LEADING FOR LEARNING: UNVEILING THE ROLE OF DEPARTMENT HEADS AT A CANADIAN RESEARCH-INTENSIVE UNIVERSITY
Date
2024-05-03
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
The department head plays a pivotal role in leading teaching and learning activities in
universities, which has been correlated with student success, satisfaction, retention, and
graduation rates. The challenging nature of the department head’s role is reflected in job postings
that require the capacity to integrate strategic leadership into the improvement of teaching and
learning. Existing leadership research has largely focused on department heads’ managerial, administrative, and political duties, but little attention has been paid to the processes of how they
fulfill their roles as learning leaders. Hence, this study investigated how department heads lead
teaching and learning at a Canadian research-intensive university. The data from this qualitative study was collected through document analysis and semi- structured interviews with eight department heads and thematically analyzed using the software
NVivo. University policy documents were analyzed, gaining a greater understanding of
department head leading practices of teaching and learning. All the interviewed heads have
supported faculty instructional effectiveness or satisfied student learning needs. Most strategies
encompassed faculty pedagogical support, teaching assignment management, and curriculum
development to promote student learning experience and cultivate an inclusive and collegial
atmosphere. Through an exploratory case study, this research sheds light on the vital role of university
department heads in facilitating pedagogical innovation and fostering high-quality learning
experiences. The interview revealed new expectations of student learning as a result of
changeable social trends, change resistance by faculty members, and institutional resource
constraints. Hence, it is recommended that universities consider providing professional
development for improving the practices of department heads as learning leaders. Moreover, evidence indicated that shared leadership of heads enhanced departmental decision-making. However, few department heads had action plans for addressing equity, diversity, or social justice
in teaching and learning.
Description
Keywords
department heads, leading teaching and learning, higher education
Citation
Degree
Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Department
Educational Administration
Program
Educational Administration