Generative Leadership Rescripting the Promise of Action Research

This book is about the generative nature of leading practices when teachers, as learners, participate in long term action research projects for the purpose of professional development. This book also shows how practices of professional learning and practices of leading can be understood as related (and developed) in ecologies of practices; the authors show how these are explicitly connected. These findings direct readers to the connectivity between professional learning and leading practices that over time - after participating in long term action research programs - emerged as ‘significant’ yet ‘unexpected’ outcomes.

Chapter 1) Introduction.- Background to this book.- Research drawn upon.- Participants being on-going since 2000.- Message of the book.-Chapter 2) Action research and professional learning.- Introducing the message of the chapter with a vignette.- Action research as professional development - reclaiming the space.- Different aspects of professional learning.- Professional learning as developing - Compassion, Care, Collaboration, Commitment, Connection, Communication.- Development of professional activism.- Chapter 3) Transforming (learning for leading).- Introducing the message of the chapter with a vignette.- Processes of learning.- Modelling.- Translation into own practice.- Enacting professional activism.- Chapter 4) Leading.- Introducing the message of the chapter with a vignette.- Acting professionally as a leader.- The generative development of leading practices.- Facilitate professional learning in different sites.- Chapter 5) Conclusion.- Introducing the message of the chapterwith a vignette.- How education practices ‘hang together’ ecologically.- Education for sustainability.- Implications for teachers.- Implications for leaders.- Implications for principals.- Implications for policymakers locally, nationally and internationally.

Dr Christine Joy Edwards-Groves is Associate Professor (Literacy Studies) at School of Education, Charles Sturt University.