European Doctorate in Teacher Education

Researching Policy and Practice

Michael Schratz, Hana Červinková, Gábor Halász, Milan Pol, Luís Tinoca (eds.)

This edited volume is a result of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network project “European Doctorate in Teacher Education”, supported by the European Union’s flagship initiative Horizon 2020. Based on the transnational collaboration of five partner universities, namely Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) Budapest, University of Lower Silesia (ULS), University of Lisbon (ULisboa), University of Innsbruck (UIBK) and Masaryk University (MU), EDiTE formed an innovative network for the academic professional development of emerging researchers through the exchange of knowledge across conventional boundaries.

In this volume you will find individually written chapters by the EDiTE researchers that reflect the research results from the European comparative perspective and joint programme experience.

Full book available here.

The art and science of leading a school

Central5: A Central European view on competencies for school leaders.

Michael Schratz,  Astrid Laiminger, Fiona Mac Kay, et al.

“What makes a school leader successful in the 21st century?” was the fundamental question that the Central European expert team investigated. This book gives an insight into their work, the focus of which was school leader competencies and the development (preparation and training) of school leaders in the region. Building on the results of a 3-year long co-operation, partners from Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia sought to develop the first cross-border competency framework for school leaders; a framework based on the expectations of key stakeholders such as school leaders, teachers, trainers of leaders, educational experts and policy-makers. The Central5 – the Central European Competency Framework for School Leaders – defines the knowledge, skills and attitudes a school leader is expected to possess in order to be successful in a turbulent and fast-changing world. As such it encompasses the art and science of leading a school capturing the complexity of their role in five simple domains: • leading and managing learning and teaching • leading and managing change • leading and managing self • leading and managing others • leading and managing the institution. Full book available here.

IMPROVING SCHOOL LEADERSHIP IN CENTRAL EUROPE

Final report of the project: School Leadership for Effective Learning involving the countries of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia 

Michael Schratz, Martin Hartmann, et al.

As a result of the changes we face all around us, the concept of life-long learning has been incorporated into the everyday life of knowledge-based societies. The speed at which new information comes and old information goes, the pace at which new jobs are created together with their own knowledge base, the rate and scale of technological, social and organisational changes all require and necessitate learning new knowledge and adapting to changes. These changes reshape the connection between education and work significantly. This is characterised well by the fact that the labour market is becoming increasingly better at defining what competencies are required from people when fulfilling certain tasks and positions. At the same time, the importance of the individuals’ role, task and responsibility in and towards the continuous improvement of their own expertise is also growing. As a result of these, the role of the sector that enables individuals to prepare themselves for the changes that support their learning and which forms a bridge between the world of work and the individual is also changing. Full book available here.

Self-Evaluation in European Schools 

A Story of Change

John Macbeath, Michael Schratz, Denis Meuret, Lars Jakobsen

In a political and economic climate in which school performance is made public, performance tables and inspectors' reports can only tell a partial story.

This is a unique book. It tells the story of one school seen through the eyes of a pupil, a parent, a teacher, a headteacher and a critical friend. The story is a compelling journey through the process of school improvement; theories of school effectiveness and school improvement are progressively clarified.

This book is based on a well-known and well-documented research project that represents eighteen European countries, which clearly sets it in a European Policy context. It includes a wealth of practical tools for raising standards for teachers and school managers to refer to, and guidance on how to use them.

This eagerly awaited follow-up to Schools Must Speak for Themselves by John MacBeath (RoutledgeFalmer 1999) is a vital and useful source of good ideas, challenging insights and practical strategies for real schools. Further information and availability.

Research as Social Change

New Opportunities for Qualitative Research

Michael Schratz, Rob Walker

Have you ever thought research is boring? "Research" writes Umberto Eco "should be fun". It seems unlikely that Umberto Eco has read many of the standard social science or education research texts. But social research does offer the possibility of involvement in projects that are informative, sometimes revealing, and fun to do. This book shows us that teaching, learning and research are essentially social and deeply personal activities and that fun needs to be an integral part of this.

This is not a conventional text, although it is about ways in which research can be used by those in various areas of professional practice. Its main concerns are with qualitative research, action research and case study methods, and it goes back to first principles arguing for research that is concerned with the nature of personal memories and of perception, the use of drawings and photographs, the emotional relationships implicit in any kind of research and the context of the contemporary workplace. The authors develop new directions and new possibilities for research and find ways of bringing together theory and practice, the personal and the social, organisations and their clients. It is an important resource for all who are interested in doing research but are sceptical or critical of most studies that are currently available. Further information and availabilty.

Teaching Teenagers:

Model Activity Sequences for Humanistic Language Learning 

Herbert Puchta, Michael Schratz

This book shows how teachers can motivate teenage language learners, encourage them to communicate in a real way and teach humanistically while following a predetermined school syllabus. It gives 9 sequences of activities which provide an account of the authors' experience of addressing these problems and the techniques which they used. The book shows how to make language learning relevant to the students' own experience. It explains how to stimulate creativity and encourages students to learn both independently and co-operatively, whilst developing social skills at the same time. All the sequences in the book can be followed as described adapted to other content or referred to as a source of individual activities. The "Pilgrim Longman Resource Books" aim to provide a range of practical lessons in recipe format. They are written by experienced English language teachers. The activities can be used as the basis for lessons, as a departure point for classroom development and creativity or as last minute time fillers.

From Welfarism to Neo-Liberalism: Conceptualizing the Diversity of Leadership Models in Europe.

David Hall, Jorunn Møller, Michael Schratz,  Roberto Serpieri

The Wiley International Handbook of Educational Leadership.

 Political Culture and Educational Reform. Austria's Balancing Act: Walking the Tightrope between Federalism and Centralization.

Geert Devos, Mats Ekholm, Kaspar Kofod, Karen Seashore Louis, Leif Moos, Michael Schratz, Boudewijn van Velzen

Educational Policy in an International Context. Houndmills.

Leadership Development in Europe.

Jorunn Møller, Michael Schratz

International Handbook on the Preparation and Development of School Leaders.