Coalface academic leadership in Australian higher education : discretionary behaviour through empowerment

dc.contributor.authorNagy, J.
dc.contributor.editorDuyar, I.
dc.date.issued2012
dc.description.abstractThe contemporary life of an Australian academic has changed in almost every way imaginable in response to the challenges and opportunities emerging from global and national policy agendas. In this context, the subject coordinator11A subject coordinator may also be referred to as a Unit Chair, Unit Coordinator or Course Coordinator at different universities. represents the frontline of a move towards increasingly distributed forms of leading and learning. The knowledge that managing teaching responsibilities does not provide a clear route to promotion (with active research status providing a more well established path) means that academics may proactively minimise the time they spend on the discretionary tasks of leading and managing teaching well. Tasks that include adopting a proactive longer term of curriculum development, team building and teaching innovation, in addition to the more immediate needs for compliance and measurable outcomes. Research from an Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) project provides evidence that despite lack of formal recognition for many of the discretionary responsibilities of subject coordination, coordinators believe they are executing their job well. This chapter discusses factors that impede discretionary academic leadership behaviours in Australian higher education and suggests strategies to empower leadership and thus improve engagement with discretionary teaching and learning responsibilities.
dc.identifier.citationSource details - Title: Discretionary behavior and performance in educational organizations : the missing link in educational leadership and management, 2012 / Duyar, I. (ed./s), Ch.7, pp.169-196
dc.identifier.doi10.1108/S1479-3660(2012)0000013012
dc.identifier.isbn9781780526423
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1959.8/129002
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherEmerald
dc.publisher.placeBingley, UK
dc.rightsCopyright 2012 Emerald Group Publishing Limited
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-3660(2012)0000013012
dc.titleCoalface academic leadership in Australian higher education : discretionary behaviour through empowerment
dc.typeBook chapter
pubs.publication-statusPublished
ror.mmsid9915909786101831

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