Helen Gunter

Critical education policy research has a long tradition of political sociology. Drawing on data and analysis from the Education Policy Knowledgeable Polity (EPKP) project, supported by funders such as the British Academy and the Economic and Social Research Council, this book presents a new political sociology for framing, conducting and presenting critical education policy research. In doing so, it will be the first in the field to interconnect political thinking from Arendt with sociological thinking from Bourdieu, producing innovative analysis for and about educational reform.

Critical education policy research has a long tradition of political sociology. Drawing on data and analysis from the Education Policy Knowledgeable Polity (EPKP) project, supported by funders such as the British Academy and the Economic and Social Research Council, this book presents a new political sociology for framing, conducting and presenting critical education policy research. In doing so, it will be the first in the field to interconnect political thinking from Arendt with sociological thinking from Bourdieu, producing innovative analysis for and about educational reform.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have experienced massive changes in the past three decades. Across England, the US, Australia and New Zealand, new public management has introduced corporate governance structures, strategic plans, performance management, quality assurance processes, a client-focused approach to students and curriculum, and a commodification of higher education that has seen an unprecedented growth in international student numbers. Increased numbers of HEIs has stimulated a variety of challenges for administrators, academics, students and the broader community. Drawing on data from England, Australia and New Zealand, this book addresses how policies of successive labour governments have decreased autonomy of academics and increased regimes of surveillance, radically altering how academics think about and engage in their intellectual work. It provokes the reader to think critically about the emergence of corporate styles of governance, management and leadership in HEIs and ways in which the demands of new public management and the knowledge economy has shaped and re-shaped scholarly work and identity.

`Leaders and Leadership in Education makes a significant contribution to improvement literature. It will challenge school managers taking headship and leadership qualifications, or any reader with a serious interest in reconceptualising leadership for learning' - TES Friday Magazine `Leaders and Leadership in Education is a well-documented account of how leadership has been studied and therefore presented. For academic readers it is valuable as an insightful and critical text' - Journal of In-Service Education `Helen Gunter's book makes a significant contribution to the existing literature on leadership in education.... For anyone who has an interest in current thinking about leadership and in reconceptualizing leadership for learning, this book will be of great interest' - Educational Research Leadership within educational settings is widely regarded as essential for organizational effectiveness and the improvement of learning outcomes. Through an extensive review of theory and practice, Helen M Gunter explores the contested field of leadership studies. She describes and critiques the different contributions made by: - critical studies - education management - school effectiveness - school improvement Leadership is examined as function, as behaviour and as leadership relationship, from students as leaders, through to headteachers. The author provides an up-to-date review of current thinking about leadership, which challenges the reader to engage with and develop alternative ways of thinking about their own leadership. This book is essential reading for practitioners on Masters and EdD courses and NPQH/LPSH training, and for anyone committed to teaching and learning.

`Leaders and Leadership in Education makes a significant contribution to improvement literature. It will challenge school managers taking headship and leadership qualifications, or any reader with a serious interest in reconceptualising leadership for learning' - TES Friday Magazine `Leaders and Leadership in Education is a well-documented account of how leadership has been studied and therefore presented. For academic readers it is valuable as an insightful and critical text' - Journal of In-Service Education `Helen Gunter's book makes a significant contribution to the existing literature on leadership in education.... For anyone who has an interest in current thinking about leadership and in reconceptualizing leadership for learning, this book will be of great interest' - Educational Research Leadership within educational settings is widely regarded as essential for organizational effectiveness and the improvement of learning outcomes. Through an extensive review of theory and practice, Helen M Gunter explores the contested field of leadership studies. She describes and critiques the different contributions made by: - critical studies - education management - school effectiveness - school improvement Leadership is examined as function, as behaviour and as leadership relationship, from students as leaders, through to headteachers. The author provides an up-to-date review of current thinking about leadership, which challenges the reader to engage with and develop alternative ways of thinking about their own leadership. This book is essential reading for practitioners on Masters and EdD courses and NPQH/LPSH training, and for anyone committed to teaching and learning.