This Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership and Management allows learners to top-up the with a Master of Arts in Education.  Learners will only have to undertake a work-based project with the University to gain their degree.

The rapidly changing education environment prompts the need for dynamic and well-informed educational leaders who are innovative and committed to the continual improvement of schools. Educational leaders need to have a deep and up-to-date understanding of current trends in curriculum, assessment and instruction and a future-focused perspective

The focus is on theoretical understandings and practical skills that meet the needs of leaders in the complex educational landscape.  It offers an opportunity for in-depth examination of current thinking, theories, models, issues and practices that contribute to the transformation of educational institutions

Overall Program Outcomes

On completion of this program, learners should be able to:

  • Apply leadership and management principles towards being a transformative leader
  • Develop the skills of critical reflection to improve his or her professional practice
  • Motivate, coach and mentor staff to meet the needs of the changing educational environment with limited resources
  • Exhibit personal characteristics that contribute to change, innovation and the improvement of schools
  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of current thinking in pedagogy, curriculum, assessment and technology

Assessments

Assessments are based wholly on course work, assignments and work-based reports submitted by a learner

Entry Requirements

  • A Bachelor’s Degree qualification in any subject from a recognized institution; or
  • A professional qualification equivalent to a degree; and
  • English Language proficiency in order to participate in the program taught in English;
  • Relevant working experience in the following areas:
    • Academic and administrative leaders of higher education institutions working at the central, faculty or department levels
    • Policy makers and planners from Ministries of Education and other educational regulatory and planning bodies
    • Senior-level educational administrators
    • Educational consultants

Program Structure

The Postgraduate Diploma accrues 120 credits over 6 Modules. Each Module set out below carries 20 credits

  • Module 1 – Educational Leadership & Management
  • Module 2 – Instructional Leadership & Management
  • Module 3 – Strategic Leadership & School Improvement
  • Module 4 – Leading Digital Education
  • Module 5 – Organizational Culture and Change
  • Module 6 – Research in Educational Leadership & Management

Module 1 – Educational Leadership and Management

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate contemporary leadership and management theories, models and practices in the context of the education sector.
  • Examine critically the applicability of Western theories and practice in the socio-cultural context of where they function or operate
  • Examine critically the role and responsibilities of leaders, leadership, management styles and reflective practice in an educational context and setting

Module Content includes:

  • History of management and leadership
  • Management principles
  • Leadership theories and their application to problems in education
  • Leadership and management styles
  • Roles and responsibilities of educational managers and leaders
  • Teachers as leaders
  • Cognitive dimensions of decision making
  • Reflective practice
  • Leadership for school improvement
  • Forming actionable solutions in education

Module 2 – Instructional Leadership and Supervision

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Critically examine the changing role of the headmaster/ principal from an administrator to be a manager and assuming curriculum and instructional leadership
  • Applying best practices to manage teachers and other support staff who are both directly and indirectly responsible for implementing curriculum and instructional design
  • Examine critically the role play by and the practice of reflective practice to cultivate a culture of promoting and improving the quality instructional design, learning and teaching practices

Module Content includes:

  • Introduction to instruction leadership
  • Instructional leadership theories and principles
  • Instructional leadership for headmasters and principles
  • Effective instructional leadership
  • Curriculum implementation and practice
  • Understanding how students learn
  • Clinical instructional supervision
  • Skills and strategies for developing learning organizations
  • Instructional coaching and teacher development
  • Differentiated instruction

Module 3 – Strategic Leadership and School Improvement

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Develop core values, vision and mission for an educational institution
  • Linking strategic management processes including strategic analysis and choices, formulation and implementation which are aligned to the vision, mission, core values and resources of the educational institution
  • Critically examine the measures which can be applied to improve institutional standards and students’ outcomes

Module Content includes:

  • Principles of strategic leadership
  • Characteristics of strategic leaders
  • Strategic leadership in a changing environment
  • School improvement planning process
  • Leadership for school improvement
  • Collaborating across the system
  • Tools and techniques to plan strategically
  • School effectiveness and improvement
  • School improvement tools
  • Process of effective school improvement

Module 4 – Leading the Digital Education Revolution

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Develop core knowledge and skills related to the use of digital tools and technologies in preparing learners to work in an increasingly digital world
  • Apply the use of educational teaching-learning-assessment resources including productivity tools, social media, web-based tools to enhance school operations and processes
  • Critically assess issues relating to promoting the deployment of technology integration in enhancing learning and preparing learners with 21st century skills

Module content includes:

  • Preparing learners for the digital revolution
  • Technological tools
  • Harnessing web resources
  • Integrating technology in the content areas
  • Social media in teaching and learning
  • Student learning with digital technology
  • Technology for differentiated instruction
  • Technology skills for educational leaders
  • Pedagogical strategies adopting technology
  • Mentoring teachers on technology integration

Module 5 – Organizational Culture and Leading Change

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate the range of organizational theories and their application in the context of educational organizations.
  • Critically examine theories and models of collaborative management and decision making to enhance both personal and organizational effectiveness.
  • Critically examine current developments and issues associated with leading and managing innovation and change

Module content includes:

  • Introduction to organizational culture
  • Dimensions of organizational culture
  • Changing the culture
  • Culture affecting organizational change
  • Organizational change cycle
  • Theories of change management
  • Guidelines for effective management of change
  • Successful organizational change
  • Developing and innovative culture
  • Leader driving innovation

Module 6 – Research in Educational Leadership and Management

On completion of this module, students will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate the range of research articles and reports on educational leadership and management
  • Articulate insights and current thinking gleaned from those critical review of literatures and being able to contextualize and apply them in their own educational institutions

Module content includes:

  • Educational management
  • Educational leadership
  • Instructional leadership
  • Change management
  • School culture
  • Instructional technology
  • School improvement
  • Supervision

 

Notional Hours

Notional hours are defined in terms of the amount of time it should take a learner to achieve the learning outcomes.  Each credit requires on average 10 notional hours of a learner’s time.

Guide to Learning Hours / Student Learning Time

The Level 7 Program accrues 120 credits spread over 6 modules or 1,200 notional hours in total.  Each module therefore equates to 200 notional hours and the program should take between 8 to 12 months to complete.