E*N*I*R*D*E*L*M

European Network for Improving Research and Development in Educational Leadership and Management

ENIRDELM2008, in Bergen Norway

Last conference - the seventeenth annual meeting - was held in Bergen, Norway, September 25th-28th 2008. The theme for the conference was;

Leading to Learn together and Learning to Lead together

The theme for the 2008 ENIRDELM Conference linked two key issues which were at the centre of international education discourse: Educational Leadership and Lifelong Learning. The reality of an expanding and shifting knowledge-base for educational leaders and also the ever-changing education context in which they seek to achieve their goals, makes inescapable a commitment to lifelong professional learning by all those involved in education and educational leadership.

The conference theme for 2008 offered a backdrop for discussion and debate on -

  • The role of educational leadership in enabling personal, professional and organisational learning?
  • What are ‘best ways’ of learning to lead in a collaborative way?

It also offered an opportunity for presenters and participants to explore the interdependence of these two processes and the significance of ‘relationships’ and the affective dimension of leading and learning to both.

During the conference we explored fundamental questions which the facilitation of these processes poses for policymakers, researchers, leaders in education including school leaders and classroom practitioners:

  • What are the key enabling / inhibiting factors for ‘learning leadership’ and ‘leading learning’ at institutional and at national level?
  • What are the main tensions? 
  • Who are the key players?
  • Does organisational / school culture play a role?
  • How significant are organisational relationship / power issues?
  • What is best practice with regard to the management and co-ordination of enabling resources and structures?
  • Do networks / partnerships have a role?
  • Are there implications for educational development and teacher continuing professional development?

This conference intended to put more weight on workshops than in recent years. The idea was to create an environment for discussion, so that people would get feedback on ideas, practice, research projects, educational policy, leadership experience, school leadership training programmes, etc.
The workshop groups had each a two 90 minutes sessions. The leader of the workshop saw to that an introduction to the theme of the workshop was given. It was limited to 15 minutes at the most. A written presentation was submitted to the participants electronically beforehand. This workshop procedure facilitated creativity and partipation and will be integrated in the next conference.

ENIRDELM CONFERENCE 2009

 

In 2009 Antwerp will host the ENIRDELM Conference for the second time (last time was 1997). The conference will take place from the 17th till the 19th of September, at the city campus of the University of Antwerp. Antwerp is in the Flemish part of Belgium, near the Dutch border, so participants can fly to Brussels and Amsterdam as well.

We will follow the Bergen format (the  experiment to spread workshops over two days was successful) and we are exploring the introduction of three novelties:

  1. an alternative way of “meeting old and new friends”
  2. a session in which the participants will be confronted with members of the Antwerp educational community and their SWOT’s (a small sample of 80.000 pupils/students, +/- 10.000 teachers, school board members and administrators, and a 500.000 a community with rapidly changing sociological, ethnic and cultural realities).
  3. 1 or 2 workshops on the theme(s) of former conferences that will lead to more continuity in our way of thinking.

 

The final program and the official theme of the conference have to be decided on by the ENIRDELM Board in January. But from an Antwerp perspective, the relationship of school management and leadership on the one hand, and the changing social context on the other, seems an interesting topic.

We hope to welcome a lot of new and old friends!

Info on the University: www.ua.ac.be
Info on Antwerp: www.Antwerpen.be

Paul Mahieu

 

 

 

 

Workshops

This last conference put more weight on workshops than recent years. The idea was to create an environment for discussion, making room for feedback on ideas, practice, research projects, educational policy, leadership experience, school leadership training programs etc.


What did we do last year and the year before...

Last year's conference ...

ENIRDELM2008, in Bergen Norway

Last conference - the seventeenth annual meeting - was held in Bergen, Norway, September 25th-28th 2008. The theme for the conference was;

Leading to Learn together and Learning to Lead together

See conference website --->

 

Report from the Uppsala conference 2007

“Education with a Moral Purpose: Educational Leadership, Management and Governance for a Sustainable Future”.

Conference website --->

 

Reflection on the Uppsala Conference theme by David Oldroyd

Archive of previous conferences