Education leaders play a pivotal role in the lives of students, teachers, and school systems. These influential individuals guide students as they learn, ensuring that the school environment is safe and inclusive, and they may even be responsible for contributing to or making critical budgetary decisions.
While there is no one-size-fits-all leadership style approach, current and aspiring school leaders can benefit from learning various leadership styles in education to use in nearly all situations, circumstances, or environments. Furthermore, one of the best ways to develop these styles is through a Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D) program.
Let’s take a closer look at the importance of leadership in education and the various leadership styles in education taught in an Educational Leadership degree program.
Is leadership in education important?
Leaders of any kind and in any industry are crucial to the success of the individual, group, and organization. Good leaders empower and train others to achieve and perform to the best of their abilities and may inspire them to become leaders.
That said, education leaders carry an extra level of importance as they impact and make a difference in the next generation’s lives. Educational leaders improve students’ academic success and ability to problem solve and regulate emotions, and ultimately prepare students for professional careers and future success.
Furthermore, effective leaders in education are agents of change as they guide the direction of institutions and influence education policy and curriculum at the state and federal levels.
Simply put, with skilled, trained, and qualified education leaders, our school systems, teachers, and students alike can finally live up to their potential. For this very reason, many pursue their Education Doctorate degree online or in person to acquire the skills and knowledge needed for this fulfilling career.
What is a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership?
A Doctorate of Education (Ed.D) in Educational Leadership is a terminal doctoral degree that trains students to fulfill leadership roles in various educational settings, including elementary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions.
By focusing on leadership and preparing students to work as public and private education leaders, policymakers, and researchers, Educational Leadership degrees enable graduates to make a positive impact and difference in the lives of students and teachers. Students can expect to take the following classes in an Ed.D. program:
- Public School Finance
- Constitutional Law
- Introduction to Research
- Literature Review
- Organization Management
- Education and Urban Leadership
- Post-Secondary Teaching or Leadership Experience
Students should also expect to complete a comprehensive exam, prepare a dissertation, and defend it as part of their Education Doctorate degree.
Doctorate of Education (Ed.D) in Educational Leadership programs can generally take between three and four years to complete. However, many programs, like University of Bridgeport, offer hybrid/primarily online programs, which can be completed in as few as three years. In these programs, students complete most of their coursework online except for two one-week doctoral residences in person during the first two summers of the program.
Interested in making a difference in your community? Learn more about becoming an educational leader today!
What leadership styles are taught in education doctorate degree (Ed.D) programs?
Graduates of Education Doctorate degree programs go on to positions as higher education administrators, researchers, policymakers, leaders in K-12 educational settings, curriculum specialists, education consultants, and more.
Thus, to be prepared for these various settings, an Ed.D. program must be equipped to espouse many leadership styles commonly discussed and taught within Educational Leadership degree programs.
1. Transformational leadership
A transformational leader collaborates and works to influence, inspire, and encourage employees to deliver positive change.
They care about their employees and students and want to see them succeed by leading with enthusiasm, energy, and a clear vision for the future of that person and the school. Transformational leaders are effective communicators who can identify and set large-scale objectives and delegate tasks to appropriate parties.
This leadership style is especially effective in teaching and running a school as it focuses on role-modeling with leaders in positions of authority like principals, department heads, and deans.
2. Transactional leadership
Efficient and effective leaders create clear structures, guidelines, requirements, and expectations through transactional leadership.
For example, applicants are presented with straightforward job descriptions and expectations so that they know exactly what will be required of them should they get the job. This leadership style focuses on rewards and punishments, which are laid out initially.
Utilizing a transactional leadership style approach is beneficial when allocating work to others and outlining clear boundaries and expectations. If the work is completed, rewards are provided, but if the employee fails to do their job, leaders must be ready to deliver the consequences.
3. Servant leadership
By using a servant leadership style method, leaders serve the followers rather than vice versa. In this style, the leader’s purpose is to help others accomplish goals and improve however they can.
Servant leaders are adept listeners who strive to listen to the students’ or teachers’ problems and share the power with them. The needs of others come first for servant leaders as they encourage, support, and delegate.
4. Coaching leadership
While transformational leadership tends to focus on the institution and how individuals can help foster change overall, coaching leadership allows leaders to mentor specific employees, teams, or staff.
In turn, leaders can form strong bonds with those they lead and are better equipped to help others identify their strengths and become more aware of their weaknesses to benefit themselves and their organization.
5. Instructional leadership
Many teachers and school administrators take an instructional leadership approach since it focuses on improving the quality of both teaching performance and student progress to ensure the best possible learning experience.
To do so, educational leaders take ownership of advancing teachers’ professional development while the teachers focus on advancing and improving students’ development and performance.
Instructional leaders often have high expectations for the people they oversee and must be skilled at monitoring teachers’ and students’ performance, evaluating their abilities, and identifying areas that need improvement.
As you can see, developing and strengthening a variety of leadership styles in education will only benefit you as a leader in the educational system.
For this reason, many turn to enrolling in a Doctorate of Education degree online, where they learn and develop these leadership styles and skills. Graduates of these programs are specifically trained in research, leadership, curriculum building, and management to establish schools, identify and fix problems, and keep a school’s faculty members and students on track.
Take the next step toward your future in educational leadership by developing skilled leadership styles in University of Bridgeport’s Doctorate of Education degree online. We can’t wait to help you!