Electronic Portfolios for Developing Reflective Practice in Educational Leaders

The aim of this paper was to investigate how an electronic portfolio could promote reflective practice, professionalism and accountability in educational leaders in West Australian schools. Participants were trained in the navigation of a portfolio software application engineered by the author, then...

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Main Author: Dixon, Robert
Other Authors: Jan Wright
Format: Conference Paper
Published: Australian Association for Research in Education 2011
Online Access:http://www.aare.edu.au/data/publications/2011/aarefinal00157.pdf
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/49024
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author Dixon, Robert
author2 Jan Wright
author_facet Jan Wright
Dixon, Robert
author_sort Dixon, Robert
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The aim of this paper was to investigate how an electronic portfolio could promote reflective practice, professionalism and accountability in educational leaders in West Australian schools. Participants were trained in the navigation of a portfolio software application engineered by the author, then provided with skills in the various technical aspects required to use it effectively. The software was designed to encourage self analysis through reflective practice using the Wildy and Louden (2002) Leadership framework as the conceptual model for the study. Eighteen key qualities and attributes were identified by the group as crucial concerns of their leadership approach; values, the quality of the relationship they had with their staff, the school as a physical and cultural entity, curriculum, communication, students, parents and community, pedagogy, leadership, management process and policy as well as the resourcing of ICT infrastructure were important concerns. Change and change management permeated thinking. The findings also suggested a general perception by participants, that a positive attitude in the discharge of leadership responsibilities as educational leaders was a very important attribute which fostered an ability to create a collaborative and cooperative environment in which things could get done. The study has demonstrated that a carefully constructed portfolio based on a solid conceptual model can promote reflective practice which can develop critical consciousness and perspective transformation in school leaders.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-490242017-05-25T03:27:01Z Electronic Portfolios for Developing Reflective Practice in Educational Leaders Dixon, Robert Jan Wright The aim of this paper was to investigate how an electronic portfolio could promote reflective practice, professionalism and accountability in educational leaders in West Australian schools. Participants were trained in the navigation of a portfolio software application engineered by the author, then provided with skills in the various technical aspects required to use it effectively. The software was designed to encourage self analysis through reflective practice using the Wildy and Louden (2002) Leadership framework as the conceptual model for the study. Eighteen key qualities and attributes were identified by the group as crucial concerns of their leadership approach; values, the quality of the relationship they had with their staff, the school as a physical and cultural entity, curriculum, communication, students, parents and community, pedagogy, leadership, management process and policy as well as the resourcing of ICT infrastructure were important concerns. Change and change management permeated thinking. The findings also suggested a general perception by participants, that a positive attitude in the discharge of leadership responsibilities as educational leaders was a very important attribute which fostered an ability to create a collaborative and cooperative environment in which things could get done. The study has demonstrated that a carefully constructed portfolio based on a solid conceptual model can promote reflective practice which can develop critical consciousness and perspective transformation in school leaders. 2011 Conference Paper http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/49024 http://www.aare.edu.au/data/publications/2011/aarefinal00157.pdf Australian Association for Research in Education restricted
spellingShingle Dixon, Robert
Electronic Portfolios for Developing Reflective Practice in Educational Leaders
title Electronic Portfolios for Developing Reflective Practice in Educational Leaders
title_full Electronic Portfolios for Developing Reflective Practice in Educational Leaders
title_fullStr Electronic Portfolios for Developing Reflective Practice in Educational Leaders
title_full_unstemmed Electronic Portfolios for Developing Reflective Practice in Educational Leaders
title_short Electronic Portfolios for Developing Reflective Practice in Educational Leaders
title_sort electronic portfolios for developing reflective practice in educational leaders
url http://www.aare.edu.au/data/publications/2011/aarefinal00157.pdf
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/49024