the focus for students, staff and parents. Then, drawing on the school leadership literature, the article describes seven attributes of school leadership beginning with four articulated by Leithwood and colleagues (2006) (building vision and setting direction; redesigning the organisation; understanding and developing people; managing the teaching and learning program), and adding three others (influence; self-development; and responding to context). This framework is then used in a case study format in a collaboration between practitioner and researchers to first explore evidence from empirical studies and personal reflection about Hinton's leadership of Buranda State School, and second to illuminate how these general features of school leadership apply to creating a thinking school. Based on the case study and using the general characteristics of school leadership, a framework for leading a thinking school is described. Because the framework is based on a turnaround school, this framework has wide applicability: to schools that are doing well as an indication of how to implement a contemporary approach to curriculum and pedagogy; and to schools that are underperforming and want a rigorous, high expectation and contemporary way to improve student learning.

Mentoring as professional development: ‘growth for both’ mentor and mentee

Teachers need professional development to keep current with teaching practices, although costs for extensive professional development can be prohibitive across an education system. Mentoring provides one way for embedding cost-effective professional development. This mixed-method study includes surveying mentor teachers (n = 101) on a five-part Likert scale and interviews with experienced mentors (n = 10) to investigate professional development for mentors as a result of the mentoring process. Quantitative data were analysed through a pedagogical knowledge framework and qualitative data were collated into themes. Survey data showed that although mentoring of pedagogical knowledge was variable, mentoring pedagogical knowledge practices occurs with the majority of mentors, which requires mentors to evaluate and articulate teaching practices. Qualitative data showed that mentoring acted as professional development and led towards enhancing communication skills, developing leadership roles (problem-solving and building capacity) and advancing pedagogical knowledge. Providing professional development to teachers on mentoring can help to build capacity in two ways: quality mentoring of preservice teachers through explicit mentoring practices, and reflecting and deconstructing teaching practices for mentors’ own pedagogical advancements.

Innovative Leadership by School Principals : embedding Information Communication and Technology in Kuwaiti Schools

Kuwait is an oil rich country planning for a future that is not dependent on exploiting natural resources. A major policy initiative has been the introduction of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) to schools. However, contextual issues and teacher capabilities in the use of ICT have limited the success of this initiative. The study examines the leadership strategies of two secondary school principals whose schools have achieved this goal. The case study draws on intensive data collected through interviews of the principals, and teachers supported by document analysis and observations. Analysis was guided by theoretical perspectives drawn from the literature which identified a range of strategies used by the principals to manage change. The principals of Schools A and B employed three key strategies to maximise the impact on the teaching staff incorporating ICT into their teaching and learning practices. These strategies were: (a) encouragement for teaching staff to implement ICT in their teaching; (b) support to meet the material and human needs of teaching staff using ICT; and (c) provision of instructions and guidance for teaching staff in how and why such behaviours and practices should be performed. The outcome of this study proposes an innovative change leadership model that informs emerging countries, which are also undergoing major change related to ICT. However, the study also revealed limitations in the implementation of ICT in the classroom and provides insights into further strategies that principals need to adopt.

Who's asking for what? Fundraising and leadership in Australian nonprofits

The nonprofit funding landscape is in flux. Many organisations are having to think differently and develop fresh skills either to enter the fundraising market or to cope better with rising competition for community and corporate support. This new reality affects boards, CEOs and fundraisers alike. Against this backdrop, our exploratory study aimed to build an evidence base and spark more discussion about: - the role Australian nonprofit CEOs and boards play in supporting fundraising/development; - current engagement levels; and - perceptions of leadership in fundraising from two possibly contrasting perspectives: NP leaders (board members and CEOs); and fundraisers. This research has been supported by the Perpetual Foundation, the EF and SL Gluyas Trust and the Edward Corbould Charitable Trust under the management of Perpetual Trustee Company Ltd.

Beyond knowledge : an insight into the practice of a learning support teacher

Increasingly, schools are being asked to meet the challenges of providing inclusive classrooms for all children. Inclusion is no longer about special education for a special group of students. It is about school improvement in order to bring about the changes that are needed to classroom practices to ensure the improvement of student learning outcomes. Inclusion is no longer a policy initiative. Rather it has been transformed to become a process that moves a school towards inclusive practices that will result in school improvement, heightened student learning outcomes and greater opportunities for all students to gain equal access to education. This study focuses on the challenge of diversity as it translates into implementing inclusive practices across two secondary school contexts. I have undertaken this research in my role as a Learning Support Teacher over a period of five years. Central to my research is a constructivist ontology and a practice epistemology that aligns with a practitioner research methodology of action research. Seven generalisable propositions have emerged from this research that inform the strategies I am using to more easily accommodate legislated inclusivitiy. These propositions include: 1. School communities need to share a common understanding of equity. 2. The school principal must provide overt leadership in moving towards an inclusive school culture. 3. A whole-school approach is needed to narrow the gap between inclusion rhetoric and classroom practice. 4. Pedagogical reform is the most effective strategy for catering for diverse student learning needs. 5. Differentiating curriculum is achieved when collaborative planning teams develop appropriate units of work. 6. School communities need to make a commitment to gather, share and manage relevant information concerning students. 7. The Learning Support Teacher needs to be repositioned within a curriculum planning team.

From evidence to action: a shared leadership approach

This paper proposes an organisational effectiveness model that applies the theoretical frameworks of shared leadership, appreciative inquiry, and knowledge creation. Similar to many libraries worldwide, Auraria Library technical services department struggled to establish efficient and effective workflow for electronic resources management. The library purchased an Electronic Resource Management System, as the literature suggests; however, this technology-enabled system did not resolve workflow issues. The Auraria Library case study demonstrates that a technical services division can successfully reorganize personnel, reassign responsibilities, and measure outcomes within an evidencebased shared leadership culture, which invites and enables participants to identify problems and create solutions amidst a dynamically changing electronic resources environment.

Distributing leadership and cultivating dialogue with collaborative EBIP

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the efficacy of collaborative evidence based information practice (EBIP) as an organizational effectiveness model. Shared leadership, appreciative inquiry and knowledge creation theoretical frameworks provide the foundation for change toward the implementation of a collaborative EBIP workplace model. Collaborative EBIP reiterates the importance of gathering the best available evidence, but it differs by shifting decision-making authority from "library or employer centric" to "user or employee centric". University of Colorado Denver Auraria Library Technical Services department created a collaborative EBIP environment by flattening workplace hierarchies, distributing problem solving and encouraging reflective dialogue. By doing so, participants are empowered to identify problems, create solutions, and become valued and respected leaders and followers. In an environment where library budgets are in jeopardy, recruitment opportunities are limited and the workplace is in constant flux, the Auraria Library case study offers an approach that maximizes the capability of the current workforce and promotes agile responsiveness to industry and organizational challenges. Collaborative EBIP is an organizational model demonstrating a process focusing first on the individual and moving to the collective to develop a responsive and high performing business unit, and in turn, organization.

Proximal and distal forms of visionary leadership : a stress buffering perspective

Occupational stress research has consistently demonstrated many negative effects of work stressors on employee adjustment (i.e., job-related attitudes and health). Considerable literature also describes potential moderators of this relationship. While research has revealed that leader vision can have significant positive effects on employee adjustment it has neglected investigation of its potential stress buffering effects. Based on leadership and identification theories, it was predicted that stress buffering effects of leader vision would be more evident for distal versus proximal leaders and also when the distal or proximal leader vision was congruent with the employee adjustment outcome type (distal versus proximal). Predictions were tested with an employee sample from one large public sector organization (N = 519). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that main and moderated effects relating to leader vision supported the notion that occupational stress would be reduced when there was congruence of distal and proximal leader vision and distal and proximal outcome types. However, stress buffering effects were found for high and low perceivers of leader vision that were not in line with hypotheses posing questions for the definitions of distal and proximal identifications. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical and practical implications.

International students’ experiences of informed learning : a pedagogical case study

This case study explores the theory and practice of informed learning (Bruce, 2008) in a culturally diverse higher education context. It presents research findings about learning and teaching in a postgraduate unit of study entitled Personalised Language Development, an elective in the Master of TESOL and TEFL programs at Queensland University of Technology (QUT). This unit aims to enable international students to extend their disciplinary knowledge of English language teaching, their academic and linguistic fluency and awareness of their own information using processes. The paper outlines the case study research approach; describes the design and implementation of the unit; demonstrates how informed learning principles and characteristics underpin the unit design; presents findings about the international students’ experiences of informed learning through their reflections; and finally the paper discusses the implications of the findings for educators, including the potential transferability of informed learning across higher education disciplines.

Leadership of public education : an exploration of executive leaders in education Queensland

Education reform aimed at achieving improved student learning is a demanding challenge for leaders at all levels of education across the globe. In Queensland, Australia, Assistant Regional Directors, School Performance (ARD-SP) of public schools are executive leaders at the forefront of this challenge, working with groups, clusters, or networks of schools and one-on-one with principals, focusing on the performance of their schools. The ARD-SP role was recently established to positively impact student learning across the entire public school system in Queensland. The proposed study aimed to capture how ARDs-SP conceptualise and enact their leadership role. The study utilised a micropolitical perspective of leadership to understand the way in which these leaders talked about their leadership practices, their challenges, and the wider contextual factors impacting upon their work. A case study methodology guided the study and allowed ARDs-SP to share their understandings and enactment of executive leadership. A conceptual framework drawing upon the micropolitical leadership framework of Blase and Anderson (1995) was employed to analyse the research data gathered. Data were collected from Education Queensland (EQ) (i.e. that sector of the Department of Education and Training in Queensland responsible for public schools) policy material and reports and two rounds of semi-structured interviews with 18 ARD-SP participants and two senior EQ executives. The findings of this study were initially presented as four themes: performance, supervision, professional challenge, and system sustainability. They were then considered in the light of the literature and explored through the macro, meso, and micro layers within the conceptual framework. The key findings of this study found that ARDs-SP referred to using two different leadership approaches (i.e. an adversarial approach and/or a facilitative approach) when supervising school principals and the approach employed depended primarily upon the perceived performance of the principal. It was also found that the notion of supervision embedded within the role was perceived by ARDs-SP as problematic. These findings imply opportunities to refine the role and in doing so harness other system improvement strategies for EQ. An important contribution of this study was a reconceptualised conceptual framework that showed leadership approaches used by ARDs-SP as falling upon a continuum.