Conclusion
During this course you have explored a range of challenges that leaders face in developing communities of practice through collaborative enquiry. You have considered the contextual nature of such development and importance of agency for all those involved. You have considered the wide range of voices who can be part of the professional development process that leads to institutional and personal change. There have been a variety of approaches and strategies shared with you, along with discussions of the challenges and opportunities that can arise. It seems appropriate though to end with the thoughts of a head teacher, one working in a large early-years setting in Ghana. Not only did he recognise the importance of school leaders leading by example, but also that leading change requires leading as part of the community.
The school is in the community; we need them for our work. Schools are for communities. If we’re to achieve our [inclusive education] goals for children, we need parents and others…we must work together, share ideas…We [the school] depend on the community or the other way round.
If you haven’t already, you might want to consider exploring the related OpenLearn course Inclusive Leadership: Effecting change [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] . You might also be interested in the other OpenLearn courses:
You might also be interested in the Open University Inclusive Practice Leadership and Management Masters pathways.