This document summarizes a research study conducted by Professors Susannah Quinsee and Pam Parker on developing educational leadership. The study examined the skills, knowledge, and preparation needed for leadership roles in higher education through an online survey of 17 education leaders. Key findings included that interpersonal skills, strategic thinking, and teaching credibility were important. Most participants lacked formal leadership training but gained experience through personal experiences and informal support. The researchers plan to further investigate these findings through interviews and workshops to design a leadership development program.

1. Developing Educational
Leadership
Professor Susannah Quinsee and
Professor Pam Parker

2. Developing Educational Leadership
 Why we are interested in this subject
 What we have discovered so far
 Where our research is going now….

3. Why we are interested in this subject
 Academic leadership development is needed
The Higher Education Leadership and Management survey in 2014 found that
over 80% of respondents felt that more could be done to actually develop
leaders in higher education.
 Academic leadership is different
Leadership in higher education is a strange field (Bryman and Lilley 2009)
Competing demands …. Unclear models …. Mixed rewards

4. Academic leadership is like ….
https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/189432728049216786/

5. What we wanted to know
 What skills and knowledge are needed for educational
leadership roles?
 What preparation has been provided for those in existing
roles?
 What might be appropriate preparation to provide for future
educational leaders?

6. What we did and who we asked
 Lincoln and Guba’s naturalistic inquiry was the methodology
 Ethical approval was granted for the overall study
 Online survey using SurveyMonkey®, qualitative data so three
demographic questions and three open questions as outlined above
 Inductive thematic analysis
 Purposeful sample
 Participants were education leaders and they represented a range of
geographical areas and types of higher education institution.
 56 participants were invited to participate and 17 (30%) responded.

7. What we discovered
Demographic data showed that:
13 Females 4 Males
Years of experience
14 45
26 mean
1 deputy vice chancellor
type role
2 independent education
consultants
14 Heads/Directors of
education development
units

8. What knowledge and skills do you think those leading
education in Higher Education need to have?
 13 categories
• Change management
• Knowledge of quality assurance
& enhancement
• Personal characteristics
• Lifelong learning
• Project management
• Collaborative practice and
networking skills
Lead research,
have a record of
research &
scholarship
(5 – 30%)
knowledge of finance,
funding of higher
education & income
generation
(4 – 23%)
interpersonal
skills
(12- 71%)
Ability to be
strategic and
analytical
(7 - 41%)
Knowledge of the
policy and context
(7 – 41%)
Teaching and
learning
credibility
(8 – 47%)
Leadership and
management skills
(12 – 71%)

9. What preparation did you have for your role as a leader in
education? and What preparation do you think future
leaders in higher education need?
Category No. of participants in
relation to the
preparation they had
No. of participants in
relation to preparation
future leaders need
Formal Professional
Development
9 (53%) 7 (41%)
Personal experience 7 (41%) 8 (47%)
Informal professional
development
6 (35%) 0
Peer support or
mentoring
5 (29%) 8 (47%)
Leadership/management
training
0 5 (29%)
Interpersonal skills 0 2 (8%)
No preparation 8 (47%) N/A

10. Where our research is going now
Using the data in our Developing Leadership and Reflective
Practice Module
Semi-structured interviews with existing leaders to investigate
this data further
Recruit some new leader to participate in workshops and
reflection over a longer period of time
Use the data from all stages to design a programme and
support

11. References
 Bryman A and Lilley S (2009) ‘Leadership researchers on
leadership in higher education’. Leadership, vol. 5, no. 3, pp.
331 – 346
 Lincoln S and Guba E G (1985) Naturalistic Inquiry, London:
Sage Publications
 Peters K and Ryan M (2015) Leading Higher Education,
London: Leadership Foundation for Higher Education

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