Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership
October 2018 Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership
A report for the Royal Academy of Engineering October 2018
ISBN: 978-1-909327-43-6
To cite this report please use: Lucas, B. and Hanson, J. (2018) Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership. London: Royal Academy of Engineering
© Royal Academy of Engineering 2018
Available to download from: www.raeng.org.uk/ehom-leadership
Authors Acknowledgements
Professor Bill Lucas The authors would like to thank:
Dr Janet Hanson The education team at the Royal Academy of Engineering: Dr Rhys Morgan, Scott Atkinson, Rebecca Hill, Maya Desai and Charlotte Freeman. About the Centre for Real-World Learning at the University of Winchester (CRL) Expert advisers: Dr David Barlex, Ed Chambers, Dan www.winchester.ac.uk/realworldlearning Cook, Jamie Costello, Peter Finegold, Ian Jones, Andy Keaney, Carl Leech, Georgina Mulhall, Jonathan Nicholls, CRL is an applied research centre focusing on the Chris Rochester. teaching of learning dispositions. Its ground-breaking work in identifying creative habits of mind has been Schools: Bohunt School, Christ the King RC Primary influential in the decision by the Organisation for School, Falinge Park High School, Gomer Junior School, Economic Development (OECD) to introduce the 2021 Onthank Primary School, Penwortham Priory Academy, PISA Test of Creative Thinking. Star Academy, Sutton Grammar School, UCL Academy, UTC Sheffield City Centre. Earlier research for the Royal Academy of Engineering proposed six engineering habits of mind in Thinking The Comino Foundation for its continuing support like an engineer and subsequently demonstrated how of our work in developing young people’s personal and these could be implemented in schools in England and practical capabilities. Scotland, Learning to be an engineer.
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership i Contents
Executive summary 1 1. Introduction 6 1.1 The role of school leadership 6 1.2 Engineering habits of mind and their signature pedagogies 7 1.3 Leadership challenges in schools 7 1.4 Summary 7 2. Approach to the research 10 2.1 Thinking like an engineer and Learning to be an engineer 10 2.2 Research design and methods 10 2.2.1 Literature review 11 2.2.2 Online survey 11 2.2.3 Structured interviews 11 2.2.4 Expert group 11 2.3 Summary 11 3. The role of leadership in schools 12 3.1 Context 12 3.2 The meaning of school leadership 13 3.3 School leadership in practice 13 3.4 The role of middle leaders in leading pedagogic change 14 3.5 How successful school leaders improve learning 15 3.6 Positioning engineering in schools 17 3.7 Leading integrated cross-curricular engineering projects 18 3.7.1 Primary 18 3.7.2 Secondary 19 3.7.3. Learning from the US experience of STEM integration 19 3.8 The importance of professional learning and enquiry in changing practices 20 3.9 Summary 20 4. Learning about leaders and leadership 22 4.1 Introduction 22 4.2 Findings from survey 22 4.2.1 Culture 23 4.2.2 Curriculum 23
ii Royal Academy of Engineering 4.2.3 Partnerships 23 4.2.4 Resourcing 23 4.2.5 Enablers 26 4.2.6 Challenges 26 4.2.7 Leadership attributes 26 4.2.8 Leadership journeys 26 4.2.9 Summary of survey responses 26 4.3 Findings from the interviews 29 4.3.1 Status of engineering in schools 29 4.3.2 The cross-curricular nature of engineering 30 4.3.3 Accountability pressures 32 4.3.4 Personal characteristics of effective leaders of engineering in schools 33 4.3.5 Leadership functions – setting direction 34 4.3.6 Leadership strategies – developing people 36 4.3.7 Leadership strategies – redesigning the organisation 39 4.3.8 Leadership strategies – managing teaching and learning 42 4.4. Summary 44 5. Putting it all together and moving forward 46 5.1 The challenge we face 46 5.2 Building on earlier thinking 46 5.3 Culture 47 5.4 Leadership attributes 47 5.5 Leadership functions and strategies 49 5.5.1 Setting direction 49 5.5.2 Developing people 50 5.5.3 Redesigning the organisation 50 5.5.4 Managing teaching and learning 50 5.6 The Leadership for Engineering in Schools model 50 5.7 Recommendations 52 Glossary of abbreviations and terms 53 References 54
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership iii Executive summary
This report, continuing the series of studies on embedding engineering in the education system through the introduction of Engineering Habits of Mind (EHoM), explores the ways in which school leaders can create better and more engaging learning opportunities for would-be engineers. It includes findings and recommendations that will hopefully be helpful to all of those who are concerned to see engineering more widely taught and enjoyed in schools.
There is surprisingly little understanding about the leadership of education for engineering in schools
Despite the field of school leadership being well researched, it is hard to say what kinds of personal and professional attributes make for successful engineering education leaders in schools and what it is that successful leaders at all levels of schools do differently to facilitate it. This lack of evidence is, in part, because of the particular nature of engineering, as it is:
n multidisciplinary and not a national curriculum subject, therefore largely invisible on most school timetables
n mainly offered to pupils through informal opportunities, which are not assessed at Key Stage 4 and hence difficult to gain credit for under current accountability measures
n best taught through cross-curricular learning using ‘real-world’ design problems and problem-based pedagogy
n something that requires a deal of flexibility of school systems such as timetabling
n best understood with the help of practising engineers
n a subject for which many teachers need additional preparation to teach with skill and confidence as they work across subject boundaries on engineering themes.
Perhaps as a consequence of these features only a few hundred schools out of more than 24,000 in England are identifiable as places that actively promote engineering through the curriculum. Rather than scanning the totality of schools, this research looked instead at a small selection of schools that are successful outliers in introducing engineering and sought to learn from them.
Within the broader leadership literature there are three widely reported themes that feature in models of effective school leadership
From the broader literature, the authors identified three major themes that appear to be widely associated with effective school leadership: the personal and professional attributes of the leader; the leadership functions that they consider to be important; and the strategies they use to achieve their aims. More simply: who they are, what they do and how they put it into practice.
The authors sought to understand how these generic themes applied to education for engineering
It seems that school leaders who successfully create and sustain a vision for engineering do it by fostering a supportive culture across the school, maintaining and modelling a specific set of personal attributes, and enacting a coherent set of strategies, all of which are encompassed by the phrase pedagogic leadership.
1 Royal Academy of Engineering Executive summary
School culture
Successful leaders of engineering in education create a school culture where education for engineering is a priority, and teachers experience high-trust, freedom to experiment and supported risk-taking. Failure is tolerated in these schools, with the learning from this widely shared. The school is outward-looking and focused on pedagogy.
Personal and professional attributes of school leaders
Of all the personal attributes school leaders seem to need the authors identify a number that are likely to be particularly important in this context. School leaders need to be: communicative, collaborative, courageous, creative thinking, flexible, improver, open-minded, persistent, resilient, risk-taker, vision-led. Professionally, two attributes came through very clearly and can best be summed up by the phrase ‘pedagogic leadership’ – these are the possession of a genuine interest in, and knowledge of, pedagogy and a parallel valuing of the professional learning processes that will develop staff to teach engineering effectively. These attributes are needed by headteachers and middle leaders alike.
Pedagogic leadership strategies and functions
Leadership strategies and functions go hand in glove; that the ‘how’ leaders lead is equally important as what they do. For example, a belief in the importance of pedagogy or of a certain kind of professional learning is only truly effective when it is also modelled by leaders themselves. This is brought together in an overview of effective school leadership for engineering shown infigure 1 on page 4.
Recommendations
In order to strengthen support for leadership of education for engineering, the authors make recommendations that the Royal Academy of Engineering and the wider engineering community may like to consider in collaboration with the following bodies.
Headteacher organisations
The engineering community should engage with school leadership organisations, for example the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), to focus on pedagogic leadership with regard to education for engineering. This could involve holding a roundtable discussion to begin a national debate about leadership that promotes the value of incorporating engineering in the curriculum and recommends ways of supporting headteachers to develop and implement a strategic vision for engineering.
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 2 Engineering professional bodies and subject associations
School leadership issues involved in promoting engineering in collaboration with engineering professional bodies and subject associations should be highlighted. This might involve:
n producing case studies of the different approaches taken by school leaders to embed engineering in the curriculum, each emphasising one of the four leadership functions and including school leaders discussing their approach to the challenges of leadership
n collaborating with STEM Learning to develop CPD resources for all leadership levels that explore the challenges of leading and teaching cross- curricular learning
n discussing with providers of engineering challenges and awards how their success criteria might be aligned with EHoM.
Employers and employers’ organisations
Engineering employers should encourage their engineers to support school leadership teams by joining schools’ governing boards. Through EngineeringUK, the engineering community could also review guidance for employers on engaging with schools, and develop advice specifically aimed at working with headteachers and chairs of governors.
Government and awarding/assessment bodies
The engineering community should work with qualification awarding organisations and the Department for Education to explore examples of how cross-curricular links can be developed using engineering themes across the National Curriculum for computing, design and technology (D&T), mathematics and sciences.
The engineering community should also work with the Institute for Apprenticeships, in particular the employer panels drafting T level content in engineering and associated subjects, to explore ways of using the EHoM approach in the new qualifications.
The engineering community might like to encourage awarding organisations to develop GCSE qualifications in engineering based on an activity-led pedagogy and EHoM.
Ofsted
The Academy should encourage the Ofsted lead inspectors for STEM subjects to reflect on the ways in which inspection, specifically at upper secondary level, is ‘bending the curriculum out of shape’. There is an opportunity for Ofsted to reinforce the messages learned from earlier research about the teaching of engineering using the EHoM approach. Equally it is a moment to take stock of the ways in which the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) accountability measure may, unintentionally, be making it more difficult to for schools to teach important areas such as engineering and consider how breadth and balance may be maintained across the curriculum.
International organisations
The Academy might like to approach the OECD, building on the OECD’s recent decision to introduce a new PISA test of Creative Thinking in 2021, to explore opportunities to develop thinking in 2024 or 2027 for a new kind of PISA test of engineering that would be of use, formatively, to schools.
3 Royal Academy of Engineering Executive summary
External context: Skills demand; accountability regime; perception of engineering
Culture (where): Engineering is a priority; high trust; freedom to experiment; supported risk taking; failure is tolerated; outward looking; pedagogy focused
Personal attributes Leadership functions 1–4 (what) and leadership strategies (how) (who):
Collaborative 4. Manage 2. Develop 3. Redesign 1. Set Direction teaching & Flexible people Organisation learning Resilient Open-minded Whole-school Model desired Link rationale for Increase flexibility focus on pedagogy; engineering to school of timetable; Persistent engineering; ethos; Align desired Small steps of Give staff flexibility Optimistic curriculum change to EDP & EHoM change to link to deliver the school ethos; Courageous used for thinking new pedagogy to curriculum, across subjects; existing approach; Increase employer but don’t relax Vision-led involvement in curriculum; accountability; Education is for Use internal staff Creative thinker life; expertise to share Direct employer Use assessment to best practice; involvement to meet value engineering Risk-taker Create ‘industry school needs; projects; Communicator ethos’; Offer teachers stimulating Expand engineering- Look for ‘quick Employers as Improver challenges; focused ECA; wins’, but not at the critical partners; expense of the long Knowledgeable Trust teachers to Invite governors to Pedagogy term vision; take risks; experience the changes in supports learning the classroom; Align staff process as well as Use problem strengths and content; solving approach Research desired practice, interests with with individuals to start it off and then hand Long term vision; curriculum needs; improve skills; to others to embed; Varied Provide supportive Participate Build on teachers’ existing communication environment when Belief in value in teacher skill sets; strategies; staff tackle new of engineering, professional Engage parents using challenges; in signature Leadership by development; varied strategies; pedagogy and example. Collaborate with Find school in power of Create a curriculum for other schools & governors with professional teachers to use and adapt local community engineering learning to their subjects; to secure teaching expertise to resources. support SLT. Align curriculum change with existing learning habits; Use alumni as models.
Figure 1: Centre for Real-World Learning’s Leadership for engineering in schools model
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 4 5 Royal Academy of Engineering Introduction
1. Introduction
In 2014, the Academy and Centre for teachers found the use of EHoM to be Real-World Learning published the a practically useful way of teaching report Thinking like an engineer – many aspects of the curriculum, implications for the education system1 the research also identified four key introducing a novel way of describing principles underpinning the kinds of the way engineers think and act as six teaching likely to develop a passion for Engineering Habits of Mind (EHoM). engineering in today’s busy schools and colleges: In the two years that followed this, a proof of concept trial was undertaken 1. Clear understanding of EHoM by in 33 schools and one further education teachers and learners. college in England and Scotland involving 84 teachers and more than 2. The creation of a culture in which 3,000 students. The trial established these habits flourish. that, with appropriate support, 3. Selection of the best teaching and teachers could focus on disciplinary learning methods, the ‘signature knowledge (subjects such as pedagogy’ of engineering. mathematics and science) and reframe students’ learning as a series of EHoM, 4. An active engagement with shown in figure 2. learners as young engineers.
The results from the trial were Learning to be an engineer described published in Learning to be an engineer many positive outcomes for learners – implications for the education taught in this way, including: increased system2. As well as establishing that fluency in the key habits of mind;
Figure 2: Engineering habits of b mind (EHoM) ing ha its of m arn in Le d Curiosity
O n p io g hab en at erin its o - r ine f m m e g in in id n d d s E e n d o c Systems n l e a s c Improving thinking s i h t E gin en eer re in o in g
C m d Making
Visualising ‘things ’ that Adapting e
c
R work and making n
e ‘things’ work e i fl l i e better s c e t i R
o n
Creative Problem- problem
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s C es ol ln lab fu or rce atio sou n Re
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 6 the development of ‘growth mindsets’; purposes of this research the authors improvements in literacy, numeracy adopted a broad definition that might and oracy; enhanced self-management best be described as ‘pedagogic skills; and better understanding of leadership’5. In reaching this approach engineering. It described many benefits the authors reviewed the literature to the capability and confidence on educational leadership and were of teachers, in particular their ultimately guided by the conclusions of engagement with practising engineers. a best evidence review conducted by Viviane Robinson and colleagues6 and Learning to be an engineer also this useful framing definition: identified some key barriers to progress. These included the limitations of a “… educational leadership is subject-based curriculum in facilitating leadership that causes others to engineering with its necessary do things that can be expected connection to many disciplines, a lack to improve educational outcomes of confidence among many primary for students”. teachers to engage with engineering, and the particular pressures in the As the quotation implies through its English system at secondary level phrase ‘causes others’, the Leadership resulting from new accountability for Engineering in Schools model is also, measures such as Attainment 8 and necessarily, a distributed one existing Progress 8. at senior, middle and classroom level.
At the same time as this research was 1.2 Engineering habits of being completed, the Royal Academy mind and their signature of Engineering identified seven key pedagogies areas that needed to be addressed if progress, in terms of uptake by Research with schools over the last five students as potential engineers, was to years has further refined the habits of be achieved3. The analysis reminds us mind and their sub-habits (Table 1). of the complexity of creating the school conditions necessary for the successful This more detailed description of the teaching of engineering. EHoM provides headteachers and their staff with a clear description of Based on the findings in Learning to ‘what’ needs to be covered, just as a be an engineer, the Academy made six curriculum does for subject content. broad recommendations. One of them was that a more strategic focus on Thinking like an engineer described a school leadership in driving change in number of potentially useful teaching support of education for engineering and learning methods that form a 7 should be developed. The research signature pedagogy for developing published in this report is an attempt to young engineers. Learning to be an begin to respond to this suggestion. Engineer identified three essential elements of such a signature pedagogy: 1.1 The role of school 1. The engineering design process. leadership 2. ‘Tinkering’ (an approach to playful It has sometimes been observed that experimentation). the quality of teaching cannot exceed the quality of teachers4. By the same 3. Authentic, sustained engagement token, the quality of engineering and with engineers. other important cross-disciplinary areas such as creativity is, the authors These three elements give a short- suggest, the outcome of the quality hand for the ‘how’ of what schools of school leaders in advocating and need to do. leading the changes necessary to bring this about. 1.3 Leadership challenges in schools There are very many traditions of leadership and as many definitions Leading a school, leading a team arising from these traditions. For the within a school and being a classroom
7 Royal Academy of Engineering Introduction
EHoM Sub-habit 1 Sub-habit 2
CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING is Generating ideas: comes up with Working in team: has good people … generating ideas and solutions by suggestions in a range of situations skills to enable idea and activity applying techniques from different sharing; good at giving and receiving traditions, critiquing, giving and critique/feedback receiving feedback, seeing engineering as a ‘team sport’
IMPROVING is … making things better Experimenting: makes small tests or Evaluating: making honest and by experimenting, designing, sketching, changes; sketching, drafting, guessing, accurate judgments about ‘how it’s guessing, conjecturing, thought- prototyping going’; comfortable with words and experimenting, prototyping numbers as descriptors of progress
PROBLEM-FINDING is … deciding what Checking and clarifying: questions Investigating: has a questioning, the actual question is, finding out if apparent solutions methodically and curious and, where appropriate, solutions already exist by clarifying reflectively sceptical attitude needs, checking existing solutions, investigating contexts, verifying, thinking strategically
ADAPTING is … making something Critical thinking: analyses ideas, Deliberate practising: disciplined; able designed for one purpose suitable activities and products; able to defends to break tasks down into smaller parts for another purpose, by converting, their own thoughts and ideas in and practise the hard bits modifying, transforming, adjusting, discussion and also to change their changing, re-shaping, re-designing, mind in light of evidence testing, analysing, reflecting, rethinking
VISUALISING is … seeing the Thinking out loud: puts 3D ideas Model-making: moves between end product, being able to move into words as they become pictures or abstract and concrete, making models from abstract ideas to concrete, rehearses possible lines of thought or to capture ideas manipulating materials, mentally action rehearing practical design solutions
SYSTEMS-THINKING is … seeing Connecting: looks for links, Pattern-making: uses metaphors, connections between things, seeking connections, relationships; working formulae, images etc. to find patterns out patterns, seeing whole systems across boundaries to illustrate new meaning and their parts and how they connect, recognising interdependencies, synthesising
Table 1: Six engineering habits of mind and 12 sub-habits leader have always been challenging explores these issues in depth in activities. However, the leadership section three. of education for engineering is necessarily more complex as it 1.4 Summary requires teachers to adopt an approach that enables them to work Earlier research shows that a more across subjects that, as with the strategic approach to school leadership leadership of all cross-curricular needs to be developed if engineering is and interdisciplinary concepts not to be more widely incorporated into the necessarily appearing as options for curriculum. While some understanding examination. of what needs to be done has been gained, engineering education This requires vision, advocacy, professionals need to understand the an explicit focus on pedagogy, a nature of the leadership tasks more willingness to engage directly with fundamentally and in more depth. engineers in the wider community, dealing with a number of assessment and accountability issues, and professional learning to ensure teachers are suitably skilled. Above all it requires a vision of the importance of engineering as well as practical strategies for change. The report
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 8 9 Royal Academy of Engineering Approach to the research
2. Approach to the research
2.1 Thinking like an engineer share the understanding widely and and Learning to be an more effectively support the process engineer of successful implementation of engineering education in schools. Positive deviance? To guide earlier research, the authors An awkward oxymoronic used an over-arching theory-based Four research questions have guided approach to frame their enquiry9 this report. term. The concept is simple: developing a kind of reverse- look for outliers who 1. What are leaders’ roles at all engineered hypothesis or ‘theory succeed against the odds.8 of change’ to describe the imagined levels of the system in creating opportunities for young people to sequence of events necessary to Pascale et al, 2010 produce more and better opportunities develop an interest in engineering for young people to develop as in schools? engineers in school. The theory 2. What are the enabling factors? of change is reproduced here as it 3. What are the barriers? continues to shape the approach in this third research project (Table 2). 4. What are the characteristics of effective leaders? This report focuses in more depth on the element of the theory of change 2.2 Research design and that is about better understanding methods what school leaders and teachers need to do to change their practices to The study had three elements, a embed engineering more effectively literature review, an online survey and in the curriculum. This will, in turn, structured interviews. Given the large enable the education profession to number of schools in England10, some
Table 2: Learning to be an engineer – If we a four step theory of change n reframe engineering education to include desirable EHoM in addition to subject knowledge n clearly articulate the principles and practices through which these EHoM can be cultivated in schools n offer teachers targeted support for changing practices along with opportunities to co-design enquiries within the context of a reflective professional learning community
Then n we can better understand what school leaders and teachers need to do to change their practices to embed more effective engineering education
So that we can n share this understanding widely n more effectively support the process of successful implementation of engineering education in schools
So that n more schools embrace engineering n more school students have high-quality experiences of engineering education n more students choose to study engineering beyond school and, potentially, choose careers in engineering.
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 10 24,280, and a wish to understand more selected to include a mix of primary about those schools that are already and secondary schools, academies effective at embedding education for and UTCs, a mix of leadership levels engineering, the authors adopted a including heads and middle leaders, positive deviance methodology11. The and those who indicated a positive premise of positive deviance is that deviance through factors such as solutions to common challenges exist achieving an engineering award. The most often in schools that are already authors used ‘appreciative inquiry’ to performing outstandingly and that guide the development of the interview members of the school community questions14, which explored participants’ will have tacit knowledge and wisdom views on the value of engineering in from which it is possible to learn and schools, their successful experiences of generalise. leading education for engineering, and the skills and attributes they thought The three methods – literature they brought to the role. review, survey and interviews – were buttressed by the input of an expert 2.2.4 Expert group advisory group. Ethical approval to conduct the research was gained from An expert group was established, the University of Winchester. comprised of 14 individuals selected on the basis of their experience and 2.2.1 Literature review understanding of leading engineering education in schools or doing so on The authors undertook an integrative behalf professional engineering bodies. review12 of literature on school The group met for an exploratory leadership with a specific focus on workshop when the research began. the leadership of complex issues such The discussion focused on leadership as interdisciplinary education and attributes, strategies and school cross-curricular teaching that involved cultures that foster young people’s engineering themes and projects. engagement with engineering. Key points that emerged included 2.2.2 Online survey promoting a positive profile for In line with the positive deviance engineering and EHoM, valuing creative approach, around 210 schools with a innovation by teachers and displaying declared interest in engineering were a growth mindset. A near final draft specifically targeted by the research report was shared with the group and team to receive an online survey13. individual exchanges were organised to From this population, a sample of 59 explore their advice and critique. (28%) responded. The majority (45) were from secondary schools and the 2.3 Summary principal form of school governance was academy status (31), with 19 of This was a mixed-methods study with a those schools being a member of a robust literature review underpinning it. multi-academy trust (MAT). A further As part of a positive deviance approach, 22 schools were under local authority both the online survey and in-depth control. The majority of schools (54) interviews provided rich data about were mixed boys and girls. Only a third of those schools currently seeking to value schools (18) had a specialist designation engineering and offer opportunities for associated with engineering, which was their students to explore engineering. university technical college (UTC) status Inevitably, the positive deviance in most cases. approach has its limitations. It is time- consuming and necessarily an imprecise 2.2.3 Structured interviews science seeking to identify successful outliers at all levels of a large school Individual in-depth telephone interviews system. By the same token, those who were carried out with a sample of school are succeeding against the odds are, leaders. From the 28 individuals who de facto, unusual: their attributes and expressed interest in being contacted strategies may not always be easy to at the end of the survey, 11 were generalise from.
11 Royal Academy of Engineering The role of leadership in schools
3. The role of leadership in schools
This section reviews existing literature technology engineering and on school leadership. Given that this mathematics (STEM) school or an is an enormous field, it focuses, in the engineering UTC, as these schools spirit of the positive deviance framing, are still governed by the same Every school needs good on leaders at all school levels who external accountability system – teachers – but a school does appear to be successfully promoting Ofsted. Nevertheless, unless this not become a great place to and embedding complex concepts such challenge is embraced by more school as engineering. leaders in mainstream schools, learn until those teachers both at primary and secondary have the leadership and This section seeks to discover who levels, young people’s interest in support to create a learning these leaders are (their personal engineering is unlikely to grow attributes), what they do (their sufficiently to overcome the potential culture that is more leadership practices) and how they shortage of engineers in the future. powerful than even the lead (the strategies they use along best of them can sustain on with the skills they bring to the The main research question drove the 15 job). It also looks at the particular focus of the search – what do leaders their own. challenges and enablers with need to do to engage pupils in learning regard to education for engineering for and about engineering in schools? Fulton and Britton, in schools, especially its cross- In reading and synthesising a large 2011 curricular nature in an educational number of research papers, as well as accountability system that values significant amount of ‘grey literature’, individual subjects more than the the authors constantly looked for interdisciplinary approaches adopted outliers of excellence and promising by engineers in the real world. practices.
The search is informed by the earlier This section begins by exploring the definition of leadership implied by meaning of leadership through some Viviane Robinson and colleagues definitions and scopes the broader (section 1.1.): context in which school leadership is currently enacted. It then focuses “… educational leadership is specifically on pedagogic leadership leadership that causes others to and the importance of collaboration do things that can be expected to in achieving the changes necessary improve educational outcomes for to lead educational innovation in students”16. engineering in schools. It looks at the promising ways in which 3.1 Context headteachers and senior staff In England, as in the majority of can build a culture within a school countries, engineering does not that empowers teachers to appear on the national curriculum of develop curricula that incorporate schools. Exceptions to this include engineering challenges and foster aspects of the education systems engagement with engineering in the USA, Australia, Denmark, among young people. It investigates Holland17 and South Korea18. It is the extent to which these leadership something that school leaders can challenges are similar or different choose to do or not. in primary and secondary phases of education. Finally, because it is Consequently, embedding education the most developed example, the for engineering into the school authors look to learn from practice curriculum is a tough challenge. in integrating engineering into the This is even true in England when school curriculum in the US, where it the school is a specialist science is becoming more mainstream.
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 12 3.2 The meaning of school curriculum change22. The Learning leadership to be an engineer study found that middle leaders played a key role in The field of school leadership is vast successfully leading the curriculum and its growing significance is evident changes necessary to embed EHoM into from increasing amounts and types of teaching, so this level of leadership is research exploring its nature and its given as much attention in the research impact on school improvement. as that exercised by headteachers.
The definition that comes closest to Much of the research into school encompassing school leadership in the leadership has been informed by context of innovation in education for theories such as transformational engineering and within the effective or distributed leadership but approaches from best evidence already studies advocating the use of these 19 cited is derived from the work of approaches in schools rarely highlight Kenneth Leithwood and his colleagues: any connection between the style and “… the exercise of influence on improved learner outcomes. This is organizational members and diverse mainly because the research’s focus stakeholders toward the identification has been on teacher change rather 23 and achievement of the organization’s than on student outcomes . Because vision and goals. This influence may the study explores leadership that have many sources (e.g. administrators, achieves successful outcomes for parents, teachers and trustees), learners, it has focused mostly on the is typically reciprocal rather than literature of pedagogic leadership at unidirectional, and is exercised through the expense of these broader themes relationships between and among and of other traditional theories 24 25 individuals, groups, and the settings in such as contingent or situational which they find themselves”.20 leadership theories.
This definition is put forward because it However, distributed leadership expands on Robinson’s by highlighting practice does figure later in this report two particular aspects of interest in this as an important factor in successful study: the diverse stakeholders and the pedagogical leadership, as exemplified contextual nature of the school setting through ‘middle leadership’. in leadership. These two elements appeared to reflect the importance 3.3 School leadership in of collaboration with a whole host of practice internal and external stakeholders and When examining leaders in the most the different types of school settings challenging of English contexts, in which engineering may be found, specifically those with the remit to turn for example in primary and secondary phases, in academies and UTCs, and in around a ‘failing school’, Alex Hill and selective and non-selective schools. colleagues found that there were five recognisably different types of school Furthermore, if we accept that leaders whom they called surgeons, leadership is primarily about influence, soldiers, accountants, philosophers and and can therefore be exercised by architects26. In brief, surgeons cut and members of the school who mobilise redirect with a focus on test scores; others in the pursuit of a goal, soldiers trim budgets and tighten belts particularly goals related to student while focusing on the bottom line; learning outcomes21, it is evident accountants invest and grow while that leadership is not just the sole focusing on the top line; philosophers province of the headteacher and debate and discuss, driven by values; others who hold positions of formal and architects redesign and transform, authority, which might be expressed focusing on long-term impact as as ‘power’. In leading pedagogic they quietly redesign the school and change, staff in middle leadership transform the community it serves. positions, such as curriculum leaders They also found that, while the type and heads of subject, can play a crucial described as ‘architect’ was the most role in persuading staff to engage in successful in turning schools around,
13 Royal Academy of Engineering The role of leadership in schools
it was the type described as ‘surgeon’ headteacher can exercise autonomy, who was most often appointed and particularly in matters of the curriculum rewarded. Surgeons focus on test and teaching methods, is significantly scores and quickly redirect resources affected by their relationship with the to areas perceived to be in need, but sponsor and their values and ethos29,30. the higher scores achieved in the short term tend to decrease after the It has been suggested that this surgeon leaves the school. Architects combination of freedom and focus on long-term impact by improving accountability actually makes it links with feeder primary schools and more likely that leaders will adopt a the community, and by taking measures transactional style of leadership that to improve student behaviour and is focused on securing immediate teaching and leadership, but their results, rather than working towards impact is less visible in the short term. long-term goals and which, in turn, may lead to reduced opportunities for Surgeon and architect are, in a curriculum innovation and increased sense, archetypes of two prevailing standardisation in pedagogic or approaches to leadership in schools, curriculum innovation31. For these what this report calls transformer and reasons, the personal attributes of pedagogue. The former offers quicker leaders take on significance, because transformative leadership and the only school leaders with the courage, latter slower but more long-lasting confidence and determination to rebel pedagogic leadership. against the system or ‘break the mould’ will both manage the accountability The driver as to which style is requirements and achieve curriculum adopted may well be linked to the innovation32. tension observed within the English education system of freedom versus 3.4 The role of middle leaders 27 accountability . In academies and free in leading pedagogic schools leaders have high autonomy, change which includes the freedom to deviate from the National Curriculum and they Middle-level school leaders are key to have also been encouraged to operate improving teaching and learning. They their schools as if an internal market can have a significant impact on school applies. Yet like all schools, they are improvement and in securing better subject to a high stakes accountability learning outcomes for students33. culture, as evidenced by government- Middle leadership positions are often mandated tests, regulated exams and a outside the senior leadership team and national inspection service (Ofsted). can be seen as a form of prescribed distributed leadership34. They may have Furthermore, school leadership has significant responsibilities for specific become more complex with the growth areas within the school, such as subject of MATs, in which individual academy coordinator, director of teaching and schools are formally grouped together learning, or head of department, and through a charitable trust that oversees are ‘usually at least one promotion step their corporate management with the away from even considering being a 28 support of a sponsor . Sponsors can principal’35. However, their position be an individual, such as a business can involve just as many tensions and entrepreneur, or an organisation challenges as that of a senior leader. such as a company, a university or a faith-based organisation, and are As with senior leaders, middle accountable to central government leaders need to be good at managing rather than the local education their team and at planning and authority. Within a MAT, one academy, resource management, but above usually the largest or best performing in all, they have to be professionally the group, takes the lead responsibility, and pedagogically informed to be with the headteacher performing able to lead by example36. They may the role of chief executive officer. But encounter a number of challenges in whether leading an individual academy operationalising their role effectively, or a MAT, the extent to which the often arising from school structures
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 14 and competing expectations about the part of the headteacher as to when to role. Two tensions in particular have to maintain control and when to relinquish be resolved. The first is the need to take direct leadership of the initiative. But a whole school focus or see the school whatever their level, fostering a culture as a system37 yet remain committed to of learning must be a key aim for a department, and the second is having school leaders. line management responsibility for fellow teachers yet continue to act in a 3.5 How successful school collegial manner towards them38,39. leaders improve learning
When middle leaders manage a Schools that aim to foster academic curriculum change process they may achievement in all students place great have to hold teachers accountable for emphasis on developing a culture of their actions, so while they might filter learning. A strong culture of learning news to their colleagues to avoid them includes frequent opportunities being overwhelmed by change and may for collaboration and participatory wish to respect teacher autonomy, they leadership. However, although may well find that this responsibility for distributing power and authority to line management of their colleagues teachers may increase democracy and conflicts with their collegial values38,39 trust within the school47 developing and hampers relationship building40. a learner-centred culture involves It takes a middle leader with strong specific challenges for headteachers. interpersonal skills to negotiate So, whether leadership is exercised this complex web of structures and from the top or middle of the school expectations, and because of the hierarchy, we are beginning to build a demands on them to represent their picture of successful leadership that departments, they can actually become is contingent on the criteria used to major barriers to change, if not given judge success, the personal attributes appropriate support by senior leaders. that an individual brings to the role, the context in which the school operates These tensions are evident from and the timescales by which success is numerous evaluations of STEM to be judged. For example, section 3.3 initiatives in schools, where nominating demonstrated how ‘surgeons’ may have a STEM coordinator with a whole- a clear role in short-term turnaround school role was found to be helpful, but be less effective in embedding and both to ensure that a whole-school sustaining change. School leadership response to change was achieved, and is now recognised as having a powerful also for successful liaison externally influence on student learning48,49 between the school and local industry. second only in influence to classroom However, unless senior leaders actively teaching50. Furthermore, a significant supported the role, barriers to cross- body of international research is now curriculum working still emerged41,42,43. beginning to tell us that successful pedagogic leadership linked to student So, the relationship between middle learning has some distinctive core leaders and headteachers is complex. features that are worth highlighting Headteachers need to regard middle in relation to leading education for leaders such as heads of science as engineering. teaching innovation leaders rather than just resources managers44. However, A number of these international studies successful pedagogic leadership and meta-reviews of research on appears to require headteachers school leadership have confirmed that to take the lead in promoting and successful leaders engage in four core coordinating a teaching innovation practices51,52 which are: building vision in its early stages and then remain and setting direction, understanding closely involved with it as it unfolds, and developing people, redesigning the advising and guiding teachers on it organisation by building a collaborative use45,46. There is potential for further culture, and managing teaching and tension here if the work of the middle learning. Other researchers have leader is impeded by this approach, identified eight values and strategies53 so astute judgment is required on the or nine key dimensions of successful
15 Royal Academy of Engineering The role of leadership in schools
leadership54 but the authors of research studies also emphasise the this study believe that these can important behaviours and personal accommodated within the four core characteristics of successful school practices. leaders. In the International Successful School Principalship Project, which now Viviane Robinson et al.’s in-depth meta- spans 20 countries including England, analysis of the impact of pedagogic three characteristics of principals’ leadership on student learning behaviour that stood out were their 55 outcomes is of particular interest capacity to collaborate both within to this study. Her team identified five and outside the school, their personal ‘core dimensions’, which can also be courage and their adaptability60, accommodated with Leithwood’s four behaviours that also corresponded to core practices, but the value to this earlier findings61. Another important research lay in Robinson’s nuanced ingredient in successful leadership is analysis of the strategies underpinning the ability of the leader to develop trust these practices that the authors used in followers; in fact this is a standout to explore their own findings. Robinson category according to Gurr62. So, is clear on the importance of leaders although headteachers may be adept establishing a culture of learning: at capitalising on national and local “Our primary conclusion is that policies to seize new opportunities 63,64 pedagogically focused leadership and take calculated risks , they has a substantial impact on student must keep the overall vision clearly in outcomes. The more leaders focus view to maintain their teachers’ trust, their influence, their learning, and even during times of uncertainty. their relationships with teachers on They do this by adapting the school’s the core business of teaching and ‘institutional narrative’, or the words learning, the greater their influence on used to describe the school, its student outcomes55.” attitude to learning and its place in the community65. Developing teacher capability is important for improving learning To state the obvious, school leadership outcomes56 but the more leaders is complex and school leaders have did this through promoting and difficult choices to make in terms of participating in teacher learning and their chosen style and approach. Do development, the more successful they they focus on transforming the whole were overall. All of this report’s research school or embedding practices? Do they studies feature ‘developing people’ as a do both? Or is it something else? As core practice, but Robinson suggested has been shown above, this depends that the impact of the school leader on a combination of factors including also becoming the ‘lead learner’ was the school’s context, the personality twice as great as any of the other and vision of the headteacher, dimensions she identified, re-iterating governors and staff, the school’s the advice given by John Hattie to Ofsted inspection rating and the local school leaders to be ‘the person who economy. Thinking in archetypes such provides the goalposts for excellence’57. as surgeons, soldiers, philosophers Like Hattie58, Robinson is clear about and architects is helpful in delineating the relative importance of a pedagogic broad approaches but loses much of leadership approach as opposed to one the subtlety of the craft of leadership. that is driven by a wish to transform the There is a therefore a need for a deeper, institution. Lucas and Claxton59 also more nuanced understanding, and emphasise the importance of creating through the research focused on in a culture of collaborative inquiry as this section, we can begin to build a one of their four core elements for model of pedagogic leadership that pedagogic leadership in the vocational clarifies how the various elements education sector. involved in this approach to leadership might be integrated, and begin to see In line with earlier assertion that some answers emerging to earlier leaders’ personal attributes are questions about: who leaders are, what significant in the current climate, these they do, and how they do it (figure 3),
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 16 Personal attributes (who)
Pragmatic, trusted, Leadership functions (what) respected, continuous learner, optimistic, Set direction Leadership strategies (how) curious, persistent, open, courageous Develop people Define vision, set Enhance capacity high expectations, of all, participate in build consensus teacher learning Knowledge of pedagogy, Redesign the organisation Redesign the problem solving Redesign roles, curriculum, improve ability, builds distribute leadership, conditions for learning trust, open Manage the instructional build relationships and teaching to learning programme conversations
Figure 3: An overview of pedagogic leadership attributes, functions and strategies and how these elements might be vocational qualifications are inferior to exercised when leading education academic ones67. for engineering in schools, which the report explores in the next section. In UK primary schools, engineering is, in the main, virtually invisible. But, as 3.6 Positioning engineering seen in earlier research, where there in schools is leadership and where teachers feel confident enough, engineering Engineering in schools in England thinking can be successfully introduced is not very visible to young people, to young children by using any one of either as a subject of study or a career three signature pedagogy elements: option. A study by the Institution of the engineering design process, Mechanical Engineers66 found that at tinkering, or engaging with engineers. secondary level, despite a widespread Cross-curricular engineering problem- positive attitude expressed towards solving activities can be linked to many the subject, students are unlikely to subjects at this level including literacy find engineering unless they already and numeracy. Schools in Scotland have a pre-existing inclination to seek have a greater advantage over those in it out. Apart from UTCs, few schools England, where engineering is included offer an engineering qualification at within the definition for the subject GCSE level; it is an expensive subject of Technologies in Curriculum for to offer and does not normally align Excellence68. well with Progress 8 metrics. An engineering experience could be Despite this lack of visibility in the introduced in D&T, where elements of formal curriculum, examples of the curriculum might be taught through engineering activities as extracurricular engineering problems, but D&T itself is enrichment are widespread and schools also struggling to maintain its position at all levels achieve significant levels of in schools beyond Key Stage 3. It engagement, from after-school STEM remains to be seen if the new technical clubs to national and international (T-level) qualification in engineering competitions such as Bloodhound, and manufacturing in England, Greenpower, Tomorrow’s Engineers designed to be equivalent to A levels, EEP Robotics Challenge and FIRST Lego will dispel the common perception that league. Unfortunately for engineering,
17 Royal Academy of Engineering The role of leadership in schools
engagement through enrichment and into STEM is to interest a wider and enhancement activities appears to more diverse group of learners in STEM have limited impact on the subsequent subjects and emphasise the importance uptake of STEM subjects69,70. of creativity and aesthetics in the other four disciplines, in particular The Institution of Mechanical in engineering79,80 or promote new Engineers reminds us that positioning ways of thinking about science81. engineering in schools is essentially Collaborative professional development a cultural problem, as the title of its for teachers becomes even more report “We think it’s important but essential in this context82. don’t quite know what it is” suggests. The institution identified three broad So with collaboration being the approaches – engineering as D&T, the hallmark of ‘good’ cross-curricular UTC model of education provision and learning that occurs 'when the skills, engineering embedded into the culture. knowledge and attitudes from a On the ground in schools, models are number of different disciplines are rarely neat, often combining aspects applied to a single theme, problem, idea of various approaches and finding that or experience'83, leadership’s task is cross-curricular teaching and learning to take action to ensure that teachers through integrative projects are a key are motivated to work together to element of what is required. change their teaching practice, that they have a sound knowledge base 3.7 Leading integrated cross- of effective instructional techniques, curricular engineering and that data is used to monitor projects impact. Without these factors in place, the quality of teaching and learner Effective integration between subjects outcomes are unlikely to improve84. can extend and deepen children’s The barriers and enablers to leading learning and help them make sense effective cross-curricular learning of the world71. When STEM subjects differ according to whether the context are integrated using engineering is primary or secondary education, problems, children become more which is explored next. We might also motivated learners and more easily learn from experience in US where understand the application of concepts there is a growing movement for STEM from science, mathematics and integration, which concludes this technology72,73,74,75,76. Furthermore, section on cross-curricular leadership when introduced to the engineering challenges. design process, learners develop thinking skills such as problem solving 3.7.1 Primary and resourcefulness and personal skills such as teamwork and communication. Cross-curricular learning has been a feature of primary education for a long But teaching an integrated STEM time. It is used to ‘develop children’s curriculum is a complex process and knowledge and understanding in two leading teachers towards this goal or more subjects at the same time, offers particular leadership challenges. with the aim of showing children how Leaders must ensure that teachers to transfer skills from one subject to overcome perceptions about traditional another, and give greater purpose in subject boundaries to collaborate in their learning’85. teaching an integrated curriculum rather than teaching discrete subjects, Even so, there appears to be a and they must ensure that teachers somewhat ambivalent view expressed have the confidence and knowledge by primary teachers in England to deliver and assess integrated about the value of STEM integration, learning77,78. particularly integration between science and mathematics. Many These complications are multiplied teachers recognise that integration when the arts are added to the through the use of real-world problems integrative mix and STEM becomes can instil greater understanding STEAM. The aim of integrating the arts of the relevance and applicability
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 18 of mathematics and science to However, the challenges around everyday life86,87. Furthermore, while perceived disciplinary differences ‘working scientifically’ and ‘working between STEM subjects are magnified mathematically’ are both important to at secondary level. Although the their respective subjects of science and new GCSE and A level science and mathematics, they can benefit from mathematics curricula have encouraged integration and the two subjects can greater collaboration between the two complement each other in powerful departments and teachers are being ways. Science offers opportunities to supported to identify commonalities apply mathematics and engage children and address inconsistencies in their purposively in solving real-life problems. teaching, as Needham notes, there is With mathematics, science offers a ‘distinctive flavour to the nature of the context to apply numerical and mathematics used in different science reasoning skills and support children disciplines due to the types of data to move from qualitative observation they handle’99. to quantitative expression88. Some teachers fear that too much integration Developing further integration might cause blurring of subject between STEM subjects to provide an boundaries and confuse learners interdisciplinary experience that uses or erode understanding about the engineering as an enabling connective uniqueness of science89. While agent requires significant coordination, others view integration as a means of not only between STEM departments protecting time for science, which they within the school, but also between the feel is being eroded through primacy school, parents and local employers. Yet given to English and mathematics90,91. traditional departmental structures at secondary level present a significant Teachers, therefore, need practical barrier, not just to developing support from leaders to develop integrated teaching but in leading any effective integrated curricula, such as change to teaching practice. Secondary sufficient planning time, encouragement heads and their senior leadership to work in teams to trial innovations, team (SLT) must negotiate the micro- input from subject specialists and politics of subject departments if engineers such as STEM Ambassadors, they are going to influence pedagogy and models for developing authentic and learning culture successfully100. learning experiences92,93. Banks and Barlex briefly outline some of the structural challenges in English But they also need to experience a schools that influence decisions on shift in mindset to recognise and value which of the curriculum subjects – the thinking habits of each other’s science, technology or mathematics, disciplines94,95,96. It therefore falls to engineering might be embedded within the leader to establish the vision for and who might teach it. They suggest engineering within the curriculum to that it would be worth exploring help teachers unpack the similarities the situation in the USA to see how and differences between the collaboration between STEM teachers disciplinary ways of thinking. is shaping up under the new science curriculum101. 3.7.2 Secondary 3.7.3. Learning from the US At secondary level, teaching through experience of STEM engineering themes offers the integration same benefits as at primary level, so when engineering problems provide In the US the leadership and teaching the context for science learning, of integrated STEM programmes is young people experience enhanced taking hold in primary and secondary motivation and expanded career education102 since the inclusion of aspirations97. STEM integration can engineering in the Next Generation also reverse negative attitudes towards Science Standards (NGSS)103. It aims to science and mathematics and overcome raise the status of engineering design stereotypes about engineering careers to the same level as scientific inquiry often held by pupils and their parents98. in classroom teaching104. Much can
19 Royal Academy of Engineering The role of leadership in schools
be learned from this experience by as significant a role in achieving exploring how school leaders support educational change as school teachers to meet challenges brought leaders do: about through perceived disciplinary differences, as well as lack of subject "Educational change depends on knowledge and confidence to teach what teachers do and think – it’s as 109 engineering projects. simple as that"
The leader’s challenge in this situation One of the most powerful mechanisms is to persuade teachers to move outside for supporting teachers to make their own discipline context and see the changes to their pedagogic practice, connections between their own subject and through which pedagogic and others. The help of professional leadership is enacted, is by creating engineers to achieve this has proved opportunities for teachers to undertake to be invaluable, as Cavlazoglu and their own small tests of change Stuessy (2017)105 demonstrated when in the classroom and share their they developed teachers’ knowledge learning in groups. Such activity is base by engaging them in discussion variously described as action research, with earthquake engineers, who professional enquiry, disciplined 110,111 showed the teachers how they used enquiry or collaborative enquiry . science and mathematical concepts The whole process is increasingly to design and build earthquake-proof referred to as participation in a structures. professional learning community. In other practical aspects, school In many different settings it is leaders not only provided teachers with possible to see how such approaches more planning time, but also actively improve outcomes for students and, organised time for collaboration importantly, enable teachers to adopt between departments to develop a new teaching and learning methods, shared sense of purpose, and to enable changing and reflecting on their 112 teachers to become a source of support practice as they go . for each other106,107,108. In our earlier research113 one of the While the leadership challenge to main findings was that professional embed integrated STEM programmes learning that encourages teachers to and projects using engineering undertake their own enquiries was a themes is similar in some respects significant reason for schools’ success across primary and secondary levels, in embedding engineering, allied to the there are also differences. Some of role of school leaders in committing these can be better understood by to significant culture change and reviewing practice in countries such resourcing the learning necessary as the US where the experience of to enable this. There is extensive integrating engineering into science literature about the leadership and technology is more advanced. necessary for effective professional One of the key leadership functions learning and the implications are well is to prepare teachers to change their described by Dylan Wiliam’s nine- practice, which includes updating stage model114 and by Cunningham their knowledge of content and and Carlsen in their principles for pedagogy and helping them develop designing effective CPD in engineering the confidence to make changes to education115. These two strands of their teaching. thought have been merged to create a brief set of guidelines in Table 3. 3.8 The importance of professional learning 3.9 Summary and enquiry in changing practices The leadership challenges associated with implementing engineering One of the functions of school in schools are many. In England, leadership is to develop people, engineering does not often appear specifically teachers, who play on the curriculum and provides very
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 20 Table 3: Guidelines for leading professional learning for education Guidelines for leading professional learning for engineering for engineering education (adapted from Wiliam (2016) and Cunningham and Carlsen (2014))
Start with volunteers
Structure professional learning meetings tightly
Set a motivating goal
Find a moral argument
Help them [teachers] understand engineering as a social practice
Identify small steps of change that teachers can make
Develop teachers’ understanding of the connections between science [and technology] and engineering
Engage teachers in engineering practices
Model a growth mindset
Model pedagogies that support engineering practices
Create time for professional learning
Give teachers experience as teachers and learners
Build routines and habits for teachers
Use the early volunteers as advocates for other teachers.
few examination opportunities. Few The next section explores the findings teachers feel qualified to teach STEM from an online survey and in-depth subjects. Best practice from the US discussions with a number of outliers and elsewhere suggests that the UK who are succeeding against the should be aiming to address gaps in odds in the contexts that have been teachers’ knowledge and encourage described, in order to build a greater them to explore and make visible understanding of how leaders at disciplinary differences. They need to all levels of schools are rising to the see connections between disciplines particular challenges of incorporating but also appreciate the distinctive ways education for engineering. of thinking in the STEM disciplines. We also need to develop their confidence to teach in student-centred ways. Middle level leaders, such as science or technology subject leaders, are important intermediaries in securing this understanding and confidence, but they too need support from senior leaders.
21 Royal Academy of Engineering Learning about leaders and leadership
4. Learning about leaders and leadership
This section builds on findings from interpreted the change and helped earlier research and draws on the teachers link new approaches to their survey and interviews undertaken for current practices. this research. No one headteacher You need to lead by is the same as another and, as seen Professional learning was organised example. I see my role as to enhance teachers’ confidence and throughout this report, many different headteacher as being that, people in a school can adopt leadership skill levels and empowered them to roles. Nevertheless, from discussions take risks with their teaching. Teachers’ so I still teach, I still get with those whose practices are in some participation in professional learning into classes. If I’m going communities was encouraged. Schools way promising, some common strands in coaching, if I’m going are evident. made a point of supporting the professional learning of middle leaders in to challenge aspects of 4.1 Introduction given the critically important role they teaching that I’ve seen, that have in supporting other teachers. I think could be improved, From earlier research,Thinking like Having heard from teachers how an engineer and Learning to be an I have to do that with important school leadership was engineer, based mainly on the views knowledge. in their attempts to incorporate of teachers rather than of school engineering into their teaching, the leaders, it was possible to make Headteacher, primary authors wanted to know more about some generalisations about the the specifics of pedagogic leadership school nature of leadership strategies that and the leading of cross-curricular support teachers’ ability to engage subjects such as engineering, in this in pedagogic innovation. These case by hearing directly from school strategies focused on pedagogic leaders who are already successfully leadership, change management, integrating engineering into their alignment, middle leadership and schools: how they actually make this professional learning. happen, who they are, what they do, Pedagogic leadership enabled and how do they do it. successful schools to look beyond subjects to dispositions or habits of 4.2 Findings from survey mind as a means of being more specific about what they were looking for in Turning first to the results of the terms of student outcomes. In order to survey, respondents consisted facilitate change, school leaders ensured of leaders of all kinds: governors, that engineering was embedded in the headteachers, deputy and assistant visible life of the school and not solely heads, heads of department, curriculum dependent on extracurricular activities. leaders and heads of year, classroom They also allowed a reasonable period teachers, and a few other staff roles. – at least a year – for changes to be Approximately two-thirds were senior secured. Alignment between innovation and middle leaders with about a third and existing school processes and being classroom teachers. In slightly structures was achieved through under half the schools (47.5%), an securing resources that supported individual was specifically designated to pedagogical purposes, such as materials take responsibility for engineering, half and toolkits, appropriate time-tabling of whom actually had engineering in and physical spaces. their job title; others referred to STEM, science or technology, and one instance Middle leaders emerged as key of STEAM. Engineering was the second members of staff who encouraged their most popular term after STEM used teams to get involved. They modelled by schools for the subject area in the the EHoM learning dispositions, research (figure 4).
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 22 Figure 4: Terms used in schools
3%
8% STEM 9% Engineering 35% Making
16% STEAM Tinkering Other team 29%
The survey aimed to further total of those who indicated an item understanding about the balance was very important or important, the between offering opportunities to learn figures that follow show respondent about engineering through the formal opinions in more detail. With regard curriculum and through extra or co- to school culture, respondents curricular activities. Within the formal believed that all four of these factors curriculum 57 schools replied, giving a are equally important in enabling total of 326 choices, which are shown effective teaching and learning about in Table 4. It is encouraging to see engineering in schools (figure 5). that engineering appears across all the contributing STEM subjects, although 4.2.2 Curriculum less frequently in mathematics and art and design. However, the high number All five potential factors received of references to cross-curricular support from respondents, with ‘having projects and employer engagement a creative approach to curriculum are also positive, as is the occurrence design’ the approach that was most of STEM careers guidance. The place singled out (figure 6). of engineering qualifications in the curriculum was a topic that came up 4.2.3 Partnerships later in the interviews. Establishing partnerships with The range of extra/co-curricular external organisations and engineers engineering-related activities is also is confirmed as an important leadership interesting (Table 5). 54 schools capability in enabling effective teaching responded to this question, giving a and learning about engineering. An total of 273 choices. active partnership relationship with pupils is significant at both secondary 4.2.1 Culture and primary levels (figure 7).
Earlier research and the literature 4.2.4 Resourcing review identified four potentially important cultural factors that The availability and deployment of enable engineering education to resources are critical concerns for any flourish: allowing teachers freedom school leader. Respondents thought to experiment, the existence of a high that developing the capability of staff trust culture, supported risk-taking in through professional development and developing new pedagogies, and the the availability of appropriate teaching presence of engineering in the school’s spaces were the most important improvement plan (SIP). Taking the resource issues, together with a
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Table 4: Subject/curriculum activity Response count Percent response* Engineering Within design and technology 39 12% within the formal curriculum Cross-curricular projects 36 11% Visits to employers linked to the curriculum 36 11% STEM careers advice and guidance 35 11% Within science 30 9%
Projects in collaboration with engineers 29 9% Within computing 25 8% Within mathematics 21 6% Integrated subject teaching 18 6% Specific engineering qualifications 17 5% Suspended timetable 15 5% Embedded across whole school 13 4% Within art and design 12 4% Total number of responses 326 101**%
*Participants could select multiple options. Percentages calculated out of total number of individual choices ** Due to rounding
Table 5: Activity Response count Percent response* Extracurricular After-school clubs 38 14% engineering- related activities STEM Challenge Days 37 14% Participation in external competitions 35 13% Visits to exhibitions 31 11% STEM Ambassador visits 30 11% Visits to employers 30 11% Support from parents who are engineers 23 8% Engineering focus in school assemblies 20 7% Mentoring of pupils by engineers 17 6% STEM companies’ roadshows 12 4% Totals 273 99.00**%
*Participants could select multiple options. Percentages calculated out of total number of individual choices ** Due to rounding
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 24 Figure 5: School cultural factors influencing education for engineering
23%23% 26%26% FreedomFreedom to to experiment experiment HighHigh trust trust SupportedSupported risk-taking risk-taking EngineeringEngineering in in SIP SIP 25%25% 26%26%
Figure 6: Curriculum factors influencing education for engineering
16%16% 26%26% CreativeCreative approach approach TrackingTracking progression progression
18%18% IntegratedIntegrated curriculum curriculum PedogogiesPedogogies for for learning learning 20%20% EngineeringEngineering quali cations quali cations 20%20%
Figure 7: Partnership factors influencing education for engineering
11% 19% Links with ext orgs Partnerships with pupils 16% Links with engineers
19% Supportive parents Supportive governors 17% Collab with local schools 18%
25 Royal Academy of Engineering Learning about leaders and leadership
number of other factors. However, successful leaders of education for enabling teachers to spend time in engineering needed to display. The top engineering workplaces, which has four personal strengths included being been reported by teachers in previous collaborative, flexible, resilient and research as giving them confidence to open-minded (figure 9). engage with engineers, is not given such high priority (figure 8). 4.2.8 Leadership journeys
4.2.5 Enablers Finally, respondents were asked to reflect on their leadership journey and When invited to suggest any further their key learning points. A sample of factors that they believed were their thoughts is in Table 8. important in facilitating engineering education in schools, respondents 4.2.9 Summary of survey suggested additional items that often responses expanded on the areas previously probed on school culture, the The responses from the survey curriculum, partnerships and resources. confirmed the indicative findings Some examples are given in Table 6. from earlier research about the role and significance of school leadership for engineering. The extent to which 4.2.6 Challenges engineering was used as a term When invited to suggest challenges by the schools responding to the that they believed were important survey suggested that the study to overcome before engineering was reaching its target ‘positive education in schools could be more deviance’ population. Within the widely adopted, respondents identified formal curriculum, engineering issues associated with the status of is still found mainly through D&T engineering, both as a school subject and schools offer a wide range of and as a career option, the pressure extracurricular opportunities to help of current accountability measures, students and parents find out more staffing, learning resources and about engineering. Building on the partnerships. Some examples are given responses, the authors decided to find in Table 7. out more about how leaders created an appropriate culture of trust and 4.2.7 Leadership attributes freedom to experiment, how they facilitated curriculum change and how Respondents were invited to identify they used their experience to develop which personal attributes they felt partnerships with engineers. They also
Figure 8: Resources influencing education for engineering
9%9% TeacherTeacher professional professional developmentdevelopment 16%16% 9%9% TeachingTeaching spaces spaces EquipmentEquipment 14%14% TeacherTeacher engineering engineering 12%12% knowledgeknowledge Cross-schoolCross-school STEM STEM person person PupilPupil work work experience experience 12%12% 14%14% LearningLearning resources resources 14%14% TeachersTeachers in in industry industry
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 26 Table 6: Additional Enablers Illustrative quotes enablers for education for School culture “Supportive headteacher” engineering “Creating role models within the school community” “Staff awareness and confidence” “Creative, problem-solving environment” “The pedagogy is critical; developing and embedding engineering habits of mind to ensure relevance and coherence”
Curriculum “Having visits to the school from engineering specialists to support projects” “Engineering education needs to be recognised as a complex academic subject and given the same weighting as other GCSEs” “Non-selective options process”
Partnerships “Engineering companies willing to work with a school in the long term and in a way that fits the needs of the school” “Constructive partnerships between schools, further education colleges and employers” “Support from those at either college or university level providing regular support”
Resources “Time to co-plan with others involved in STEM” “A route to move technology teachers into engineering”
Table 7: Challenges still to Challenges Illustrative quotes overcome Status of “STEM tends to become SM – with a whole school focus on science and maths engineering as these are key measures in EBacc. Getting engineering and technology back into the forefront of thinking is very hard” “There seems [to be] little support from government to support the importance of engineering at Key Stages 3/4/5” “Parental conception of the world of engineering, especially for female students”
Accountability “Assessment of the engineering habits of mind. Raising the profile of STEM as measures it isn’t an examined subject” “Engineering qualifications that carry GCSE equivalence all fall within the ‘open’ option buckets of the new Progress 8 measure. This means performance in these subjects is compared to other qualifications that are less academically demanding. This reduces the incentive for schools to teach engineering-based education because of the impact this can have on results tables”
Staffing “It is more of a challenge when teachers have weaker subject knowledge or a desire to learn” “Lack of enthusiasm or understanding of the importance of STEM from other colleagues”
Learning “Planning and implementing STEM and engineering experiences within the resources nursery [Early Years] environment can be challenging” “Good accessible projects for students that are intellectually challenging enough, but that can be made”
Partnerships “Failure by schools to fully engage local organisations in their aims and aspirations” “Involving parents and regular opportunities for engineers to work in school alongside staff”
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Figure 9: Personal attributes of leaders of education for engineering
8% Collaborative 15% 8% Flexible Resilient Open minded 12% 15% Persistent Optimistic 13% 15% Courageous
14% Having relevant subject knowledge
Table 8: Key learning points on the Key leadership learning points – Illustrative quotes leadership journey
“It’s important to find the right projects and people that will inspire your cohort”
“Takes time and involves failures en-route – ‘failures’ in that a project may not reach its intended goal but success if measuring pupil progress and uptake of engineering as a mindset”
“Leading engineering has been really important in my own professional development – it has enabled me to gain skills and understanding and given me the opportunity to lead a team on a project that I am passionate about”
“If you have the drive to take the first step, then others will get behind you and things will start to fall in to place. You have to continually find ways to maintain the status of the brand and look after the misconceptions by other staff, pupils and stakeholders”
“That the habits of minds of engineers can be used across the wider curriculum”
“Tremendous enthusiasm and motivation from pupils to be involved in real- life contexts provided by engineering education”
“Teachers need to learn to be unafraid on engineering and not see it as a highly technical pursuit that they do not have the skills to teach”
“Having engineering experts coming into the school enhances my teaching practice and the enthusiasm of the pupils. Links to the real world of work have been essential”
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 28 wanted to learn more about them as secondary level tends to be located in individuals, and how their personal science departments or technology attributes had contributed to their departments, so if not specifically successful leadership. located within the curriculum, engineering seems to be ‘done by 4.3 Findings from the stealth’, via science or technology. While interviews some leaders were comfortable with a stealth approach they recognised its The leaders who were interviewed lack of scaleability. were all very proud of the significant gains they were making in enhancing School curricula are crowded. Schools engineering in their schools, in spite have limited space in Key Stage 4. Many of some major challenges. This section schools are doing a three-year Key begins with reporting on the context in Stage 4 now, to prepare students for which they were enacting leadership GCSE. UTCs are beginning to recruit at and discuss their perceptions of the age 13 rather than 14 to accommodate status of engineering in schools, the this. Engineering can seem a bit too cross-curricular nature of engineering far in the distance for most students in and accountability pressures. Those 11 to 16 schools, and with no A level in findings are followed by an analysis engineering offered at their school they of the personal characteristics may or may not select an engineering demonstrated by the leaders, and degree. Engineering is often only found finally examples of the strategies they as part of a STEM club, ‘tagged on at the used to enact leadership practices. edge of the curriculum’.
However, adapting existing 4.3.1 Status of engineering in schools qualifications and their assignments in partnership with awarding bodies, for At both a philosophical and a practical example OCR, and employers to develop level, leaders said that, despite engineering-focused projects, while campaigns about STEM by government highly time-consuming, can be done, and professional bodies, the place of resulting in far more challenging and engineering in schools remains unclear. interesting projects and assignments For the leaders interviewed it was clear for students to undertake, as one that STEM literacy is important and leader described: that engaging in engineering projects “We take the assignment brief that can enhance pupils’ wider skills, such has been developed as a standard as leadership, team-working and time mock assignment brief from the management: awarding organisation and we take “It’s not just STEM skills that they the employer context and we build a were learning, they were also learning project that’s linked directly to what about leadership and management, the employers do industrially. It meets allocation and use of resources, time all the requirements of the assessment management, the wider design and builds that into the curriculum.” process, and being critical of their own (Principal, UTC one) and others work, in a positive way.” (Chair of governors, secondary Nevertheless, for those schools school) incorporating engineering through other means such as a cross-school However, engineering’s place in the STEM programme or extracurricular curriculum is unclear even in secondary projects, it is difficult to find ways schools established specifically to offer of giving the same value to pupils’ it. There are many reasons for this. outcomes as that provided by a formal There are very few GCSE-equivalent assessment process, particularly when engineering qualifications that 14 year it comes to demonstrating progression olds can opt for. Performance measures in skills and dispositions such as EHoM. refer to discrete subjects, which Some primary schools are developing engineering with its multidisciplinary their own progression instruments, nature does not fit. Engineering at but secondary schools are finding it
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more difficult. While the number of For non-STEM specialist schools, organisations offering extracurricular it appears that the providers of engineering projects for schools is engineering challenges could help impressive, it can be frustrating for schools by aligning their challenge teachers if they cannot be linked to success criteria with STEM curriculum curriculum outcomes: outcomes and by considering how the development of progression in EHoM “If I wanted I could fill the whole week might be recognised through their with projects, there’s always people challenges. wanting to do something but it’s a case of trying to balance that request 4.3.2 The cross-curricular from industry with getting enough nature of engineering progress for learners.” (Engineering project lead teacher, primary As shown in earlier research116, school) engineering includes six habits of mind that transcend subject boundaries. Recognition of effort is also important Engineers in the real world draw on to pupils, and credentialing of learning a range of disciplinary knowledge undertaken outside the classroom including design, biology, chemistry, and standard qualifications matters mathematics, history, geography and to them. One leader told us about the technology, but most schools are CREST Awards that he aligned with the organised by subjects. curriculum, so pupils can do a STEM project, having learnt some of the In primary education, teaching through necessary skills: topics is more common so engineering “So students … at the end of at year projects have a better fit. Interviewees 9 … [are asked] ‘do you want to do argued that engineering must not be a STEM project? If you do, you’re seen as an add-on, but an integral going to be working towards the part of the curriculum from Key Stage Silver Crest award and you’re going 1 onwards. Those who were already to be doing it in either a biology describing engineering in terms of area, a maths area or electronics’ EHoM found this a useful way of and in year 10 we teach them some embedding engineering into every skills … and in year 11 we allow area of the curriculum and was easily them free rein, where they can understood by the children: choose what they want to do, how “… there’s a reason behind the they want to apply those skills that processes that the children are they’ve learnt.” (Director of STEM, undertaking, so that we can have a secondary school) crossover to different subjects and The D&T curriculum offers great different things, but we can use the potential for formally introducing language of engineering habits of mind students to engineering, but and also learning powers and growth respondents raised concerns about mindset.” (Curriculum leader, the level of challenge in D&T projects primary school) and the perceived devaluing of D&T as Flexibility within the school day is a subject in some schools. Although important, in particular at primary some also recognised that their level when a project approach is schools benefited from being able to adopted, so that teachers and their recruit well-qualified D&T teachers pupils have time to finish projects. and re-enthuse them by offering the opportunity to teach engineering: However, at secondary level timetabling is, inevitably, the main challenge. “It’s the specialisms, it’s quite amazing Flexibility, either through blocked- but that is what actually attracts timetabling to enable teachers from them to come and work here in different subjects to work together many ways. I think it’s to do with the at the same time or via some kind of devaluing of design and technology modular or elective approach, typically and engineering subjects in traditional in Key Stage 3, were means of offering schools.” (Principal, UTC one) engineering. At GCSE level, engineering
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 30 31 Royal Academy of Engineering Learning about leaders and leadership
is almost impossible to offer in most Key reputation quickly, meaning that first Stage 4 curricula. Once beyond GCSE, Ofsted results are critical and tensions engineering qualifications at A level can can arise between, for example, involve collaborative interdepartmental making decisions about curricular and working more frequently, as science subject choices: and mathematics teachers crossover to “… based on what’s right by our teach their specialisms. employers, what’s right by the young people and what’s right to allow 4.3.3 Accountability pressures students to progress into future A number of issues associated with apprenticeships, employment, or accountability indicators were raised, university … which isn’t always primarily centring on the role of Ofsted compatible with traditional in England and its reporting on recent accountability methodologies.” requirements for progress within GCSE. (Principal, UTC one) Respondents said that a combination of UTC leaders suggested that UTCs EBacc and Progress 8 does not enable should be judged using different schools with an interest in engineering criteria reflecting their context and to thrive, even those with a specific student intake, rather than by their engineering specialism or designation adoption of the EBacc, which they such as UTC. felt discouraged them from offering practical subjects at GCSE. Recent policy changes have led to GCSE subjects being grouped together Looking ahead to the new T levels, the into what are referred to as ‘buckets’ new technical courses being developed with students required to make their in England to sit alongside A levels, choices from different ‘buckets’ or there was uncertainty among leaders option choices between certain specific as to whether they would be likely to subjects. One UTC leader described the improve the situation, despite their GCSE choices which need to be made: espoused aim of achieving an equal status with A levels. Those leaders who “The Progress 8 measure does not were familiar with how T levels were work in our favour at any point. developing thought that the academic– The whole middle three buckets vocational divide was likely to remain. are all EBacc based and outside of They suggested that accountability the sciences, the students can do pressures were likely to push students humanities here, we don’t force them down the A level route, whereas a to do the EBacc, so it’s our sciences combination of A and T levels might be that sit in those qualifications that get the best preparation for continuing to us our grades. Then it’s got the open study engineering. T levels might limit bucket qualification.” (Principal, students’ ability to progress in different UTC one) directions.
This leader went on to explain how Notwithstanding this, there are the ‘open bucket’ had to include all opportunities for Ofsted (and Education their engineering qualifications, which Scotland) to comment favourably at are much more challenging subjects both primary and secondary levels if than some of the other subjects that they observe active learning in lessons normally count in this group, to the or if they see engaging and challenging detriment of his students who would lessons. If school inspectors hear have to get higher grades in these school leaders, teachers, students subjects than students taking other and governors all talking the same subjects in this group, in order for language about learning, for example progress to be demonstrated. using EHoM, this too can have a positive effect. UTCs were established to promote take-up of technical subjects such In the primary sector, school leaders as engineering. However, leaders face dealing with an enhanced from this sector said that newly emphasis on performance and progress opened UTCs have to establish their in English and mathematics, which can
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 32 overwhelm a leader’s aim to maintain 4.3.4 Personal characteristics a balanced, broadly based curriculum. of effective leaders of The pressure to perform well in English engineering in schools and mathematics may well lead to a culture of ‘jumping through hoops’ Given this challenging context, to achieve good grades, rather than the personal attributes of school leaders are critical to their success. focusing on ‘building engineers and A strong consensus emerged from the young citizens of the future’, depending interviews as to the kinds of personal on how capable the school leader is, characteristics adopted by engineering and how confident they feel about leaders. In many cases these are similar sticking to their vision and ‘moral to the generic attributes described purpose’ when faced with criticism earlier in figure 3 on page 17. But from governors or trust directors. there are some specific characteristics Other factors came into play when that seemed particularly important, considering the learner-led pedagogies possibly as a consequence of the necessary for project-based learning. particular challenges attendant on A pedagogy in which students are the nature of engineering, its societal collaboratively engaged in project value, its many subject disciplines and work in the classroom can be noisy its uncertain status. and appear chaotic and messy to an Successful leaders have a passionate outside observer. So middle leaders and belief in the moral purpose of those still closely involved in classroom school and see the incorporation of teaching were aware of an internalised engineering and EHoM as a means accountability pressure on them, which of giving young people the tools not was difficult to shake off. In the past, a only for living a productive economic noisy classroom used to be associated life, but also for looking at how it can with poor teaching, lack of control be improved: and poor teacher performance, so they often approached project-based “It comes down to values, it comes learning or student-led learning with down to vision ... we’re saying it some hesitation and fearing censure because we genuinely believe it, from senior management. because it’s the heart of what we do. If all we do is get our students On an encouraging note, leaders were great exam results then we have convinced they could show positive failed, that’s not what education is impact for learners in areas other than about.” (Deputy headteacher, engineering when they engaged in secondary school) engineering and employer projects, for example: younger learners’ increased They are creative thinkers, good at ability to talk fluently about their generating ideas and not worried if learning; 100% student employment sometimes things do not go as planned: on leaving secondary school; high praise by employers for the calibre of “It’s being able to be a creative thinker their students; employers sending their and also not worrying about making own children to the school; higher than mistakes. It’s all part of the journey.” the national average for continuation (Curriculum leader, primary from school on to engineering school) degrees; girls choosing to attend They are risk-takers, necessarily in the schools because of their reputation current context, having to go beyond for engineering. Students who have what it is safe for schools to do. But studied engineering, they suggested, they have the courage to take the risk, stand out from others with their and the perseverance to see it through: creativity and resilience. Respondents told us that students like engineering “We had to take a leap of faith, there and understand its importance but, if was a risk element, I understood it is the only one of the STEM subjects that, but I gave them [governors] not examined, they question its a guarantee that the data would importance and immediate usefulness. improve, actually not knowing the
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data would improve, but I knew that to the idea of promoting STEM in the pedagogy of the school would schools so it’s really easy, I’ll go improve, and the children would love online, do a bit of searching, find it.” (Headteacher, primary school) someone who’s reasonably close and email. If I don’t hear, I phone Interviewees said that they seek to them, so I might be a bit pushy mitigate any risks through careful actually, I don’t know, it has research and planning before invariably worked.” (Director of implementing their projects. They STEM, secondary school) understand the importance of timing and they understand the ‘politics’ of the The school leaders were context, so they are usually successful characteristically interested in and when approaching people for support: knowledgeable about teaching and learning: “I am happy, having looked at something and researched something, “Having a knowledge and to make up my mind that I don’t like the understanding of what engineering status quo and I think it should change habits of mind are and a true belief and I’m happy to have that confidence that how it’s going to support those and then I know the next step needs children, then you can sell it a lot better to broaden that out, working with to other companies.” (Curriculum others, and it’s the working with others leader, primary school) that really generates the ideas that you can take forward, then you can All those who were interviewed champion it.” (Deputy headteacher, were excellent communicators. secondary school) These skills were considered essential by most leaders, and in Their success increases their particular, the ability to persuade confidence to look for new challenges, others, including teachers, or to seek to improve on their students, governors and employers, original work: to buy into their vision. This ability “I had a department that was really was complemented by empathy for succeeding very well academically, others in developing relationships so for me to look to see how I could and a willingness to take on make progress and improve things was responsibility: pretty challenging, if it was just going “I think I can take people with me to be on raw results level.” (Director because they see me work hard and of STEM, secondary school) they want to join in.” (Engineering Perhaps because of the desirability project lead teacher, primary of engaging with engineers and school) employers outside of school, the In common with many effective leaders, leaders that were interviewed were they place a high value on trust: both determinedly outward-facing and ready to network with intent: “I trusted them [teachers] that they would obviously drive towards the “Being out and about, being available high standards that we were trying for people to just say ‘do you know to achieve. It was about staff being what, yes we love to try that’. That’s fascinated about what they were huge, that’s about networking, keeping doing as much as the children.” your eyes and ears open, that’s a big (Headteacher, primary school) thing, and actually just going out there and saying ‘would you like to come in and share what you've done with us?’.” 4.3.5 Leadership functions – (Vice principal, primary school) setting direction
If necessary, they were deliberately Examination of how leaders set pushy: direction and established their vision for the school found that they believe “What I find is most academics or that education is not just a means of companies are really receptive improving young people’s learning but
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 34 also for providing them with the means fatigue, but these leaders recognised to excel in their future life: the need to establish the long-term vision and accept that habit change “We have a vision of our students as takes time to embed. It is important to game changers and what we mean by give teachers time to improve if their that is young people with qualifications performance is not yet where you and skills to do whatever jobs they are want it to be. A key factor in achieving doing well.” (Deputy headteacher, this was ensuring that their teachers secondary school) realised that success was not going to be measured solely by external Their vision encompasses learning accountability measures, but by goals as process rather than product, set collaboratively within the school, using pedagogy to support the for example teachers undertaking learning process, as well as core action research projects to generate curriculum subjects: their own evidence on what worked in “Talking to colleagues, we’ve been their context: talking more about process-driven outcomes to learning rather than “It wasn’t that teachers were suddenly being ‘I’m good at maths, I’m good at freed up and became really creative, language, I’m good at science’, it was I had to go through another cycle of more about ‘how do we get to that that and then once people realised that point?’ …being a bit more of a problem their pay was based on the research solver.” (Engineering project lead they were doing, as opposed to GCSE teacher, primary school) grades that pupils got, that enabled me in the second year to do it again.” For these leaders it was important that (Headteacher, secondary school) they emphasised a whole-school focus for engineering skills and habits of mind They set high performance that could be embedded in every aspect expectations for staff, often leading by of the curriculum: example by being seen teaching in the classroom, which gave them credibility “A key thing for us, it’s not just about if they wanted to challenge teachers the skills, it’s about applying the skills about their practice: to different situations and those habits are things that are going through “You need to lead by example. I see every area of the curriculum not just my role as headteacher as being that, engineering.” (Chair of Governors, so I still teach, I still get into classes. If secondary school) I’m going in coaching, if I’m going in to challenge aspects of teaching that I’ve For some schools, in particular UTCs, seen, that I think could be improved, where an engineering focus already I have to do that with knowledge.” existed, interviewees talked of a culture (Headteacher, primary school) more akin to the workplace, or ‘industry ethos’ than to a typical school. An important skill needed for setting direction is effective communication But if engineering was not already and it was evident that these leaders within the curriculum or part of the used a wide range of communication school ethos, they promoted their strategies to articulate their vision, vision through an intervention that depending on the audience. They offered a whole-school focus for talked regularly with staff and led enhancing its status within STEM discussions about different practices to subjects, for example by incorporating introduce students to engineering: the engineering design process and EHoM into all subjects, ‘bucking the “I just made sure that I regularly spoke trend’ in which leaders’ actions reduced with the staff, gave them some support focus on other subjects to ensure the and encouragement, and suggested primacy of English and mathematics. some ideas initially about the sort of things we could do; from activities in With the constant churn of change school to taking the pupils out to the in education at the national level, workplace.” (Chair of governors, teachers can experience initiative secondary school)
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They persuaded staff to move in the subject is and where you’re wanting it direction of the desired change by to go to; there’s a lot of new language appealing to teachers’ commitment in our school and some of that’s really to enhancing the learning and helpful.” (Engineering curriculum achievement of their pupils, thereby leader, secondary school) demonstrating that the change was not just the latest ‘fad’, it was a genuine They kept on communicating the vision way in which the school curriculum was to parents: going to be improved: “I kept talking about it all the time “That’s how I sold it to the staff; it in the letters to parents, ‘this is a wasn’t an add-on, it was something compelling learning experience, this that could make our curriculum very is what we’re trying to do’. Eventually, exciting. It was something that would they get it.” (Headteacher, make learning stick.” (Headteacher, secondary school) primary school) Middle leaders with a vision for But they involved everyone in the promoting engineering had to be discussion about what the vision looked adept not only at communicating like, they frequently use ‘we’ instead of with employers and securing their ‘I’ as they worked with their teachers involvement in projects, but also in to foster a common understanding of communicating up the hierarchy and in the vision: persuading the headteacher to agree to their involvement in the first case. “We identified what compelling This Director of STEM used the school’s learning looked like for our vision and existing pride its extra-curricular we got teachers to work on that, so offerings to persuade the headteacher what does it look like for a pupil, what to let him set up a STEM Club and does it look like for a teacher? And found exciting engineering projects we came up with basically a piece for students to get involved with and of writing, it’s not very long, it’s a which looked good for marketing short couple of paragraphs. But that the school: identifies what we are as a school, what we’re about and what we’re “The management is almost like a wanting to achieve.” (Headteacher, collegiate system. They are, and always secondary school) have been, enormous supporters of any extracurricular provision. So They persuaded employers to engage the school prides itself on all sorts of with the school by pointing out the offerings outside of the classroom.” gains for the employer, as well as for (Director of STEM, secondary the school: school)
“Sometimes you’ve really got to sell 4.3.6 Leadership strategies – your product if you want to get any developing people kind of support financially, because people are not going to put money The second core practice of successful into something that they don’t think leaders is developing people and these they’re going to gain anything out of.” leaders demonstrated a variety of (Curriculum leader, primary strategies to do this in ways that kept school) the focus on the pedagogies and values they wanted to instil in teachers. This became easier once the school had developed a track record for succeeding Leaders use coaching and modelling in introducing innovative projects or extensively to support staff to develop used language that represented a new teaching skills, but not overtly in vision they could sell to employers or front of the children, as if coming into a others in the community who could classroom on an inspection visit: provide help: “I would introduce it, this is what “You just need to keep talking to other resilience looks like, etc. so this week people that really get where the when I come into the classroom on
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 36 Friday, we have a coaching session on Interestingly, when introducing their the Friday but the children see it as me new pedagogic practice, the leaders dropping in to look at their work and we interviewed chose to make use of what they’ve achieved that week.” internal expertise rather than bringing (Headteacher, primary school) in an ‘expert’ from outside. This may reflect the outlier nature of the sample They modelled the desired pedagogy and their higher levels of confidence: to other teachers and linked the new pedagogy to the existing approach, “I’m a big believer that, from a CPD so it did not appear to be too much perspective, from a teaching and of a leap: learning perspective, you find that the skill-set is usually in the building “So, I would model something somewhere. So, we are big believers in and then I would verbalise how the fact that we have great expertise that was something that she was in-house.” (Principal, UTC one) already doing. So, she didn’t have to have that specialist knowledge. They offer staff stimulating challenges: We did get engineers to come in with the specialist knowledge, as “Most of these things are led not by well, but I was able to verbalise the senior management team but and model for her, saying ‘you’re by class teachers, who then report already doing that, I’ve only back to the senior management changed the language a bit’.” team.” (Engineering project lead (Engineering project lead teacher, primary school) teacher, primary school) However, they recognise that in Leaders researched the desired doing this, they have to encourage practice themselves, at the same teachers to take risks and they accept time as drawing in others, so they the consequence that failure might became sufficiently familiar with it to happen occasionally, but these are understand where staff resistance opportunities for learning, not censure: might occur. They would start it off, but “This might sound a bit twee but judge the right time to hand over the I always say, ‘has anyone died, and is initiative to another staff member who the school at risk?’ and if the answer would carry it forward: is no to both of those questions, “I research it collaboratively to generate then well, let’s just look at what something that is really motivational, we’ve done and let’s learn from it launch it, implement and then hand and let’s refine it.” (Headteacher, across to practitioners who are very secondary school) good at the completer/finisher parts As noted earlier, they take a problem- of it.” (Deputy headteacher, solving approach with individual secondary school) teachers to improve their skills:
But when they became aware of the “We’ve got a headteacher … who potential for a pedagogic initiative to wouldn’t come in and say ‘this is really go off track because of the actions noisy, keep it down’, they would come or attitudes of particular staff, they into the classroom and spend time were not averse to taking back control working alongside you. Things would or taking direct responsibility for go wrong, but they would say ‘what changing the views of staff who found could we do now?’.” (Engineering it challenging to adopt new ways of project lead teacher, primary teaching that developed EHoM: school) “My head of science … it took quite They participate in teacher learning some time for her to change her view. and development, taking an active So I line managed her in the second role in preparing staff for the change, year … because I knew that I could get involving lots of people to promote that across more in her terms if I was collective responsibility, getting staff to to line manage her” (Headteacher, buy into to the ‘bigger picture’, securing secondary school) trust from staff:
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“Taking the right people to see the “I was very conscious of making sure right things, so we went to the that I attended every training event, [external school name] to start to get every aspect of development with the foot soldiers of this thinking in the the teaching team.” (Headteacher, right way and on board and helping primary school) to develop the vision.” (Deputy headteacher, secondary school) They were clearly participants, showing their engagement and welcoming School governors can also play an different opinions: important role in promoting the vision “What’s really good is we can actually by using their expertise to support challenge each other about the the SLT and encourage trust rather processes and why things have been than suspicion about their role, as this included, and why suggestions have school governor, with expertise as been made.” (Curriculum lead, an engineer, did when working with primary school) the headteacher and the heads of departments to create an after-school They fostered the growth of learning STEM Club, and used contacts to gain communities by promoting and external funding for the club: participating in activities such as action research projects or peer reviews “I have heard tales of staff being wary that helped teachers appreciate or concerned, or even scared, when the pedagogy behind the changed the chair of governors comes into their approach rather than seeing the department; but I don’t think we’ve initiative as a lot of new ‘stuff’: got that relationship. I think we’ve got that relationship where, generally, they “We also have a TLC [teaching and welcome the governors coming in and learning community] in school where seeing what they can offer to support we swap colleagues and they observe them in school.” (Chair of governors, us, and we go to their classes, with a secondary school) different stage, so I might go into an Upper Stage class and the Upper Stage In terms of building staff capability, might come to the Infants to observe.” leaders were very visible during the (Engineering project lead teacher, training and preparation of staff: primary school)
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 38 Newly qualified teachers were that effective.” (Headteacher, also supported to ensure that they primary school) quickly acquired the school’s ethos and mindset: One way of encouraging staff to move in the desired direction is to adapt the “So, with newly qualified teachers, existing organisational structures, for we give them the support within the example the performance management STEM lessons, and training within system, to accommodate the the school day as well, in different leader’s vision: areas where the STEM curriculum or the ethos around engineering habits “When we set those targets, the first of mind can be incorporated into the one, the performance management other subjects.” (Curriculum leader, target for everyone, was to create a primary school) compelling learning experience. We set no data targets, so there was no Leaders told us they took every data in terms of ‘your pupils have got opportunity to celebrate school to make this amount of progress’, we successes and raise the profile of took all that away so that teachers’ pay engineering. They also engaged was not linked to pupils’ outcomes.” in the activities for national prizes, (Headteacher, secondary school) which recognised and rewarded the It is interesting that the headteacher individuals involved, but also had above discusses change using the the aim of retaining their talent for plural ‘we’ suggesting the involvement the school: of the leadership team in these “I said ‘I think you should go for a decisions. Traditional organisational [name] award’. He applied for it, structures such as lesson observations went for an interview in London and were also replaced with more he won [£XX,000] for the school. collaborative processes such as They were so impressed with what lesson study: he was doing. Well, that was him “I didn’t do formal lesson observations, staying at [school name], and then stopped all that, I didn’t grade it just snowballed.” (Headteacher, lessons as soon as I went there.” primary school) (Headteacher, secondary school)
4.3.7 Leadership strategies Middle leaders also were supported to – redesigning the develop curricula structures that were organisation new, but at the same time, aligned to existing school structures to create The third practice of successful school continuity and coherence: leaders is their focus on redesigning the organisation. This involves finding “I’m part of the middle leadership ways to strengthen school cultures team…and I also work quite closely by modifying existing structures and with [colleague name] who’s our STEM building collaborative processes that leader. Together we have created a support teachers and students. It STEM curriculum for this year that involves creating powerful educational shows progression in skills but also links within the school and drawing is enhancing the foundations of on the community resources outside learning as well as the engineering the school to expand the school’s habits of mind.” (Curriculum leader, curriculum. primary school)
Having created their engineering As a secondary curriculum leader, this vision for the school, the leaders then respondent clearly adopts responsibility ensured that curriculum changes were for setting the standards for the aligned to supporting this new ethos: subject team:
“You build a school improvement “There are another seven faculty plan that fits around EHoM and that leads in the school and there’s a big kind of learning and then it’s about focus on being collaborative … I think building the relationship to make my role is to put my whole team in a
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position to teach at a very high level. providing a workshop or an away-day It’s very technical and we try put us in or whatever.” (Deputy headteacher, a position to fulfil our status, it has a secondary school) bit more status than those subjects do in other schools. We want to maintain But once this collaboration with that and grow.” (Engineering employers began to grow, it is curriculum leader, secondary important to ensure that it was school) organised effectively, which may mean creating a role for a member of staff to A sense of having special status was do this, in order to sustain the practice. reinforced through the reorganisation However, it is still necessary to ensure of the classroom spaces, for example that the subject teacher is involved as studios or STEM workshops, in this collaboration because it is only being sufficiently large enough to they who fully understand the needs of accommodate large groups of students the curriculum: all doing the same project at the same time, all of which served to strengthen “If you have got an employer working the sense of collaboration among on every single unit … across all years, students. you can’t manage that unless you have a dedicated individual whose sole remit As part of the vision-defining and is employer engagement but even they consensus-building, interviewees don’t understand the content of the talked of the importance of qualification or the structure … as well collaborating with a school’s non- as the actual subject teacher who’s executive leaders, their governors, actually delivering that unit of work.” and stressing the importance of (Principal, UTC one) ensuring that they were familiar with the leaders’ vision for the school. One Building engagement in engineering primary school leader made a point led most of those we interviewed of inviting governors into classrooms to examine the ways in which they to gain experience of the primary engage parents. This had mixed curriculum, something that had not results, with some finding that there been done before, but paid off in were no engineers among their this case because during the next parents, or having to adopt a range of inspection visit they were able to cunning strategies to entice them into confirm to Ofsted the appropriateness the school: of the headteacher’s vision: “There is a real reluctance to engage, “I knew obviously that Ofsted were we actually pay them to come in. We coming in, I had to have governors have a virtual bank and if parents speaking that language as well engage in workshops, for instance, and when they were interviewed, when we’ve run science afternoons or literally all pieces of the jigsaw fitted reading workshops, we offer a virtual together and it did work, it worked.” amount of money that goes into their (Headteacher, primary school) virtual accounts and they can redeem that against uniform and trips and Fostering collaboration between the visits.” (Vice principal, primary school and the local community was a school) key strategy used by these leaders to increase employer involvement in the As part of fostering stronger links curriculum, but the support sought between the school and the local from employers was highly targeted community, members of the local and aligned to achieve the overall community, including past pupils who vision, rather than the previous ad-hoc have gone into engineering, were seen arrangements: as powerful resources:
“We were starting to bring companies “We’ve had a few pupils coming back, into our way of thinking and get really good female role models, which them thinking about how they could was fantastic. We had an ex-student support that, whereas what we had of mine who came back in who was before was very much companies working on the [project name] and she
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 40 41 Royal Academy of Engineering Learning about leaders and leadership
came back in and she just brought all completely abstract, or a generic this stuff in and did a presentation to product that’s just written for the year 5 and Year 6.” (Headteacher, purposes of meeting the assessment primary school) criteria, those two are interlinked and therefore we see students developing 4.3.8 Leadership strategies – an immense amount of skill." managing teaching and (Principal, UTC one) learning Leaders afforded teachers flexibility The final core practice undertaken to deliver the curriculum to encourage by successful leaders is managing innovation, but they managed to retain teaching and learning which the teachers’ focus on accountability: involves improving the conditions and environment in which both can “Our approach is quite creative in terms flourish. To do this it is necessary of the flexibility that teachers have to ensure existing staff have the to enable them to do these things, resources they need to improve rather than just straight jacket them teaching and learning and that, by saying ‘right ok, the be all and end where necessary, appropriate staff all is maths and English’. Obviously, are recruited, retained and deployed we hold them to account over that, effectively. One UTC principal tried to they need to do it, but it’s about how ensure that teachers with a specialism they go about doing that we pride were able to teach it, which could be ourselves on.” (Vice principal, challenging but worth the effort of primary school) recognising staff expertise: They look for ‘quick wins’, but not at the “What I try and do, which is a bit expense of the long-term vision: of a challenge from a timetabling “What we had was an awful lot of perspective, is to take the specialisms energy, an awful lot of people that of the individuals and allow them were pulling together with a singular to teach in subjects that they are focus and we were getting some specialist in, so in engineering we have excellent ideas that we were able to staff who have responsibilities for units implement within the curriculum easily of work based on their specialism.” and swiftly.” (Deputy headteacher, (Principal, UTC one) secondary school) This alignment between staff strengths They provided a supportive and interests and curriculum needs, environment when staff tackled new building on teachers’ existing skillsets, challenges, and tended to delegate was used effectively by leaders to re- responsibility, for example for engaging ignite staff motivation and re-energise with employers down to the member of those who might looking around for staff who was directly involved, rather other posts: than this being a senior leader role: “I thought ‘this is a way in, I can tap “We try and give individual staff into people’s skill sets and we can start afresh in a sense’.” (Headteacher, members responsibility for key primary school) units and although the curriculum director will oversee that link and that Another strategy is to align employer- engagement, the actual staff member led coursework projects with delivering that qualification becomes assessment tasks, which takes time the key link with that particular and effort to work with awarding employer.” (Principal, UTC one) bodies to adapt their schemes of work, but is far more meaningful in terms of However, leaders recognised that while student outcomes because the activity it was possible for staff to get caught and its assessment are aligned: up with the excitement of developing real-world projects in collaboration with “So, they [students] don’t do an employers, it was important to make employer project and then get a sure they kept the requirements of coursework assessment that’s the curriculum in mind, to ensure that
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 42 effort was not wasted, they allowed employers, being the showcase, not calculated risks to be taken: being the small department down the back of the school that’s had its budget “There’s always this danger that you cut time and time again and you only can do lots of exciting things that get the kids who are deemed to be ones seem great, let’s take a risk here or that can’t cope with the traditional a risk there, do this and do that, but academic curriculum.” (Principal, if that takes your attention too far UTC one) away from the curriculum then you end up chasing your tail when it Collaborating with other schools to comes to crunch time in the summer." secure teaching resources was also (Principal, UTC one) accepted as necessary by leaders:
One secondary leader pointed out to “We also collaborate with another us that there is no engineering teacher multi-academy trust in the region, supply chain, which often results so we’re supported by [name] in recruiting D&T teachers to teach learning trust as well and we work engineering. Then, it is necessary collaboratively with those where we to be clear about what engineering might have sole workers in particular really is within the school, to ensure departments, to collaborate on one that the new recruits have both the thing and another.” (Principal, right skillset and the belief in what the UTC one) head is trying to do. One response to This was true of both people and this challenge is to redesign teachers’ physical resources: job titles and specifications to ensure that teachers are recruited who “Looking at going out of the school are attuned to the requirements of building, looking at what you’ve got teaching a cross-curricular subject in your own environment that would such as engineering, and rather than enrich what you’re offering in school.” seeing themselves as D&T teachers, (Headteacher, primary school) they are STEM teachers: Finally, having already referred to the “The staff you employ, when they accountability demands that schools come in, they are not a D&T teacher, and teachers are subject to, one key they are a STEM teacher, and they aspect of managing teaching and are a head of STEM … so they have learning is for school leaders to act been very powerful for us.” (Deputy as a buffer for teachers, to prevent headteacher, secondary school) them from being overwhelmed by unproductive external demands: Several leaders suggested that it was the high status given to engineering “I still give staff the information that I in their schools that enabled them to think they need and also protect them attract high-quality staff: from some of the information that I don’t think they may need at that “Part of it is the context of the school particular point, because it’s not going itself, working within a structure to be worthwhile.” (Headteacher, where it’s valued and it’s got support primary school) and it’s a fairly flat hierarchy, when it needs to be, and you can share ideas.” Although UTCs might be expected (Engineering curriculum leader, to offer interesting accounts of secondary school) effective engineering education, as many of our observations show, UTC UTC leaders pointed out the benefits principals were convinced that ‘normal’ for teachers working in a UTC school leaders could also develop environment, with its strong emphasis the vision for a broader education for on engagement with employers and engineering: parity of esteem of vocational subjects with academic: “UTCs were put here to deliver an employer-led curriculum but nothing is “Our staff can come here and have stopping normal schools doing that in all the excitement of working with subjects that they deliver already and
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that’s a very tangible way of getting n its interdisciplinary nature engineering-based philosophies and ambition into students and n the pedagogies that work best institutions.” (Principal, UTC one) to teach it
n the professional development 4.4. Summary needed in most schools Although there is a large literature n the practical implications for exploring successful school leadership timetables and teaching spaces there is remarkably little which explores the specific challenges relating to n the external scrutiny by Ofsted, engineering, specifically: itself reflecting other government n its lack of clear status (despite priorities such as EBacc and national governmental campaigns) Progress 8. n the lack of exam options at GCSE It is nevertheless possible to learn from the talented outliers that have n the necessity of collaborating been studied and begin to make with engineers and engineering some cautious generalisations organisations from these.
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 44 45 Royal Academy of Engineering Putting it all togther and moving forward
5. Putting it all together and moving forward
This study has sought to understand interdisciplinary and cross-curricular more about what school leaders and by nature and does not easily fit teachers need to do to change their into a subject-dominated school practices to embed more effective timetable; that, while engineering We therefore need to show education for engineering, one step may be valued by government and that it isn’t such a big step of our Theory of Change (see page employers, it has no obvious place on between having fun in your 10). Specifically, it has explored the the curriculum and very few assessed characteristics of successful school courses are available; that many bedroom, garage, or garden leaders of engineering – who they are, teachers are unconfident and believe shed, and solving the ‘grand what they believe is important and they lack expertise, and resources challenges’ that exist in what they actually do. to teach it; and that a school’s performance as judged by Ofsted the world today. And we This study is an acknowledgment that may suffer. need the next generation all is not well in schools with regard to solve these challenges to opportunities for children and 5.2 Building on earlier young people to experience learning thinking through engineering … that will both engage their interest in As educators we must engineering and develop the EHoM, Thinking like an engineer established provide this encouragement along with the knowledge and skills a different way of describing that they will need to develop as engineering in schools, not as a set to young people, curriculum engineers. of disciplines but as six habits of permitting or not.117 mind. Schools have said that this has As this study has explored the three advantages. First, it enables George, 2017 strategies of those who are teachers of many different subjects successfully making progress, key to see beyond their particular questions have been considered. What discipline and see engineering in a are the roles of leaders at all levels of way that is free from whether it is, the system in creating opportunities for example mathematics, science for young people to develop an interest or D&T. Secondly, it resonates well in engineering in schools? What are with engineers and provides a useful the enabling factors? What are the talking and connecting piece between barriers? What are the characteristics teachers and engineers, both of whom of effective leaders? may be wary of the other. Thirdly, and probably most importantly, it opens 5.1 The challenge we face up a discussion about teaching and learning – pedagogy – that is free We have a problem in England, in the of any one subject and can focus on UK and, indeed, in many countries how teachers can best develop EHoM across the world. Schools are simply through whichever subject or subjects not producing sufficient quantity, work best for them. variety and quality of young people who have the STEM literacy skills, or Learning to be an engineer, a small- EHoM, to function effectively in the scale proof of concept study with more modern workplace and contribute to than 30 schools, showed that teachers society, let alone progress on to further in both secondary and primary engineering qualifications. schools, with support and appropriate professional development, can adjust There are many challenges for the way they teach to offer a much schools trying to address this richer set of curricular opportunities problem and these are most acute for their pupils. As the authors worked at secondary level. They include with this group of largely self-selecting the fact: that engineering is schools it became evident that their
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 46 leaders, whether operating at senior, The evidence suggests that there are middle or classroom level, seemed to six core elements of such cultures. be slightly different from other leaders encountered. Engineering is valued, either as an experience, as a way of thinking, Given the large number of schools as a vehicle through which other in the UK and the enormous scale subjects are made relevant to pupils. of the problem, this study adopted In some form, it is explicitly part of the a positive deviance approach. school’s development plan and drives Through networks, especially those curriculum, pedagogy and professional emanating from the Royal Academy learning within the institution. of Engineering, it identified a sample of schools who are, in some way, Teachers operate within an atmosphere doing extraordinary things to promote of high trust. If staff are going to and embed engineering. Adopting a be encouraged to experiment and largely qualitative approach allows undertake small tests of change, they the authors to begin to understand need to be given a level of trust over more about the leadership issues time to see things through. facing schools. Related to this, there needs to be To be sure that the study was not a freedom to experiment, to try overly influenced by a small sample of out new teaching methods, to adapt some 60 enthusiastic schools doing spaces, to investigate new resources, to interesting things with engineering, it engage people from outside the school was grounded in a broader literature and to give pupils new roles. survey to establish secure models of These endeavours need to be effective leadership against which it undertaken within an environment of could locate its findings. In addition supported risk-taking, where time is to establishing general principles, made available, professional learning the study aimed to understand is provided and teachers are able to wider thinking about the leadership co-design lessons together. Failure challenges of embedding something is tolerated as part of the process of such as engineering, for which the gathering evidence on what works. school system is poorly set up given its nature and status. The authors also Given the necessity of engaging with used their knowledge of approximately individual engineers and engineering 30 other schools with which they have businesses, it is axiomatic that schools worked closely over the last three need to be actively outward-looking. years, to help to sense-check the emerging findings. Perhaps most importantly, as the conditions in which engineering and As a consequence, the study was EHoM can flourish depend ultimately on able to understand more about the decisions about teaching and learning, context and its challenges and describe the culture and the efforts of all those the features of school culture, which with a leadership role within it need to seem most conducive along with the be pedagogy-focused. attributes of effective leaders, the strategies they value and the activities 5.4 Leadership attributes they consider to be most useful. As seen in sections 3 and 4, the kinds 5.3 Culture of attributes needed for successful leadership vary according to the phase Schools are busy places and their of school and its context. Nevertheless, leaders face demands from many the following set of 12 attributes quarters. Whether or not to focus on seems to be important in this context: engineering is something that has to communicative, collaborative, be a conscious decision if it is to stand courageous, creative thinker, flexible, a chance. A conducive culture has to be improver, open-minded, persistent, created for education for engineering resilient, risk-taker, vision-led and to thrive. knowledgeable.
47 Royal Academy of Engineering Putting it all togther and moving forward
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 48 Such attributes would, of course, stand change if young people are to be given most leaders in good stead. They are, to the full range of opportunities and the an extent, useful in most contexts. kinds of professional learning most likely to achieve this. In terms of leadership for engineering they come with certain nuances. A powerful school leader of Communication is important both engineering would seem to have within and beyond school as a key both a set of widely noted leadership element of advocacy because, in the attributes and some specific habits of absence of engineering’s place on mind encompassing their valuing of the curriculum, leaders have to argue engineering, their interest in pedagogy, persuasively for it. Collaborative is and a passion for a kind of professional required both within disciplines and learning that sees teachers as active with external bodies. Courageous agents in changing their practices is there as any discretionary act by as part of a professional learning schools in a period of high external community. accountability requires courage. 5.5 Leadership functions and Creative thinking exists at many strategies levels – in terms of management structures, the organisation of space, Figure 3 on page 17 offered a relatively the development of novel partnerships, widely accepted view of leadership, and the trialling of new methods of derived from the literature, that teaching and learning. Flexibility, separates out attributes, strategies especially at secondary level, is and functions. But when analysing the critically important if something that survey and interview data it became is essentially beyond any one subject increasingly clear that the distinction discipline is to find its way onto the between strategy and function, timetable. Improving is what engineers how and what, was potentially an do all the time, never being satisfied artificial one. with the current approach or model; unsurprisingly it seems an important Instead the authors saw and heard habit of mind for leaders. several things under each of the four headings – set direction, develop Open-mindedness is essential where people, redesign organisation, and there is often no one right way in an manage teaching and learning – which area of emerging practice. Persistence are summarised here. is essential as the kinds of shifts in teaching and learning required to 5.5.1 Setting direction cultivate EHoM take time, often more than one school year. Effective leaders:
Resilience, the companion of n have whole school focus on persistence, matters because it is engineering inevitable that, when trying out new things, some will not ‘fly’ and leaders n use the engineering design process will need to hold the nerve and bounce and EHoM or similar to help them back. Nothing new happens without think across the boundaries of risk-taking. individual subjects
The last attribute, knowledgeable, n have a view of education being for is used here to describe an informed life not just in school understanding of signature pedagogy n seek to create an ‘industry ethos’ for engineering along with the importance of engineering to the local n see employers seen as and national economy. critical partners
At the heart of all of these attributes n show that pedagogy supports is a vision of the importance of learning process as well as subjects engineering, of how the school’s pedagogical approaches need to n have a long-term vision
49 Royal Academy of Engineering Putting it all togther and moving forward
n use varied communication n create a curriculum for teachers to strategies depending on audience use and adapt to their subjects n lead by example. n align curriculum change with existing learning habits 5.5.2 Developing people n use alumni as models. Effective leaders: 5.5.4 Managing teaching and n model desired pedagogy to others learning n encourage staff to make small Effective leaders: steps of change to link new pedagogy to existing approaches n increase flexibility within the timetable n use internal staff expertise to share best practice n use assessment and progression to demonstrate value of engineering n offer teachers stimulating challenges n give staff flexibility to deliver the curriculum, without relaxing n trust teachers to take risks accountability n use problem-solving approaches n look for ‘quick wins’, but not at the with individual staff to improve expense of the long-term vision their skills n align staff strengths and interests n personally participate in teacher with curriculum needs professional development n provide a supportive environment n engage school governors when staff tackle new challenges with engineering expertise to support SLT. n collaborate with other schools and the local community to secure 5.5.3 Redesigning the teaching resources. organisation 5.6 The Leadership for Effective leaders: Engineering in Schools model n link a rationale for engineering to their school ethos Leadership for engineering in schools is not radically different from good n align any desired curriculum change school leadership more generally. to school ethos Nevertheless, there are certain key n increase employer involvement in features of school culture, personal the curriculum attributes, strategies and functions that are, when taken together, n encourage and direct employer noteworthy. involvement to meet school needs Drawing on earlier synthesis of n expand the range of engineering- thinking about leadership and the focused extracurricular activities more detailed analysis of some school leaders, this study has begun to paint n invite governors in to experience a picture of the kind of leadership the changes in the classroom model that seems to enable n research desired practice, engineering to flourish, which has start it off and then hand to been brought together in figure 10. others to embed It would seem that successful school n build on teachers’ existing skillsets leaders of engineering know the kind of culture they need to create n engage parents using varied and maintain. They have a set of strategies relatively commonly noted leadership
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 50 External context: Skills demand; accountability regime; perception of engineering
Culture (where): Engineering is a priority; high trust; freedom to experiment; supported risk taking; failure is tolerated; outward looking; pedagogy focused
Personal attributes Leadership functions 1–4 (what) and leadership strategies (how) (who):
Collaborative 4. Manage 2. Develop 3. Redesign 1. Set Direction teaching & Flexible people Organisation learning Resilient Open-minded Whole-school Model desired Link rationale for Increase flexibility focus on pedagogy; engineering to school of timetable; Persistent engineering; ethos; Align desired Small steps of Give staff flexibility Optimistic curriculum change to EDP & EHoM change to link to deliver the school ethos; Courageous used for thinking new pedagogy to curriculum, across subjects; existing approach; Increase employer but don’t relax Vision-led involvement in curriculum; accountability; Education is for Use internal staff Creative thinker life; expertise to share Direct employer Use assessment to best practice; involvement to meet value engineering Risk-taker Create ‘industry school needs; projects; Communicator ethos’; Offer teachers stimulating Expand engineering- Look for ‘quick Employers as Improver challenges; focused ECA; wins’, but not at the critical partners; expense of the long Knowledgeable Trust teachers to Invite governors to Pedagogy term vision; take risks; experience the changes in supports learning the classroom; Align staff process as well as Use problem strengths and content; solving approach Research desired practice, interests with with individuals to start it off and then hand Long term vision; curriculum needs; improve skills; to others to embed; Varied Provide supportive Participate Build on teachers’ existing communication environment when Belief in value in teacher skill sets; strategies; staff tackle new of engineering, professional Engage parents using challenges; in signature Leadership by development; varied strategies; pedagogy and example. Collaborate with Find school in power of Create a curriculum for other schools & governors with professional teachers to use and adapt local community engineering learning to their subjects; to secure teaching expertise to resources. support SLT. Align curriculum change with existing learning habits; Use alumni as models.
Figure 10: Centre for Real-World Learning’s Leadership for engineering in schools model
51 Royal Academy of Engineering Putting it all togther and moving forward
attributes combined with three habits Employers and employers’ International organisations of mind that are less well-known: organisations belief in the value of engineering, The Academy might like to approach curiosity about pedagogy and love of Engineering employers should the OECD, building on the OECD’s recent professional learning. encourage their engineers to support decision to introduce a new PISA test school leadership teams by joining of Creative Thinking in 2021, to explore 5.7 Recommendations schools’ governing boards. Through opportunities to develop thinking in EngineeringUK, the engineering 2024 or 2027 for a new kind of PISA To strengthen support for leaders community could also review guidance test of engineering, which would be of of engineering education, the for employers on engaging with use, formatively, to schools. engineering community may like to schools, and develop advice specifically consider the below recommedations in aimed at working with headteachers collaboration with the following bodies. and chairs of governors.
Headteacher organisations Government and awarding/ assessment bodies The engineering community should engage with school leadership The engineering community should organisations, for example, the work with qualification-awarding Association of School and College organisations and the Department for Leaders (ASCL), to focus on pedagogic Education to explore how examples leadership with regard to education of how cross-curricular links can be for engineering. This could involve developed using engineering themes holding a roundtable discussion across the National Curriculum for to begin a national debate about computing, D&T, mathematics and leadership that promotes the value sciences. of incorporating engineering in the curriculum and recommends ways of The engineering community should supporting headteachers to develop also work with the Institute for and implement a strategic vision for Apprenticeships, in particular the engineering. employer panels drafting T-level content in engineering and associated subjects, Engineering professional bodies to explore ways of using the EHoM and subject associations approach in the new qualifications.
School leadership issues involved in The engineering community might like promoting engineering in collaboration to encourage awarding organisations with engineering professional bodies to develop GCSE qualifications in and subject associations should be engineering based on an activity-led highlighted. This might involve: pedagogy and EHoM. n producing case studies of the Ofsted different approaches taken by school leaders to embed The Academy should encourage the engineering in the curriculum, Ofsted lead inspectors for STEM each emphasising one of the four subjects to reflect on the ways in leadership functions and including which inspection, specifically at school leaders discussing their upper secondary level, is ‘bending the approach to the challenges of curriculum out of shape’. There is an leadership opportunity for Ofsted to reinforce the messages learned from earlier research n collaborating with STEM Learning about the teaching of engineering to develop CPD resources for all using the EHoM approach. Equally it is leadership levels that explore the challenges of leading and teaching a moment to take stock of the ways in cross-curricular learning which the EBacc may, unintentionally, be making it more difficult for schools n discussing with providers of to teach important areas such as engineering challenges and awards engineering and consider how breadth how their success criteria might be and balance may be maintained across aligned with EHoM. the curriculum.
Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 52 Glossary
ACER Australian Council for Educational Research Academies Publicly funded schools in England that receive money directly from the Department for Education and are independent of local authority control ASE Association for Science Education CPD Continuing professional development CRL Centre for Real-World Learning, University of Winchester DfE Department for Education D&T Design and technology Distributed When applied to leadership suggests shared, collective and extended practice that builds capacity for change and improvement EBacc English Baccalaureate EHoM Engineering Habits of Mind Free school Schools in England, often set up by parents, community or faith groups, that receive money directly from the Department for Education and are independent of local authority control Grey literature Materials and research produced by reputable organisations outside of mainstream academic or commercial publishing channels GCSE General Certificate of Secondary Education KS Key Stage MAT Multi-academy trust NGSS Next Generation Science Standards (USA) OCR Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examination Board OECD Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Ofsted Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills Pedagogic When applied to leadership suggests an understanding of teaching and learning, sometimes called instructional leadership PISA Program for International Student Assessment – an international assessment managed by OECD that measures 15-year-old students’ reading, mathematics, science and problem solving STEAM Science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics STEM Science, technology, engineering and mathematics T-level Defined pathways to gaining post-16 technical qualifications in 15 specified employment sectors, beginning September 2019 Transactional When applied to leadership suggests a focus on day-to-day organisation, management and performance Transformational When applied to leadership suggests a conscious desire to make significant changes in the interest of learners UTC University technical colleges are schools in England for 14 to 19 year olds delivering technical education as well as the core curriculum
53 Royal Academy of Engineering Endnotes
Endnotes
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55 Royal Academy of Engineering Endnotes
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57 Royal Academy of Engineering Endnotes
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Learning to be an engineer: the role of school leadership 58 Royal Academy of Engineering
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