EDM 715: Leadership Theories and Practices 3 Credit Units
Course Description
The postgraduate program in Educational Management is designed to prepare professionals to lead, manage, and transform educational institutions effectively. The program focuses on developing knowledge and skills in strategic planning, leadership, policy development, and organizational behaviour. It equips graduates with tools to address education administration challenges and create sustainable solutions for institutional improvement. Participants will learn to manage resources, lead diverse teams, and implement policies that ensure academic and operational excellence.
This program is ideal for educators, administrators, and policymakers who aspire to leadership roles in schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations.
- Build leadership capacity for managing teams and driving institutional success.
- Enhance understanding of educational policies, governance structures, and regulatory frameworks.
- Develop skills in strategic planning and decision-making to improve institutional outcomes.
- Learn to optimize human, financial, and material resources for effective school management.
- Foster innovation in curriculum design, teaching, and assessment practices.
- Address issues related to equity, inclusivity, and quality assurance in education.
Upon completing the program, participants will be able to:
- Apply leadership and management theories to address organizational challenges in education.
- Develop and implement strategic plans to achieve institutional goals and enhance student outcomes.
- Interpret and apply educational policies and regulations in decision-making processes.
- Evaluate and improve operational and academic performance using data-driven approaches.
- Promote equitable practices and inclusivity within educational institutions.
- Effectively manage budgets, personnel, and resources to ensure institutional sustainability.
- Lead and inspire teams by fostering a culture of collaboration and professional development.
- Research to explore and address current trends and challenges in educational management
Purpose:
This course aims to provide students with a thorough understanding of traditional and modern leadership theories and approaches. Its objective is to equip students with the necessary knowledge and abilities to assess, analyze, and utilize different leadership models in a variety of organizational settings. The topics covered include transformational, transactional, and servant leadership. Case studies will be examined, and students will develop their own leadership philosophies. Through a combination of theoretical exploration, practical application, and critical reflection, students will learn how to effectively lead with integrity and collaboration for sustainable success in school improvement and organizational growth.
Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:
1. Evaluate both classical and contemporary leadership theories and styles critically, recognizing their strengths, limitations, and suitability in diverse organizational contexts.
2. Demonstrate the ability to apply leadership theories and styles in real-world scenarios by developing strategic solutions for complex organizational issues.
3. Articulate their personal leadership philosophy by combining insights from theoretical frameworks with self-reflection on their own experiences as leaders.
4. Improve communication, negotiation, and influence skills to effectively lead diverse teams and foster a collaborative work environment.
Course content:
Focuses on various leadership theories and their applications in educational settings. The course covers introductions to leadership, Early leadership theories, contemporary leadership theories, leadership styles and models, power and influence, leadership and communication, and action planning and implementation. Students will analyze case studies and develop their leadership philosophies.
Mode of delivery
Lecture, group discussions, class presentation, reflection exercises and library research.
Instructional Materials
Online tools such as Zoom, Google class and voice recording.
Course Assessment
Continuous Assessment Tests – 30%
End of Semester Examination – 70%
Total – 100%
Core Reading:
Leadership: Theory and Practice” by Peter Northouse
Itaman, T. I. (2017) Effective School Leadership in a Disadvantaged Area. Nigeria: TD Printing and Paper Production Ltd.
Itaman, T. I. (2023) Strategic Issues in Educational Leadership. Nigeria: TD Printing and Paper Production Ltd.
The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins.
Primal Leadership: Unleashing the Power of Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee