Professional Learning in Education Leadership and Management

 

The whole programme includes altogether six courses.
You can study from one up to six courses of your interest.

 

Course 1: Organisational Management and Leadership

The concepts of Management and Leadership are reviewed in this course. Furthermore, significance of values, vision, recruitment, strategy and managerial decision-making and leadership in a modern organisation, are discussed.

The experts in this course are professor Pekka Kess and Dr. Danny Merck from Pickens County School District, South Carolina, USA. 

 

Course 2: Pedagogical leadership

Course content:

  • Introduction to broad based pedagogical leadership
  • Direct pedagogical leadership
  • Indirect pedagogical leadership via structures  
  • Indirect pedagogical leadership via leading human resources 
  • Cultural dimension of broad-based pedagogical leadership  

Learning objectives: 
The student understands that comprehensive pedagogical leadership consists of direct and indirect pedagogical leadership, and leadership culture. The student is able to examine organizations in educational field from different perspectives and understands the holistic nature of leadership. 

The expert in this course is Dr. Tapio Lahtero, the Director of Helsinki University Teacher Training Schools. 

Tapio Lahtero (Adjunct Professor) has been making his career in the educational departments of municipalities and in universities. He graduated as a primary school teacher from the University of Turku in 1993 and has made his doctoral theses “Leadership culture at schools” at the University of Jyväskylä in 2011. In 2015 he also finished eMBA exam in Leadership in the public management at the University of Tampere. 

Tapio Lahtero has worked for over ten years as a principal, as a regional principal and as the head of the comprehensive schools in the education department in the City of Vantaa. Since 2015 he has worked as the Administrative Principal of Teacher Training Schools of University of Helsinki – the Viikki Teacher Training School and the Helsinki Normallyceum. 

Tapio Lahtero has been educating principals and leaders of the education departments of municipalities, at the Universities of Jyväskylä, Turku and Helsinki. From 2015 he has been the leader of the principal training program in the University of Helsinki. He has published several research articles about leadership culture, strategic leadership, and pedagogical leadership. 

 

Course 3: Philosophy and Ethics in Leadership

Course begins with an introduction to Philosophy and Ethics as concepts, and continues with education as an ethical issue. Furthermore, Leadership and authority are discussed from an ethical point of view. 

The experts in this course are: Emerita Professor Rauni Räsänen from Oulu, Finland and Dr. Riku Välitalo, lecturer from the Oulu University Teacher Training School. 

 

Course 4: The Power of Positive Leadership

The expert in this course is Dr. Eliisa Leskisenoja, lecturer at the Oulu University Teacher Training School. She has vast experience, both theoretical and practical from the field of positive education. The course begins with an introduction to the theory of positive psychology. Dr. Leskisenoja will instruct how a Leader or a Manager can use the theory, such as creating and maintaining a positive climate and positive relationships for the benefit of the entire organisation. 

 

Course 5: Management by Development and Change 

Development is inevitable and often means changes in organisation. How to lead an organisation through change, keeping the ball in hands and focus in the essential? What is the essential in the process of development and change?

Professor Satu Nätti from the University of Oulu provides a case example on Expert Leadership, based on her own experience in the context of Higher Education. 

Another great case example is provided by Dr. Eija Valanne, a principal at the Finnish School in Maldives. She has both theoretical and practical knowledge and experience on leading a school outside Finland, based on Finnish Quality standards. How to ensure these principals, while respecting the local culture and school policies? How to implement the Finnish Education in another culture in a positive, respective manner? Learn more about these matters from her presentation. 

M. Sc. Anne Moilanen, director of Hiukkavaara Community Centre brings up issues of basis and requirements for change. In addition, she introduces practical experiences in managing change in a newly established school community.

Dr. Jarmo Paloniemi holds a doctoral degree in Philosophy from the University of Oulu, Finland. He is the Managing Director and Principal of the Educational consortium OSAO with 27 years wealth of experience in vocational college and upper secondary school management. In his materials Dr. Paloniemi will give insights to management by change.

Ms Oksana Demianenko is the Head of School, International Gymnasium of the Skolkovo Innovation Center, Moscow, Russia since 2016. In her presentation she points out four essentioal elements that is required to be effective leaders of developing and trustful educational institutions.

 

Course 6: 21st Century Learning; Curriculum Design and Implementation 

In this course we have a case example based on the Doctoral Dissertation of Dr. Aija Rinkinen: the conceptions of communal decision-makers: How to develop basic education? What are the strengths in Finnish basic education?

The Finnish National Curriculum for Basic Education has been a point of interest for many. In this course we aim to cover the topic and answer questions regarding it. Implementing Curriculum Design, case Finland is presented by Aulis Pitkälä, the former Director of Finnish National Agency for Education and Dr. Aija Rinkinen, who have been involved in the National design process of renewing the Finnish Basic Education Curriculum. 

Dr. Danny Merck from Pickens County School District, USA will discuss how to lead a community regarding Safety and Security.

Ms Anne Moilanen, Director of Hiukkavaara community centre and the Head Teacher of Hiukkavaara School in Oulu, Finland will describe the school-level implementation of a basic education curriculum.

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