Multilevel Pedagogical Leadership in Higher Education : A Non-Affirmative Approach

Abstract

This Open Access book addresses the theoretical grounding of the pedagogical dimensions of higher education leadership and its empirical study. The book’s general point of departure is that educational leadership is a multi-level phenomenon, operating as policy work on a transnational and national level, as educational leadership on various organizational levels, and as supervision and teaching on an interactional level. It is in and through these discursive practices that policies are initiated, interpreted, translated and enacted. The volume demonstrates how Non Affirmative Theory (NAT) of education applies to understanding and dealing with the pedagogical dimensions of the multi-level and multi-actor phenomena of HE leadership in a coherent manner. It allows one to explore how the pedagogical scope of action at each level of leadership is framed or staged by the other levels, as well as how actors at different levels utilise their scope. The book starts out by exploring the pedagogical aspects of HE leadership as a multi-level and multi-actor phenomenon at a theoretical level. It continues to discuss nation state HE in a global perspective, and HE leadership in an organisational perspective. Next, the book looks at departmental leadership, management and development. Parallel with this, the volume critically explores the non-affirmative position itself by a contrasting dialogue with other theoretical approaches.