How emotion can support educational change leadership: A case study Dr Christopher M. Branson Professor of Educational Leadership Director of Catholic Leadership Studies La Salle Academy Australian Catholic University christopher.branson@acu.edu.au

Background to the Research A joint UCEA/BELMAS international research project Commenced in 2011 (5 Universities; 6 Countries) Currently there are approximately 36 Universities conducting research in 25 Countries Data described in this presentation gathered for New Zealand contribution

Aims of the Research Research Questions: (1) What is ‘social justice leadership’, and what does it look like when we see it? (2) How can an international and comparative methodology enhance our understanding of what social justice leadership means in different national contexts?   Guiding Data Gathering Questions: (1) How do social justice leaders make sense of ‘social justice’? (2) What do social justice leaders do? (3) What factors help or hinder the work of social justice leaders? (4) How did social justice leaders learn to become social justice leaders?

Approach to the Research New Zealand Approach: Distributed invitation to each school principal in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions 46 principals volunteered 18 interviewed 3 selected for indepth study Lisa was one of these three – BUT emphasis in this presentation is the influence of emotion in her leadership

NZ Student Achievement Data Variance in student achievement Schools: About 5-10% Teachers: About 30% Students: About 50%

Initial School Background Data a divided staff very poorly maintained facilities regular instances of student overt aggression and violence numerous students who continually lacked respect for people, property and school rules school enrolment decreasing rapidly student achievement levels were well below national standards parental involvement was limited staff morale was low A “Bully School”

Current School Data Student enrolments increased from below 400 to around 650 students. Student achievement data shows that the percentage of students achieving at or above the national standards in both writing and mathematics has doubled. For Maori students, 64% now achieving at or above the national standards for reading, 54% for writing, and 48% for mathematics. For Pasifika students, 74% are now achieving at or above the national standards for reading, 67% for writing, and 74% for mathematics. High Achieving School

The First Sign of Emotion Lisa’s explanation of what constitutes social justice was simply, “I think social justice to me is not making excuses. There's no excuse!”

“somebody needed to love this place” Lisa’s thoughts when asked why she accepted becoming the principal of a school widely considered to be a “Bully Zone” – a grossly underperforming school

“the school was really struggling” and “it was a pretty sad place” and yes “student behaviour was appalling” and so the staff “were very disillusioned but incredibly resilient” Although many blamed the staff for letting student behaviour get out of ‘control’, Lisa’s views of the staff she inherited were …..

So what did Lisa think about the students in her new school? “they're beautiful kids here but the school was feral” and so our aim was about “making the school a safe, happy place” because “the child's the heart of the matter - that's very real for me. I love kids. I love their personalities, I love what makes them tick and ... so every child deserves to have a difference made for them every single day.” So what did Lisa think about the students in her new school?

“Who's really passionate … it's about – ‘are you passionate, you know, do you love kids, are you hard-working’ - and if you're one of those people then come and play”. Lisa’s challenge to her staff was …..

“I could honestly say like I have always loved the kids, I have always loved the community. But I can actually honestly say I was falling in love with the staff. I told them - you know I am immensely proud of you and so proud of what we all have achieved. I am actually falling in love with the staff. I think that was quite a huge shift for me, to actually feel that emotional connection to the staff, which is a significant shift”. What was the most telling for Lisa on reflecting back on what the school had achieved?

1. It drew more attention to what Lisa was saying 2 1. It drew more attention to what Lisa was saying 2. It showed to others that Lisa was totally committed to what she was saying 3. It made others consider more seriously what was being said. What was the significance of this emotional aspect of Lisa’s leadership?

These changes “really tested me and … I think I've been pushed to my limit … I get really tired. … If I’m tired I'll get teary”. “Probably the first two years I didn't really get a break at all and I really did hit the wall in the middle of that two year period and I ... I still haven't got the balance back so that's a personal toll I think because I like to exercise, I like to do things with friends, I have a husband that holds everything together at home so I think that's the toll and the emotional toll as well so you get quite emotionally tired”. Was there an emotional impact on Lisa too?

Is it really possible to ignore the emotional side of leadership Is it really possible to ignore the emotional side of leadership? If so, at what cost?