European Arts-Based Development of Distributed Leadership and Innovation in Schools Erasmus Project

Project Title

European Arts-Based Development of Distributed Leadership and Innovation in Schools

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2019

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation

Project Summary

In today’s challenging educational context, educators and learners need to use their creative potential to lead innovation collaboratively. Traditional models of leadership are proving inadequate in supporting the innovation and creativity needed to enhance students’ learning opportunities. A new leadership approach is therefore required.

The growth of arts-based methods of leadership development and the mushrooming of research into embodied learning and leadership are a largely untapped source of support for such development and change in school leadership. The ENABLES project will tap into the potential of arts-based and embodied learning approaches and enhance their application by policy actors, administrators, school leaders, teachers and students. In so doing, it seeks to strengthen distributed leadership in schools and school education systems and promote collaborative and democratic leadership of innovation.

The intellectual outputs are designed to create the practical guides, ideas and knowledge required for the creation of a unique online resource serving the needs of the target groups for development and strengthening of distributed school leadership. This will be a resource and knowledge hub for arts-based and embodied learning methods of distributed school leadership development. It will be opened as a project website early in the project and grow as the project develops to incorporate an accessible set of ideas, illustrative practices, cases, visual aids and written accounts and guidance to meet needs at school, local/regional and national levels to strengthen distributed leadership and teacher and student leadership. Expertise in learning technology design and creation and in digitising resources will be used to optimise online accessibility and usefulness to its target audience.

The project will generate a state-of-the-art knowledge platform and undertake action research trials. The trials will involve involve school based and policy participants and will apply and test innovative arts-based and embodied learning approaches to developing distributed leadership in schools. Outcomes of the trials will be textual and visual media, trial reports, a comparative report on the impact of national and cultural factors on arts-based and embodied learning methods, and a methodological framework to guide and inspire the application of arts-based methods in leadership development for the target groups.

Open educational resources (OERs) will be created using the trials’ findings and incorporating visual and textual media produced by the trials and include practice-focused guidance on arts-based methods of leadership development. A Guide to Transnational Pedagogical Adaptation will also be produced that specifically address the question of potential beneficiaries in countries beyond the project partners: How can I make use of and adapt the content of the OERs and online resource? The guide will provide a framework and methodology for adapting and evaluating arts-based and embodied leadership development methods in differing cultural and national settings.

The project will have impacts through the participants (teachers and support staff in schools, school leaders, policy actors and administrators at local/regional levels, teacher and leadership educators) in the trials and dissemination events. The intention is to enhance participants’ awareness, understanding, capabilities and confidence in innovative arts-based and embodied learning approaches to distributed leadership development. Participants will be supported in planning to share awareness of these alternative approaches to leadership development so others in the school system can also apply ands develop them. Beyond the partner countries, awareness and understanding amongst target groups of the basics and potential of arts-based and embodied development of leadership will be enhanced and initiatives developing innovative practice utilising these approaches increased. Awareness and support at European and national policy levels for the value and impact of arts-based and embodied methods to strengthening distributed leadership will be enhanced.

The project includes a social media dissemination strategy and development of a website pedagogical strategy to maximise communication across Europe and internationally and through national and European networks. This will amplify the impact of multiplier events and additional dissemination activities by each partner in their country. The range of outputs will enhance the EU profile as a world leader in arts-based and embodied learning approaches to leadership development. The project will impact upon professional and academic knowledge and discourses which inform professional learning and development in school leadership, to the benefit ultimately of student learning, development and life chances.

Project Website

http://www.herts.ac.uk/study/schools-of-study/education/research/enables

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 186840,27 Eur

Project Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY OF HERTFORDSHIRE HIGHER EDUCATION CORPORATION & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Muzizglitibas un kulturas instituts Vitae
• JYVASKYLAN YLIOPISTO
• UNIVERSITAET INNSBRUCK
• UNIVERSITATEA ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA DIN IASI