Amany Saleh, holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction
from the
University
of
Alabama. She is
currently a Professor at
ArkansasStateUniversity.
Her research interests include reflective teaching, metacognition, learning and
brain theories, and constructive teaching.
The
authors, two educational leadership doctoral students and two doctoral faculty
members, reflect on their experience with the implementation of a group
project. The purpose of the project was to offer students an authentic learning
experience in which they apply their knowledge of leadership theories to a
group project facilitated. The students describe their experience and provide
an analysis of the lessons learned from their participation in the project,
while the faculty discusses their observations of the dynamics of the cohort
members’ interactions over the project. The authors offer insights from their
experience to guide future practices of educational leadership programs.
Over the past 50 years, universities have become valued service organizations. These authors highlight changes in many aspects of such service. They contend that services provided by universities should parallel more closely services offered by elite spas, designed to provide expert discipline and training, than services offered by open buffets.
The authors provided significant insights into an educational leadership preparation program. Students’ reflective writings were analyzed to determine how well the program prepared students for their role as future school leaders by examining how closely their experiences as described in their reflective journals aligned with the ELCC standards. Results should help colleges of education better serve their interns and improve school practices in an era of standards.
