Institute of Education

Research & Expertise to Make a Difference in Education & Beyond

New Papers by IOE Staff Members

The world leader among academic publishers, SAGE Publications issued a collection of research papers ‘Leading Futures. Global Perspectives on Educational Leadership’. Academic supervisors of the book are Alma Harris and Michelle S. Jones at the Institute of Educational Leadership, University of Malaya, Malaysia.

The collection includes the following articles by IOE staff members:

The book introduces multiple perspectives on educational leadership, presenting the ideas of scholars, policy makers and practitioners. It considers the context of leadership practices formation and highlights the importance of cultural influences in shaping and forming them.

It is primarily concerned with ‘leading futures’ and the challenges faced by leading schools and school systems in an era of fast-paced technological change. It looks at leadership practices across four different levels (the system, the professional, the leader and the student). The authors argue that these four levels are often viewed and described independently but in reality they are inherently interconnected and integrally related.

In a nutshell, this book takes a multilevel, multicultural and multicontextual look at contemporary educational leadership practice. Through this comparative lens, it presents new ideas, knowledge and insights that would be relevant and ultimately useful for educational leaders around the globe.

Renown scholars have highly appreciated the practical value of the collection and recommend the book for all the researchers, engaged in studying the issues of leadership in education:

'This book is a true tour de force that will be read and re-read many times.'

Dennis Shirley, 
Professor, Lynch School of Education, Boston College

'A must-read for anyone who wants to extend their understanding of leadership beyond their own domain.'

Andy Hargreaves, 
Brennan Chair, Lynch School of Education, Boston College

 'An important new book that deserves wide readership and careful study.'

S. Gopinathan, 
Adjunct Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore

Alma Harris and Michelle Jones are leading experts in educational leadership known for the projects in school effectiveness implemented in Great Britain and Australia. Alma Harris is currently Past President of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and School Improvement, Director of the Institute of Educational Leadership at the University of Malaya. Michelle Jones is Deputy Director at the Institute of Educational Leadership in Malaysia.