OEM 201: EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
January 15, 2018
Albert J.Safari
INTRODUCTION
This course on educational management and leadership is meant to equip learners with the knowledge of various aspects in the areas of educational management and leadership. The knowledge obtained from the course could be useful to student teachers and other learners aspiring to develop their knowledge of management and leadership in education. This course is going to cover the following aspects:
1. Management and leadership theories
2. Functions and tasks of management
3. Pedagogical and technical leadership skills
4. Educational management and leadership skills
5. Management of change in educational organizations
6. Management of educational resources
7. Conflict and conflict management in educational organizations
8. Organizational climate and culture in educational institutions
9. Research in educational management and leadership
10. Teacher services organs
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of the course student teachers should be able to achieve the following:
1. To acquire theoretical background of management and leadership;
2. To obtain knowledge and skills for managing educational organizations;
3. To attain leadership skills in managing changes, conflicts, resources and culture in educational organizations.
4. To gain aspects of pedagogical and technical leadership skills to student teachers;
5. To attain basic research skills in educational management and leadership;
6. To gain investigative skills that helps leaders to make rational decisions;
7. To understand public services tools.
LECTURE ONE
THE CONCEPT OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP
This lecture introduces the concept of educational management and leadership and a range of other useful terminologies
1. Management
The term management
originated from an Italian word maneggiare which means handle.
Okumbe (1999) defines management as the process of designing, developing, and effecting organizational objectives and resources so as to achieve predetermined organizational goals.
Bose (2003) supports Okumbe by stressing that management is the function of getting things done through people and directing efforts of individuals towards a common objective.
In the biography of Mary Parker Follett (1868–1933) written by P. Graham management is defined as the art of getting things done through the efforts of other people.
Management involves coordinating and overseeing the work activities of others so that their activities are completed efficiently and effectively.
1. Coordinating and overseeing the work of others is what distinguishes a managerial position from a non managerial one.
2. Efficiency is getting the most output from the least amount of inputs in order to minimize resource costs. Efficiency is often referred to as “doing things right”
3. Effectiveness is completing activities so that organizational goals are attained. Effectiveness is often described as “doing the right things”
2. Educational management
Educational management is a complex human enterprise in which different resources are brought together and made available to achieve and to accomplish the desire and expected educational goals or objectives.
Thus management of education or educational management implies the practical measures for ensuring the system to work for achieving the goals or objectives of an educational institution. Educational management operates in educational organizations or institutions.
3. Manager
A manager is someone who coordinates and oversees the work of other people so that organizational goals can be accomplished. A manager is not seeking for personal achievement but helping others do their job. Managers may also have additional work duties not related to coordinating the work of others.
Managers can be classified by their level in the organization, particularly in traditionally structured organizations—those shaped like a pyramid
First-line managers
(often called supervisors) are located on the lowest level of management.
Middle managers include all levels of management between the first-line level and the top level of the organization.
Top managers include managers at or near the top of the organization who are responsible for making organization-wide decisions and establishing plans and goals that affect the entire organization.
4. Administration
Administration is the ability to mobilize human and material resources towards achievement of organizational goals.
Nwankwo (1981) describes administration as the careful and systematic arrangement and use of human and material resources, situations and opportunities for the achievement of specific objectives.
Beach (1975) support the statement by adding that administration is a part of management which is concerned with the installation and carrying out of the procedures by which programs, plans and targets are laid down and communicated, and the progress of activities regulated and checked against them.
5. Educational Administration
Okumbe (1999) defines educational administration as a process of acquiring and allocating resources for the achievement of predetermined educational goals. The field ideally distinguishes itself from administration and management through its adherence to guiding principles of educational philosophy.
Schools or colleges comprise certain personnel i.e. teaching and non-teaching staff as well as the students. These human resources in the school or college work with some materials, such as instructional materials, equipment, and financial resources in order to achieve the objectives of the school/college.
Akinwumi & Jayeoba (2004) define school administration as the scientific organization of human and material resources and programs available for education and using them systematically and meticulously to achieve educational goals. In this case the term educational administration can synonymously be used with the term school administration.
6. The difference between management and administration
Administration may be defined as a process of coordinating human and material resources in order to achieve organizational goals. Administration deals with gathering, processing, and communicating information.
Practically, everybody working for an organization participates in the administrative activities. Even those who do not hold any managerial position participate when receiving written or oral instructions and reporting back on the outcome of their work.
Those who have managerial positions complete much more administrative activities, for example, they are engaged in planning of various processes, and assigning resources to various units of the organization.
Differences between management and administration can be summarized as follows:-
The nature of work. Administration is concerned with the determination of objectives and major policies of an organization. Management puts into action the policies and plans laid out by the administration. Thus, administration plays a determinative function while the management plays an executive function.
The level of authority. Administration is a top-level activity while management is middle level activity.
The nature of status. Administration consists of owners who invest the capital and receive profits or dividend from an enterprise while management is a group of managerial personnel who use their specialized knowledge to fulfill the objective of an enterprise.
Nature of usage. Administration is popular with government, military, educational and religious organizations while management is mostly used in business enterprises.
Main functions. Administration involves planning and organizing functions while management involves motivating and controlling functions.
The abilities required. Administration needs administrative rather than technical abilities. Management requires technical activities. Management handles the employers. Administration handles the business aspects such as finance.
What influence decisions. In administration decisions are influenced by public opinion, government policies, social and religious factors while management decisions are influenced by the values, opinions and beliefs of the managers.
7. Leadership
Is the process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task.
According to Rauch & Behling, (1984) leadership is the process of influencing the activities of an organized group toward goal achievement.
House et al., (1999) define leadership as “the ability of an individual to influence, motivate, and enable others to contribute toward the effectiveness and success of the organization…”
Northouse (2004) defines Leadership as a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.
He further identified four common themes in the way leadership now tends to be conceived: (1) leadership is a process ; (2) leadership involves influence; (3) leadership occurs in a group context; and (4) leadership involves goal attainment .
The leader may or may not have any formal authority. With regards to how leaders emerge various theories have been provided produced involving traits, situational interaction, function, behavior, power, vision and values, charisma and intelligence, among others.
8. Leader
A leader is a person who guides others toward a common goal, showing the way by example, and creating an environment in which other team members feel actively involved in the entire process.
A leader is not the boss of the team but, instead, the person that is committed to carrying out the mission of the venture for example a school.
A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards the achievement of a goal. A leader by its meaning is one who goes first and leads by example, so that others are motivated to follow him. This is a basic requirement. To be a leader, a person must have a deep-rooted commitment to the goal.
