A University of Western Sydney/ACER survey into leadership of teaching and learning in higher education is underway as Hamish Coates explains.

National research involving half of Australia's universities is underway to explore the capabilities involved in leadership of teaching and learning in higher education. The findings have the potential to play an important role in shaping future leadership development.

Leaders of learning and teaching at these institutions were invited to take part in a survey seeking information about the contexts and challenges leaders face and the key capabilities which underpin their work. The sample included people with formal leadership responsibilities, as well those who had received recognition for making an individual or group contribution to teaching and learning at their university.

Although there is a lot of generic literature on 'leadership', primarily from the business sector, the amount of empirically based leadership material situated in the unique operating context of higher education in Australia is more limited. It is critical we develop a strong picture of what capabilities are central to effective change leadership in the unique context of higher education learning and teaching. The survey was distributed in November 2006 and received a high level of response. It seems that taking part gave leaders an opportunity to reflect on their daily work, their thoughts on what constitutes effective leadership and the key qualities and most effective means for learning leadership.

Early results are providing fascinating insights into perceptions of leadership. While stated formally in portfolio descriptions, the data is bringing out what the work actually involves. Differences are emerging between formal descriptions and of how these play out in practice, differences which help to target support and development activities in the most efficient ways.

The project is identifying what Australian higher education leaders see as the key criteria for judging effective performance in their roles. As prior research suggests, various aspects of emotional intelligence are important in effective forms of leadership. Role-specific skills and knowledge are required, but it is the capacity to read situations, choose appropriate responses, and convert these effectively into practice which really differentiates effective leadership performance.

Asked to provide an analogy for leadership, respondents have likened it to "being responsible for a big dysfunctional family", "being a swimmer paddling hard to keep his head above water", "gardening with friends" and "being a candle which consumes itself to light the way for others".

Once the findings have been compiled they will be used to enhance the work and development of higher education leaders. The study will produce an empirically validated leadership capability framework, an evidence-based profile of effective academic leadership in different learning and teaching roles, resources and strategies that institutions can use to develop leadership and a methodology for linking the framework with leadership recruitment, development and review.

Interest is already developing in replicating and benchmarking the study internationally. Early conversations are under way with Higher Education South Africa and the UK Leadership Foundation for Higher Education. The study is funded by the Carrick Institute and led by Professor Geoff Scott from the UWS and ACER.

By Dr Hamish Coates, senior research fellow, ACER.

This article was originally published in Campus Review, (22 November 2006, page 8) and is reproduced in ACER eNews with the permission of the editor.

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