Adaptive Educational Leadership

Develop adaptive, informed, effective school leadership

This course is made up of Part A and Part B. In Part A you will explore the prevalence of change in education settings, and the importance of adaptive leadership in initiating and sustaining meaningful change in your school context. You will critically reflect on your own experiences of change in the educational context and explore what successful change management looks like in schools. This section will build your capacity in data analysis and interpretation, promoting the use of data informed decision-making to drive improved student outcomes and meaningful change. In Part B you will examine current research in effective adaptive educational leadership and explore the complexity of leading change in schools. It provides the necessary knowledge and understanding of effective adaptive leadership strategies as educators are supposed to design, communicate and implement a data-informed plan for change in your educational setting. This section develops practical leadership skills in communication, reflection and evaluation, enabling educators to implement and sustain contextually relevant change to improve student outcomes.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you'll be able to:

• Critically examine experience and existing knowledge concerning change leadership in educational settings.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the role leadership and data-informed decision making in educational change.
• Demonstrate an appreciation of the theories and research relevant to the study and practice of change leadership.
• Apply relevant theoretical and professional knowledge to design a plan for change in an educational setting.
• Analyse and describe the nature of effective adaptive school leadership.
• Communicate an informed appreciation of the skills and capacities required to agilely lead teaching and learning and apply that learning in a new context.
• Identify adaptive school systems, process, and strategies to respond to and lead initiatives which address the needs of students and staff.
• Critically reflect on adaptive leadership practices explicating their impact and influence on the educational workplace.

What topics will you cover?

• Leading in a culture of change
• Understanding context
• Leadership Types
• Understanding evidence
• Managing Change
• Planning for Successful Change
• Setting and Consultation
• Accountability
• Developing a communication strategy
• Leading Change Implementation
• Measuring Impact
• Evaluating progress and improvement

Assessment

Part A

• Assessment Task 1: Statement of Aims (5%)
• Assessment Task 2: Appreciating Context and Data (45%)
• Assessment Task 3: Change Design (50%)

Part B

• Assessment Task 1: Reflection (10%)
• Assessment Task 2: Communicating Change (40%)
• Assessment Task 3: Evaluating Change (50%)

Develop a statement of aims that outlines your intentions and objectives for this unit. Consider your motivations for undertaking this professional development opportunity and how you hope this learning will benefit your school setting.

Intakes

You have the option to begin this short course on the following dates:

• 16 Feb 2026 (Year Long 1)