A reflexive action : developing as a leader within an SEMH school context

Abstract

School leadership is a key concept in the drive to raise educational standards and school leaders are under considerable pressure to be more effective. However, one of the challenges facing school leaders is finding the time and space to understand the notion of effectiveness through which they can develop more effective cultures. This project of reflexive action charts the development of a senior leader and doctoral researcher in a Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) school over a period of ten years. The aim of this research is to provide a critical evaluation of this leadership development and demonstrate the value of reflexive practice to school leaders. The leader takes a self-critical standpoint and discusses this journey through six significant ‘episodes’ of learning from which practice knowledge is then developed and shared. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with two ‘significant others’, various related school documents and this is supported by the author’s post-episode narrative analysis. Interviews are analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and the adoption of this methodology, alongside the wider evolution of the researcher’s ontological position, is critically reviewed throughout. The theoretical models of Self Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) and Teacher Agency (Biesta & Tedder, 2007) are also used as discussion frameworks and these models are developed in context. A climate shaping leadership approach emerges from this reflexive action and four findings are shared which may offer readers an alternative view of school leadership development.