Pedagogical leadership in the 21st century: Evidence from the field

Literature examining effective leadership in education describe a number of models such as
Transformational, Learner-Centred, Distributed and Situational. A similar example is ‘pedagogical
leadership’, a phrase that frequently appears in literature and one referring to forms of practice
that shape and form teaching and learning to be integrated in leadership. In this paper, however,
we will argue that the term pedagogy is an ambiguous one when it is attached to the concept of
leadership and requires further explanation, particularly in the 21st century. Our conclusions are
informed by findings from research undertaken by us with headteachers and leaders of early years
settings in England during 2012. One of the key findings is that we should shift from using models of
leadership and instead to view leadership as a praxis that is not merely concerned with the dichotomy of teaching, learning and outcomes, but is also concerned with an integrated conceptualisation
of the relations between teaching, the learning ecology of the community and the social set of axes
in which the educational organisation is set. This understanding of pedagogical leadership is thus
concerned with the links between desired educational outcomes and the set of social realities that
surround the educational setting.