LEADING FOR LEARNING: UNVEILING THE ROLE OF DEPARTMENT HEADS AT A CANADIAN RESEARCH-INTENSIVE UNIVERSITY
| dc.contributor.advisor | Newton, Paul | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Xiao, Jing | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Martell, Gordon | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Walker, Keith | |
| dc.creator | Zan, Yu | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-05-03T16:14:42Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-05-03T16:14:42Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2024 | |
| dc.date.created | 2024-06 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-05-03 | |
| dc.date.submitted | June 2024 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2024-05-03T16:14:44Z | |
| dc.description.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. | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10388/15659 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.subject | department heads | |
| dc.subject | leading teaching and learning | |
| dc.subject | higher education | |
| dc.title | LEADING FOR LEARNING: UNVEILING THE ROLE OF DEPARTMENT HEADS AT A CANADIAN RESEARCH-INTENSIVE UNIVERSITY | |
| dc.type | Thesis | |
| dc.type.material | text | |
| thesis.degree.department | Educational Administration | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Educational Administration | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Saskatchewan | |
| thesis.degree.level | Masters | |
| thesis.degree.name | Master of Education (M.Ed.) |