Journal article critique - Essay Example

Journal Article Critique Journal Article Critique: Leadership development and school improvement by Christopher Rhodes and MarkBrundrett Rhodes and Mark Brundrett’s article incorporates six articles that discuss different aspects of leadership development and school improvement. This article offers insightful ideas that can work in different settings. This paper discusses the important ideas of this article and discusses why the ideas of its content are important Rhodes and Brundrett’s claim that school leadership is an important factor in school improvement is true should be incorporated in any endeavor that is aimed at changing the performance of a school for the better.

Their assertion that it is important for leaders seeking to improve their schools to distribute leadership responsibilities is impressive and workable. Distribution of leadership would serve motivate the teaching staff making them to go beyond their mandate. The benefits of this distribution of leadership responsibilities would consequently trickle down to students. I found the idea that leadership is moral activity that should be creative and transformative in positively influencing the social and personal aspects of students’ lives insightful.

This is important because it shows that effective leadership should not be based on opinion but duty (Rhodes & Brundrett, 2009). The idea of incorporating all stakeholders in influencing positive and improving schools and student behavior is a tested idea and it is effective. Leaving other stakeholders such as parents and students from leadership locks out the contribution of these stakeholders and this can slow the achievement of the goal of school improvement. The authors of this article explain that leadership that factors in student voice helps to not only improve a school academically and imparts responsible and active citizenship in students.

I find this idea important because schools are supposed to have a holistic impact on students not just academically. I agree with these authors when they contend that leadership positions in schools are still highly engendered and this need to be changed. This idea is important because it would help tap women’s talent in improving schools (Rhodes & Brundrett, 2009). The idea that leadership development happens effectively on the job is important because it extends leadership development beyond leadership training programs.

The idea to create a learning community as a strategy to enhance adaptability to change and improve students’ outcomes is noteworthy. This is because, many organizations are increasingly emphasizing the role of a learning environment in facilitating improvements and schools should not be an exception. I found the idea that formally designated school leaders have more learning opportunities than other teacher leaders standing out. This is because designated school leaders are given training that empowers and this is an added advantage over their counterparts (Rhodes & Brundrett, 2009).

The article tersely comments that a school leader’s phronesis should draw from wisdom, tacit knowledge and experience. This is important because not all aspects of effective leadership are taught in class but some are learned through experience and an internal factor such as an individual’s wisdom. The assertion that national leadership development programmes cannot solely suffice to adequately prepare individuals for school leadership is true. This is because, individuals come with their past experiences and effects of their upbringing into these leadership development programs and these elements are equally important.

The argument that central policy could stifle school leaders’ capacity to improve schools is one that I find significant. This is because it rightly foregrounds the problem that most school leaders face when they have uncooperative central leaders (Rhodes & Brundrett, 2009). In conclusion, Rhodes and Brundrett’s article discusses ideas that are important to leadership development and school improvement. Distribution of leadership responsibilities would help relieve leaders of their duties while motivating other teachers inspiring to go beyond their mandate.

Leadership should be a duty and not left to an individual’s volition. Creating a learning community is important because it would help people take in and adjust change with ease. Uncooperative central leadership can hinder effective decision-making by school leaders. ReferenceRhodes, C. & Brundrett, M. (2009). Leadership development and school improvement. Educational Review,61(4): 361 – 374.