A self-study course on pedagogical management and leadership soon available

Managers of educational institutions in Quebec will soon have free access to free-standing training on management and pedagogical leadership. This will offer them, among other things, a digital action plan model to be developed for the educational establishments they run. It will respond to a need already expressed in this direction.

" This formation suggests that school administrators take a time out to reflect on their management practices and the integration of digital technology in their school. It will bring together a set of resources which aim to support them in their function ”, indicates France Gravelle, full professor in educational management and new governance at the University of Quebec in Montreal, who actively participates in the design of self-study.

This project follows a research on management strategies for the implementation of digital technology in schools that Ms. Gravelle carried out with her team, at the request of the Quebec Ministry of Education (MEQ) between 2018 and 2020. The participants in this research had among other things identified "the prescription of a digital plan by educational institution" as being essential to accelerate the digital transformation of the Quebec education system.

The report, made public in March 2020, also highlighted the need for training school managers to achieve the deployment of digital in schools. Of course, the pandemic has changed the way things are done, but the need for training is still real.

Self-supporting training contains seven modules offering replay webinars, video clips and readings. The modules are summarized as follows: 

• authentic leadership
• the four dimensions of transformational leadership
• transformational leadership practices in the context of digital implementation
• mobilization practices of the educational environment, towards the digital transformation of the educational institution
• strategic management 
• digital infrastructure management

She is offered free of charge thanks to the support of the MEQ. Ms. Gravelle estimates that managers will take between 30 and 40 hours to go through them. "They can of course do it at their own pace and no order is imposed," she says. In addition, participants will obtain a certificate once they have completed the training course.

Good management practices 

The research conducted by Ms. Gravelle and her team, made up of Nathalie Frigon, doctoral student and Julie Monette, master's student, aimed to help management implement digital technology in educational institutions. 

“According to the comments gathered from the participants, it seems that the research hypotheses are validated as to the facts that the lack of transformational leadership of management can have the impact of delaying the implementation of digital within educational institutions. ”, We read in the report.

Transformational leadership practices that should be encouraged in connection with the implementation of digital technology have also been identified during the research. These are practices of influences towards a common vision, practices of inspiration, motivation and commitment, practices of intellectual stimulation towards innovation and practices of consideration in the development of digital skills.

Ms. Gravelle and her team also carried out a similar study for the Francophone Distance Learning Network of Canada (REFAD). The results, made public in 2019, essentially go in the same direction.

In addition: As mentioned in the #Édubrèves of September 5, 2021.

A new collective work, under the direction of Under the direction of France Gravelle, Nathalie Frigon and Julie monette, has just been published by the Presses de l'Université du Québec. It is made up of nine chapters with the objective of promoting professional practices that have fostered the digital transformation of educational institutions in Quebec. A great read for inspiration.