BRAC University
INSTITUTE OF EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (BU-IED)

Proposed Masters and Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Leadership and School Improvement

Introduction

Given the current situation in Bangladesh, the need for a professionally oriented institutional support base for the education system has become increasingly important. BRAC University Institute of Educational Development (BU-IED) has been set up with this role in mind. The need for professional capacity building and institutional capacity development to serve the sector has been voiced by researchers and knowledgeable observers of the education system.

Objectives

Better educational leadership has become a key issue for the Millennium and throughout the world governments and parents are seeking more effective education which will produce students who know more, can do more and whose personal and social development fits them for modern democratic society. The Med programme covers the nature and practice of educational leadership and school improvement in primary and secondary schools, and other educational institutions and systems. Not only will it enable teachers and other educationalists to improve the efficiency of schools as organisations, but also to examine culture and climate with specific reference to the development of strategic plans and the management of change. Major areas of individual difference, leadership styles, motivation and communication patterns will be examined in a practical demonstration of management skills, functions and roles in education. Ways of identifying needs and priorities within educational institutions, including aspects of career development, will also be addressed.

What are the aims of the programme?

Both the Post Graduate Diploma and M.Ed. programmes aim to:

• Develop participants’ understanding of the key leadership issues that influence teachers' work performance in primary and secondary schools and other educational institutions with a particular view to the Bangladeshi context.

• Provide an overview of relevant and current theories/frameworks for examining these issues from a manager's point of view - Provide students with appropriate relevant and current theories/frameworks for examining leadership issues (MEd).

• Enable colleagues at all levels of leadership within educational institutions to analyse problems in their own organisations, and to acquire the knowledge, competencies and skills necessary to manage them.

• Develop knowledge and understanding of practical approaches to School Improvement and School Effectiveness and of current theories, issues and debates in the field.

• Develop a range of learning and transferable skills which integrate current research and best practice in the areas of School Leadership and School Improvement applicable to different students on different programmes. Through work for the dissertation to develop an ability independently to research and evaluate findings (MEd).