Masters and ServantsMasters and Servants

Professor Ed PeileProfessor Ed PeileThursday 28Thursday 28thth May, 2009 May, 2009

Mastery (OED)

1. Comprehensive knowledge

2. Command of a subject or skill.

3. Control or superiority.

Bologna – Masters:• integrate knowledge• handle complexity• formulate judgements • communicate conclusions to an expert

and to a non-expert audience• have the learning skills needed to pursue

further studies or research in a largely self-directed, autonomous manner.

What research activity for Mastery?

• ? Need to do original research?

• ? Need only understand research methods in the field?

• ?Dissertations or projects?

Research training

• Important for would-be researchers

• Others may seek mastery without planning to conduct personal research

• Avoid increasing ‘me-too’ research

• Focus star research teachers on the researchers of the future.

Projects

• Shorter – more time for taught components

• Examples: systematic literature reviews or audits

• In some fields less demanding ethics approval processes

• Same quality standards

Supervision

• The all-important component of M-Level education and higher degrees.

• Supervisors require: training; dedicated time; clear contracting; and ongoing support.

Responsible Responsible toto or responsible or responsible forfor??• Think about your own responsibilities Think about your own responsibilities to:to:

– LearnerLearner– ColleaguesColleagues– OrganisationOrganisation

• Can you be responsible Can you be responsible for for another person’s:another person’s:– Attitudes?Attitudes?– Responses?Responses?– Actions?Actions?

• You You areare responsible for your own actions or responsible for your own actions or omissionsomissions

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Support

Ch

alle

ng

e

Learner 1Learner 2

Support and ChallengeSupport and Challenge

Coaching & MentoringCoaching & Mentoring

• Understanding which does whatUnderstanding which does what

• Essential attributes of the processesEssential attributes of the processes

• Determining the boundaries in Determining the boundaries in supervisionsupervision

Different Animals?Different Animals?

Creativity consultantsCreativity consultants

Sounding BoardsSounding Boards

Strategic PlannersStrategic Planners

SupervisorsSupervisors

Lifestyle gurusLifestyle gurus

TherapistsTherapists

CounsellorsCounsellors

BefriendersBefrienders

CoachesCoaches

TrainersTrainers

TutorsTutors

Mentors Mentors

CoachingCoaching

..works best when the need is the acquisition of skills.

It is best carried out by a one-to-one trainer

who sees the person's work and can give

immediate feedback and guidance, or by a

colleague in the same function.

MentoringMentoring• works best when the need is the acquisition works best when the need is the acquisition

of of wisdomwisdom. . • In this context, wisdom means the ability to to In this context, wisdom means the ability to to

achieve insight and understanding into the achieve insight and understanding into the issues discussed. issues discussed.

• It is best carried out by an independent fellow It is best carried out by an independent fellow professional who is able to maintain a broad professional who is able to maintain a broad perspective and be (more) objective.perspective and be (more) objective.

CounsellingCounselling

…works best when the individual faces a

- personal crisis

- an important decision

- or a difficult dilemma

It is best carried out by an independent

practitioner.

Supportive supervision

• Understanding the learning environment - especially the roles of others

• Understanding the learner’s needs

• Understanding own strengths and limitations

• Promising less: delivering more.

Matching Learner Stages to Teacher

Styles

Self-directed learner

Severe mismatch

Mismatch Near match Match

Involved learner

Mismatch Near match Match Near match

Interested learner

Near match Match Near match Mismatch

Dependent learner

Match Near match Mismatch Severe mismatch

Authority, expert

Salesperson, motivator

Facilitator Delegator

Gerald Grow, 1991

Masters

• "Mark my footsteps….”

In his master's steps he trod…

Servant

 • noun 1 a person employed to perform domestic duties in a

household or as a personal attendant.

2 a person regarded as providing support or service for an organization or person.

Educational Leadership

Educational Servant Leadership

The Servant Leader

"It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first.

Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead…

The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served. Greenleaf (1977)

The test of Servant Leadership

“Do those served grow as persons, do they grow while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?"

10 characteristics of servant leadership• listening, • empathy, • healing, • awareness, • persuasion, • conceptualization, • foresight, • stewardship, • commitment to the growth of others,• building community .

Teachers as

servant leaders

"it is not living that is important, but living rightly".

Leaders and ValuesLeaders and Values• Values are deeply held views that act as guiding Values are deeply held views that act as guiding

principles for individuals and organisationsprinciples for individuals and organisations. . • When they are declared and followed they are the When they are declared and followed they are the

basis of trust.basis of trust. • When they are left unstated they are inferred from When they are left unstated they are inferred from

observable behaviour. observable behaviour. • When they are stated and not followed trust is When they are stated and not followed trust is

broken.broken.

Pendleton & King Pendleton & King BMJBMJ 2002;325:1352-1355 2002;325:1352-1355

Avoid the Ethos GapAvoid the Ethos Gap• Leadership begins by defining a purpose:

a compelling future for an aligned community of likeminded and committed individuals who encourage one another towards their aims. Leadership inspires and then focuses effort.

Pendleton & King BMJ 2002;325:1352-1355

Serving the Economy1. Extraction

2. Manufacture

3. Service

a. Intellectual Services

£

Norm-enforcing

Horizon-expandingMorgan & Sørensen (1999)

Scope for Cross-curricular Educational Management

• Shared modules ? – e.g. ‘Understanding research methods’

• Harmonised regulations allow ‘mix-and-match’ options

• Standard setting and benchmarking exercises benefit from X-fertilisation

• Student support issues are generic

Interdisciplinary Input

• Partnerships on common-ground

• Partnerships that play to institutional strengths

• Ad-hoc thematic research & teaching collaborations or centres

Collaborations that work:• bottom-up not top-down

• championed at high level

• rigorously scrutinised at outset with insistence on transparent arrangements for resourcing

• innovation and experimentation carefully nurtured

• timely disinvestment at end of project life-cycle

International Students

• Special benefit from central support

• Larger groupings encourage self-support

• English as second language support spanning pre-course to in-course

• Recruitment benefits from active societies.

Cultural normalising vs horizon-expanding • Judicious support and challenge

• Sensitivity to needs and wants

• Fairness and impartiality

• Balancing flexibility against precedent

• Collective faculty involvement in decision-making

• Individual accountability

Masters for educators

• Modelling the blend of craft knowledge and theory

• Formative ethos

• Feedback modelled and practised

• Issues around compulsory accreditation

Classroom evidence: Classroom evidence: Motivation for teachersMotivation for teachers• Evidence of pupil learning gain Evidence of pupil learning gain

appeared from the literature to be one appeared from the literature to be one of the key factors encouraging teachers of the key factors encouraging teachers to confront their practice.to confront their practice.

Cordingley 2002Cordingley 2002

Classroom Evidence: Classroom Evidence: Understanding the Rationale: Linking Understanding the Rationale: Linking Practice to TheoryPractice to Theory• Teachers need theory each time they make a Teachers need theory each time they make a

serious change in their practice. (Eraut 1994)serious change in their practice. (Eraut 1994)• There is supporting evidence for this from a There is supporting evidence for this from a

number of studies which suggest that number of studies which suggest that teachers are more confident using new teachers are more confident using new methods/strategies when they are familiar methods/strategies when they are familiar with the ‘theory’ or rationale, which underpins with the ‘theory’ or rationale, which underpins the pedagogy. the pedagogy.

Serving masters

• ‘Service’ philosophy aligns well with the ethos of education.

• Looking after the needs of others is one way of looking after our own needs

• New masters build intellectual capital with values as well as knowledge and skills: their time in the ‘service sector’ should be a positive experience.