Students and staff

Pedagogical leadership, career choice and quality of education in Latvia

Pedagogical leadership, career choice and quality of education in Latvia (managers: M. Fernandezs, 2016-2017; S. Surikova, 2018-2019)

This European project is coordinated by the research group on ‘Leadership and Quality of Education’ (http://www.leadquaed.com), created by the Spanish university UNED (http://portal.uned.es).

Research topicality

Educational effectiveness and quality of education is a topical concern for educators and policy makers. Recent economical crisis raised awareness of the necessity of acting with social responsibility when using the public assets allocated to educational activities (Tooms & Boske, 2010). In order to promote a better knowledge of what educational effectiveness is and how it can be improved, research on pedagogical leadership, as one of the main aspects of the educational process, is currently accepted as one of the most relevant tasks for scholars of the third millennium (Capper & Frattura, 2009; Young, Crow, Murphy & Ogawa, 2009). Some scholars (Day, 2009; Salmi, 2009) highlighted the importance of having a strong leadership team as one of the prerequisites to establish a world class university.

Purpose of the research project

To investigate how pedagogical leadership and education quality are understood and implemented in European educational institution and to relate the exercise of educational leadership with the quality of educational institutions.

This objective is articulated around two main research questions: (1) what the different sectors of the institution (head, teachers, researchers and students) think about the importance and evidence of the different dimensions of pedagogical leadership in their institution; and (2) how do they perceived the main features of the quality of this institution.

Theoretical framework

The theoretical framework of the study is the reference model proposed by S. Gento (Gento, 2002) for Pedagogical leadership and Quality of education. Pedagogical leadership was analysed through the following dimensions: charismatic, emotional, anticipatory, professional, participative, cultural, formative and administrative leadership. Quality of education is defined by four identifiers (Educational product, student’s and staff’s Satisfaction and Impact of educational product) and seven predictors (Availability of resources, Organisation and planning, Management of resources, Educational methodology and the head’s researchers’ and teachers’ Leadership).

Design of the study

A study with a parallel mix design, combining qualitative and quantitative methods, is to be conducted in Latvia. An online version of two standardized questionnaires on Quality (178 items) and Leadership (181 items), worked out by S. Gento (Gento, 2002) and updated in 2012 will be used. In parallel, semi-structured interviews with representatives from each institution’s sector will be conducted. Software for data analysis: quantitative data analysis: SPSS 22; qualitative (video/audio) data analysis: AQUAD 7 and MaxQDA

Uzdevumi

  • Pētījuma instrumentu sagatavošana: tulkošana latviešu valodā; ievietošana tiešsaistē.
  • Datu vākšana.
  • Datu apstrāde un analīze.
  • Rezultātu starptautiskā apspriešana.
  • Zinātnisko publikāciju sagatavošana/izdošana.

Paredzamie rezultāti (2016.-2019. g.)

Vismaz 4 zinātniskās publikācijas.

Pētījuma rezultātu apspriešana 3 starptautiskās konferencēs.

Iesaistītais personāls:

  1. Dr. Manuels Fernandezs – vadītājs, vadošais pētnieks
  2. Dr. Svetlana Surikova – vadītāja, vadošā pētniece
  3. Dr. Tamāra Pīgozne - vadošā pētniece
  4. Viens doktorants un divi maģistranti