Contemporary leadership theory recognises the dynamic relationship of the individual, the organisation, and the wider macro-environment. Leadership theory and practice now has a primordial focus on the ubiquitous nature of change as a constant, driven through such stimuli as political, economic and technological forces. In the dynamic interplay of organism and environment, today's educational leaders are required to embrace a proactive approach to change leadership versus managing the consequences of reacting to enforced change. The rationale of this module is specifically constructed to ensure that program participants achieve an awareness of their power to continuously horizon scan for triggers of change, and to retain the ability to influence change through adopting a forward-thinking ontology. In addition, contemporary theory recognises the place of individual difference in change leadership i.e. change that might not be stressful for one individual may be stressful for another. Therefore, leading change in today's world is now considered a transactional function predicated on the unique exchange between leader and team member, where relationship is pivotal in the successful achievement of change.

In previous modules students will have examined change and leadership theory and have deepened their awareness of historical theories such as trait, behavioural, transformational, and contemporary dynamic / transactional / relational theories. The module focuses on macro-environmental forces that constitute the arena within which largely uncontrollable change emanates from i.e. political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal forces. In addition the module will examine intrapreneurial pedagogical leadership styles; continuous environmental scanning; advance planning for change; the role of individual difference, e.g. recognition that the same change stimulus for one person maybe substantially more stressful for than for another; change as dynamic; change forces; risk and the promotion of innovation.

Upon completion of the module participants will be able to: • Critically examine the professional meaning and role of the educational leader in a changing society. • Examine the impact of national and international policy developments on the professional role of the teacher. • Identify and critique national and international policies for educational leadership. • Critique the influence of educational leadership policy as a macro-environmental sources of change for educational settings. • Identify their own leadership styles and evaluate further developmental needs in terms of their own capacity to lead change. • Possess an enhanced appreciation of the opportunities for an intrapreneurial approach to educational change leadership within the framework of their own organisation.

• Demonstrate an enhanced skillset in terms of appreciating the role of individual difference in responding to change. • Develop the disposition towards holistic leadership and well-being of staff.

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This module will be delivered online. Online classes will take place via UL's chosen learning-management system SULIS and will include communication, content delivery, and assessment tools to facilitate the teaching-and-learning process. Flexibility is a core aim of this online delivery. Lectures will be delivered asynchronously thus lectures and class activities don't take place in real time. Instead, students can complete the tasks whenever their schedules permit. Discussion forums that enable students to engage in conversations about class content with the module leader and with a moderator will occur in real time. Online pedagogies and e-tivities will be employed to ensure dynamic delivery for an engaging student experience. A detailed Module Handbook designed by the module team will detail each lecture, how the lectures structures and foreshadow linked tutorials both conceptually and pedagogically (i.e. learning tasks/activities and pedagogical process protocols), reflection sheets for all in-class activities, readings (as PDFs online).