Focus of Study
For a long time, students’ views have often been ignored in discussions involving educational leadership. This lack of agency portends a significant challenge to improving the management of educational outcomes because it prevents educators from including the voices of students who are the biggest stakeholders in education (Alston et al., 2020; Benner, Brown and Jeffrey, 2019). Particularly, the voices of international students in the UK have been undermined by their low percentages of representation in various student populations across the nation (Veenis, Robertson and Berry, 2020; Shaheen, 2016).
Again, this is a lost opportunity for improving learning outcomes because international students enrich a country’s learning environment and create opportunities for cultural enrichment and holistic learning (Fisher, Frey and Almarode, 2020; UNESCO, 2020a; UNESCO, 2020b). Stemming from this background, the focus of the proposed study will be on enhancing the voices of international students to improve the quality of educational leadership in the UK.
Research Aim
To enhance the voices of international students to improve the quality of educational leadership in the UK
Research Questions
- What lessons can be borrowed from foreign students to improve student buy-in in educational leadership in the UK?
- How can the voices of international students improve the transparency of educational leadership in the UK?
- In what ways can the voices of international students be used to improve creativity in educational leadership in the UK?
Key Authors
Educational leadership is a broad term that has been used to define the process of creating synchrony of purpose among all education stakeholders. Some authors whose works will be examined in connection with this area of study include, among others, Thorndike, Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner (International Bureau of Education, 2020; Şenol, 2020). Their scholarly works cut across different fields of education, but primarily try to explain how learners acquire knowledge in the learning setting. For example, Thorndike was among the early proponents of the behaviorism theory, which refers to changes in learning outcomes dependent on behavioral attitudes (Pound, 2017).
The works of Jean Piaget and Jerome Bruner will also be explored because they were primarily involved in advancing the idea of constructivism, which has widely been used to inform learning policies (Downs and Stea, 2017; Pound, 2017). The works of Ploner (2018), Gbadamosi (2018), Ding (2016), and Ammigan and Jones (2018), will be further explored in the proposed study because they have extensively investigated the perspectives of international students on educational leadership. Therefore, there will be a broad overview of the extant literature on the topic.
Key Texts
The proposed study will include an examination of policy documents prepared by international organizations on education leadership. The first one will be policy documents prepared by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which address ways of improving student leadership (OECD, 2020a). These documents have vast resources that are relevant to educational leadership as a tool for promoting equity in schooling (OECD, 2020b; OECD, 2020c; OECD, 2020d).
The second set of policy documents that will be examined in the research study will be prepared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, which has published guidelines on educational leadership for use around the world (UNESCO International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, 2020a; UNESCO International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, 2020b). Thirdly, texts from the UK educational department will also be examined in the proposed study because they contain relevant data on educational leadership, such as the number of international students in the country.
Importance of the Study
Overall, the proposed study would be useful in improving educational policy development in the UK to make it more inclusive and representative of the diversity of the student population in the nation. By doing so, there will be a greater enrichment of educational services provided to students because foreign students could challenge traditional dogma on educational leadership practices currently in use.
Reference List
Alston, J. A. et al. (2020) Purveyors of change: school leaders of color share narratives of a student, school, and community success. London: IAP.
Ammigan, R. and Jones, E. (2018) ‘Improving the student experience: learning from a comparative study of international student satisfaction, Journal of Studies in International Education, 22(4), pp. 283-301.
Benner, M., Brown, C. and Jeffrey, A. (2019) Elevating student voice in education. Web.
Ding, X. (2016) ‘Exploring the experiences of international students in China’, Journal of Studies in International Education, 20(4), pp. 319-338.
Downs, R. M. and Stea, D. (eds.) (2017) Image and environment: cognitive mapping and spatial behavior. London: Transaction Publishers.
Fisher, D., Frey, A. and Almarode, J. (2020) Student learning communities: a springboard for academic and social-emotional development. London: ASCD.
Gbadamosi, A. (2018) ‘The anatomy of international students’ acculturation in UK universities’, Industry and Higher Education, 32(2), pp. 129-138.
International Bureau of Education. (2020) Influential theories of learning. Web.
OECD. (2020a) Improving school leadership pointers for policy development. Web.
OECD. (2020b) Implementing education policies to achieve the new curriculum for Wales. Paris: OECD Publishing.
OECD. (2020c) TALIS building a high-quality early childhood education and care workforce further results from the starting strong survey 2018: further results from the starting strong survey 2018. Paris: OECD Publishing.
OECD. (2020d) Reviews of national policies for education in Saudi Arabia. Paris: OECD Publishing.
Ploner, J. (2018) ‘International students’ transitions to UK Higher Education – revisiting the concept and practice of academic hospitality’, Journal of Research in International Education, 17(2), pp. 164-178.
Pound, L. (2017) How children learn – book 3: contemporary thinking and theorists. London: Andrews UK Limited.
Şenol, H. (ed.) (2020) Educational leadership. New York, NY: Books on Demand.
Shaheen, N. (2016) ‘International students’ critical thinking-related problem areas: UK university teachers’ perspectives’, Journal of Research in International Education, 15(1), pp. 18-31.
UNESCO. (2020a) Culture in crisis: a practical guide for a resilient creative sector. Paris: UNESCO Publishing.
UNESCO. (2020b) Education for sustainable development: a roadmap. Paris: UNESCO Publishing.
UNESCO International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. (2020a) Promoting quality in TVET using technology: a practical guide. Paris: UNESCO Publishing.
UNESCO International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training. (2020b) Boosting gender equality in science and technology: a challenge for TVET programs and careers. Paris: UNESCO Publishing.
Vernis, J. C., Robertson, S. and Berry, J. R. (eds.) (2020) Multiculturalism and multilingualism at the crossroads of school leadership: exploring leadership theory, policy, and practice for diverse schools. New York, NY: Springer Nature.