Publications

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Professor Philip Woods | Dr Glenys Woods

Publications | Here are some of our publications

Journal Articles | 2008 - 2012 (please scroll down for earlier articles)

Degrees of School Democracy: A holistic framework, P. A. Woods & G. J. Woods, Journal of School Leadership, 22 (4): 707-732, 2012.

ABSTRACT: This article outlines an analytical framework which enables analysis of degrees of democracy in a school or other organisational setting. It is founded in a holistic conception of democracy, which is a model of working together that aspires to truth, goodness and meaning and the participation of all. We suggest that the analytical framework can be used not only for research purposes but also to help enhance democratic professional participation: it is a resource for collaborative professional development by practitioners, offering a vehicle for school communities to reflect together on where they are as a school and where they would like to be.

Lighting the Fires of Entrepreneurialism? Constructions of meaning in an English inner city Academy, P. A. Woods & G. J. Woods, International Journal of Technology and Educational Marketing, 1 (1): 1-24, 2011.

ABSTRACT: Entrepreneurialism and entrepreneurial leadership are increasingly viewed as essential to improving the capability of organisations to innovate and improve performance. This article aims to refine the conceptual understanding of entrepreneurialism in the context of public education, drawing on data concerning constructions of meaning around entrepreneurialism in an inner city Academy in England. The authors highlight effects of power in forming the discourse and meanings around entrepreneurialism, the layers of meaning in these constructions, and the presence of both business entrepreneurialism and alternative groundings for entrepreneurialism. The article concludes by refining the typology of entrepreneurialism, placing it in the context of levels of meaning and suggesting three implications for schools and educational policy. The association the authors found of enterprise with relational motivations and with public and community-orientated aims suggests a general appetite exists to forge a more radical entrepreneurialism than that prescribed solely by a private, competitive business view of the world.

The Geography of Reflective Leadership: The inner life of democratic learning communities, P. A. Woods & G. J. Woods, Philosophy of Management, 9 (2): 81-97, 2010. [originally delivered at Philosophy of Management Conference, University of Oxford, 2008, 11th-14th July 2008, where it was awarded best paper by the Conference Committee].

ABSTRACT: This paper is underpinned by an epistemological question: What are the types and ways of knowing that can be entailed in reflective leadership in its fullest sense? The question is explored through a mapping exercise which outlines a geography of reflective leadership in terms of three variables: type of knowledge, problem focus, and mode of learning (incorporating the notion of embodied learning). Particular attention is given to recognising within the terrain of reflective leadership the epistemic credentials of spiritual learning and experiential awareness of spirituality.

Academies: Diversity, economism and contending forces for change, P. A. Woods, in T. Green (ed) The Blair's Educational Legacy: Thirteen Years of New Labour, Palgrave, 2010.

ABSTRACT: The focus of this chapter is the UK government’s academies programme in England and the contending forces that characterise this key policy aimed at bringing about transformational change in education. First, a brief outline is provided of the programme’s policy context, where the concern is to create more enterprising public institutions exposed to and involving new private players in education. Second, the academies programme is discussed, with particular attention being given to the developing pattern of sponsorship. Third, in the context of an emergent governance system of ‘plural controlled schooling’, two competing hypotheses are put forward: one suggesting that, despite an emphasis on innovation and diversity, academies tend to converge around an instrumentally driven, business-orientated model of entrepreneurialism and educational priorities; the second suggesting diversification, where meanings and practice show significant variations, including opportunities for progressive change. This second hypothesis looks for the degree to which new openings emerge in the programme, creating spaces for educational alternatives nurturing broader understandings of human potentiality and personal capacities for self-determination. The chapter concludes by drawing attention to the deficit in democratic accountability and the importance of the system’s underlying philosophy. It is also suggested that the academies programme is a policy arena of contending forces within the socialised sphere of relationships and that consequently there is scope to evolve it towards a model of social co-production for human educational needs rather than one of individualistic influence dominated by instrumental and business rationales.

Rationalisation, Disenchantment and Re-Enchantment: Engaging with Weber’s Sociology of Modernity, P. A. Woods, in M. Apple, S. J. Ball & L. A. Gandin (eds), International Handbook of the Sociology of Education, London: Routledge, 2010.

ABSTRACT: This chapter concentrates on Max Weber's characterisation of modernity through the interrelated conceptualisations of rationalisation and disenchantment, the key challenge it generates (concerning the possibility of freedom in a rationalised social order), and ways in which this challenge may be engaged with.

Testing a Typology of Entrepreneurialism: Emerging findings from an academy with an enterprise culture, P. A. Woods & G. J. Woods, Management in Education, 23 (3), 125-129, 2009.

ABSTRACT: Based on initial analyses of a case study of an Academy with a specialism in business and enterprise, this article examines how the Academy appears to be constructing meanings around enterprise. It tests the usefulness of a typology of entrepreneurialism as a means of exploring the degree to which meanings ascribed to entrepreneurialism are fixed around business models, or take in or construct different or broader conceptions of entrepreneurial activity.

Day of Dialogue: Research priorities from the Researching Academies Conference, P. A. Woods & G. J. Woods, Management in Education, 23 (3), 96-100, 2009.

ABSTRACT: This article describes the conference and summarises its outcomes.

Nurturing Democracy: The contribution of distributed leadership to a democratic organisational landscape, P. A. Woods & P. Gronn, in P. A. Woods. & M. J. O'Hair (eds), special issue on Democracy and School Leadership, Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 37 (4): 430-451, 2009.

ABSTRACT: This article reviews the comparative merits of distributed leadership and democratic leadership as understandings of, and preferred alternatives to, the leadership of and in organisations. It is particularly concerned that, while distributed leadership may provide a welcome and worthwhile respite from and alternative to the kind of heroic orthodoxy that has been calculated to secure organisational membership control and compliance, distributed leadership entails a democratic deficit. The core components of these two conceptions of leadership, the points of connection and tension between them, the conditions that might facilitate or impede their realisation, and the problems and possibilities entailed in their attainment are discussed. Neither the purpose nor the claim of this article is to resolve the complex questions concerned with democracy and leadership in organisations generally, or schools in particular. Its case is that the influential notion of distributed leadership needs to be interrogated critically from the perspective of a concern with building organisations that are more democratic and respectful of the human status of their members and other stakeholders. It concludes by suggesting a multi-stranded approach for educational leaders and policymakers concerned to advance the democratic potential of distributed leadership.

‘Tears, laughter, cameraderie’: professional development for headteachers, P. A. Woods, G. J. Woods & M. Cowie, School Leadership and Management, 29 (3): 253-275, 2009.

ABSTRACT: This article reports and interprets the findings of a study of headteachers’ views and perceptions of continuing professional development (CPD) provision and their ongoing CPD needs and priorities, carried out in 2007 in Scotland, involving headteachers from the primary and secondary sectors. Topic areas in which headteachers generally were most likely to perceive a need for professional development included: dispersing leadership (empowerment, coaching and building leadership capacity); management skills concerning underachieving staff and learning and teaching; time for reflection (encompassing holistic needs). A need for more time and opportunities for reflection is a theme that pervaded the responses of headteachers, with reflection including cognitive and technical, as well as affective, ethical and spiritual aspects. New headteachers emphasised the technical challenges of the post, enhancing knowledge and understanding of leadership, sustaining/ rebuilding confidence, and improved support and information. Established headteachers, whilst also highlighting knowledge and understanding of leadership, particularly emphasised the value of sabbaticals, secondments and time for reflection. In discussing the findings, the article considers the importance of learning through ‘disturbance’ of taken-for-granted assumptions, of a holistic approach to professional development, and of thinking and acting systemically.

Democracy and Spiritual Awareness: Interconnections and implications for educational leadership, G. J. Woods & P. A. Woods, International Journal of Children’s Spirituality, 13:2, 101–116, 2008.

ABSTRACT: This article sets out theorisations of developmental democracy and spiritual awareness formulated in previous work by the authors. These are used to explore collegial leadership in a case study Steiner school, with the aim of illuminating and illustrating the transformative demands of developmental democracy and its interconnection with spiritual awareness. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for imbuing democratised educational leadership with spiritual energy and fashioning and leading a school environment that reflects the model of developmental democracy.

Books

Transforming Education Policy: Shaping a democratic future,

P.A. Woods, Bristol: Policy Press, 2011.

This book explains the evidence and the arguments for democratic change in school education policy - at the school, local and national level. It shows how change can emerge through the creative actions of policy-makers, educators, school sponsors and partners, students and others working for holistic reform. The book explains the drivers to democracy (an instrumental drive to use democratic ways of working to make organisations more effective; and intrinsic drives to enhance participation and create opportunities for holistic expression and meaning); engages with ideas such as localism, the ʻfourth wayʼ and entrepreneurialism; explains how education can embrace democratic entrepreneurialism; sets out a different way of understanding education - as a democratic self-organising system that takes its energies from the people and the parts of the system; and considers how change can be realised - by working creatively on present conditions in order to generate environments more in line with democratic values and holistic development, and being guided by ideas such as adaptive strategies, embodied change and degrees of democracy; provides practical illustrations of change in the direction of holistic democracy, including initiatives involving state sector schools in England, as well as international examples. This book is an essential read for anyone wanting to understand how democracy can embrace participation and the deep, human search for meaning.

“Philip Woods has summarised admirably the historic problems confronting any public-facing organisation whose mission is related to the life chances of young citizens in democratic countries... At its heart is a view of human freedom and dignity which draws strength and inspiration from ideals that transcend passing political fashion.”

Professor Martin Ashley, Edge Hill University

“This is a must-read book of hope, passion and action for our complex time.”

Professor Meg Maguire, King’s College London

“As practical as it is principled and thoughtful, Philip Woods’ latest book breaks important new ground...”

Professor Michael Fielding, Institute of Education, University of London

“I can think of few colleagues who write with the insight, fluency and passion on the subject of democracy and schooling than Philip Woods. His latest book Transforming Education Policy: Shaping a Democratic Future is destined to become a classic.”

Fenwick W. English, R. Wendell Eaves Senior Distinguished Professor of Educational Leadership, School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US

Alternative Education for the 21st Century: Philosophies, Approaches, Visions,

P.A. Woods & G. J. Woods (eds), New York: Palgrave, 2009.

This is a unique collection of leading examples of education grounded in alternative philosophies and cultures – from initiatives to create more democratic schools, through Quaker, Buddhist, Islamic, Montessori and Steiner/Waldorf schools, to Maori and First Nations education in Canada and Palestinian Jewish schools in Israel. Aimed at educational practitioners, leaders and policy-makers in all types of educational settings, as well as academics and researchers, the book is a resource to help educators think creatively about education, at a time when the need to find new ways to nurture spiritual and holistic growth and democratic citizenship has never been greater.

Democratic Leadership in Education,

P.A. Woods, London: Sage, 2005.

Available currently in hard copy and as an e-book, this has been selected to be among the inaugural set of titles in Sage's online books platform to be launched in 2012. The book challenges many of the assumptions inherent in educational policy and conventional approaches to leadership. It examines what is meant by democratic leadership, and what forms it can take, showing how it is relevant to school education and learning and how the ideals and theories of democratic leadership can translate into practice. The book is for practitioners and students on professional development and academic courses and essential reading for all policy-makers, academics and others (such as inspectors) who critically examine the leadership and management of educational institutions.

Guest Editorships

Democratic Communities, Journal of School Leadership, forthcoming (Philip A. Woods and Dr Lisa Kensler, Auburn University)
The future of universities, Futures, forthcoming (Philip A. Woods, Professor Eddie Blass, Swinbourne University, Australia, and Professor Dr Nor Azian Alias, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia)
University learning and teaching, Policy Futures in Education, forthcoming (Philip A. Woods, Professor Eddie Blass, Swinbourne University, Australia, and Dr Faizah, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia)
Academies Programme, Management in Education, 23 (3), 2009 (Dr Glenys J. Woods and Philip A. Woods)
Democracy and School Leadership, Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 37 (4), 2009 (Philip A. Woods and Prof Mary John O’Hair, University of Kentucky)

Journal Articles | 2005 - 2007

Authenticity in the bureau-enterprise culture: the struggle for authentic meaning, P. A. Woods, Special International Issue of Educational Management, Administration, and Leadership, 35 (2): 297-322, 2007.

ABSTRACT: This article emphasises the extent to which conceptions of authenticity are forged through social interaction and socially mediated identities and how, in turn, authentic leadership involves the transformation of the organisational, social or cultural order in which leadership is situated. The overarching context for this exploration of authentic leadership is the loss of authentic meaning inherent in modern times and the importance of developing a fulfilled identity as a way of developing the possibility of meaning. An analytical distinction is made between three dimensions of authenticity (personal, ideal, social) before turning to the specific social context constituted by the contemporary modern era. This context—the enhancement of entrepreneurialism in public sector organisations which gives rise to bureau-enterprise culture—is outlined and, building on sociological work by the author, the nature of social authenticity and identities, and how they interlink with the other dimensions in this culture, are explored. The task for educational leadership concerned with authenticity is, it is proposed, to take a strategic approach to searching out and maximising the democratic potential within contemporary trends towards the bureau-enterprise culture.

The ‘Bigger Feeling’: The Importance of Spiritual Experience in Educational Leadership, G. J. Woods, Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 35(1), 135–155, 2007.

ABSTRACT: This article reports findings from a study of headteachers and spirituality. It is intended to give some insight into the importance of spiritual experience as a phenomenon which enables leaders to be better resourced internally and find deeper meaning, and to provide evidence of the significance and influence of spiritual experience for educational leadership in schools. The study draws on survey and interview data from secondary and primary headteachers in three local education authorities in England.

A Democracy of All Learners: Ethical rationality and the affective roots of democratic leadership, P. A. Woods, School Leadership & Management, 26 (4): 321-337, 2006.

ABSTRACT: This article contends that it is important for educational leaders to understand and re-own the historical roots of modern democracy. In particular, it highlights a foundational human capacity for shared ethical insight which characterises the rich conception of democracy that can be traced in this historical development. Implications for educational leadership are considered and the idea of recentring school cultures on the narrative and ideals of developmental democracy is elaborated.

Going Deep: Adapting the modernising leadership agenda, G. J. Woods, Management in Education, 18 (4), 28-32, 2005.

ABSTRACT: This article comprises two parts. The first part summarises the adaptive public service model of leadership which resulted from a public-private partnership study by Glenys Woods and Philip Woods. The second part suggests one of the essential lines of development to develop the model drawing on research by the author that will inform this further work – namely, the need to root the practice of leadership in the challenging conditions of modernisation in a fuller understanding of the human make-up which underpins leadership.

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As well as academic publications, reports include:

Evaluating the Impact of the Rural Dimension, R. Levy, C. Dickerson, K. Western & P. A. Woods, Report of a study commissioned by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. Hatfield: University of Hertfordshire, 2011. (Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/2299/7345).

Observations on Academies: Evidence to the National Audit Office, P.A. Woods & G. J. Woods, evidence paper submitted to a National Audit Office value-for-money study of Academies, 2nd December 2009.

Headteachers’ Professional Development: Provision, Barriers and Needs, P. A. Woods, M. Cowie & G. J. Woods, Glasgow: Learning and Teaching Scotland, 2007. (Click on the right to download this report: HPD.pdf)

Diversity and Collaboration? Diversity Pathfinders Evaluation: Final Report, P. A. Woods, R. Levacic, J. Evans, F. Castle, R. Glatter & D. Cooper, London: Department for Education and Skills, (Ref No: RR826), 2007.

Steiner Schools in England, P. A. Woods, M. Ashley & G. J. Woods, London: Department for Education and Skills, (Ref No: RR645), 2005.

For a full list of publications, please contact us.