The Pivotal Role of Middle Leaders

​Effective Heads of Department play a pivotal role in the implementation of school-wide reforms, new study confirms.
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According to a new study on the role of Heads of Department in the implementation of school-wide reforms, such middle leaders are effective when they serve as:

• Instructional leaders enhancing the teaching and learning process
• Curriculum strategists setting direction for curriculum planning and innovation
• Learning area architects building capacity and developing human capital
• Administrative leaders aligning roles and responsibilities

To evaluate the importance of their role, the researchers surveyed over 350 English teachers from different Hong Kong schools, asking them about :

• Their perception of heir Head of Department’s leadership
• Their receptivity toward a mandated reform in Hong Kong
• Their implementation of the reform
• Their perception of student learning

Results revealed that middle leadership at the subject department level had a strong positive effect on teachers’ receptivity towards the reform, as well as on their actual implementation of the change and perception of student learning.

In the words of the authors: “The results of this study provide empirical evidence for understanding the impact of middle leadership on implementing large-scale curriculum reform in schools.”

Indeed, because of their pivotal position between senior leadership and frontline teachers, Heads of Department play a crucial role in:

• Interpreting and communicating reforms
• Providing the impetus that drives change
• Influencing teachers’ psychology
• Helping shape day-to-day practices

As a matter of fact, the researchers also found that efficient middle leadership was much more effective than school-wide professional development in changing actual pedagogical practices. Such mass exercises may be efficient in disseminating policy, but they lack on-going and informal encouragement and support, and often fail to address the specific needs of the teachers.

As a conclusion, “building the capacity and unleashing the full leadership potential of middle leaders is pivotal to effecting change in schools.”

Reference: Li, Poon, Lai, and Tam (2018), “Does Middle Leadership Matter? Evidence from a Study of System-Wide Reform on English Language Curriculum”, International Journal of Leadership in Education, October 2018.