Headteachers and the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership: An evaluation of development and practice

Ellis, Gillian 2025. Headteachers and the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership: An evaluation of development and practice. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

This study explores the Professional Standards for Teaching and Leadership (PSTLs) 2018 within the context of the professional learning policy discourse in Wales. It specifically analyses headteachers’ professional learning and development in relation to their understanding and use of the PSTLs for themselves and their school teaching staff. This study adopted a three-phased mixed-method exploratory design: Phase One consisted of expert interviews (n=5); Phase Two involved a national online survey of Welsh headteachers (n=80) and Phase Three involved headteacher interviews (n=16). This study found that a lack of clarity in relation to the role of the revised PSTLs reflected the lack of precision and coherence within the middle tier of Welsh educational policymaking. The findings indicated that headteachers’ awareness and use of the PSTLs was affected by the timing of their release and their positioning within the wider reform agenda: many headteachers saw them as a standalone policy in a series of educational reforms rather than a catalyst for the systemic reform agenda in Wales. Headteachers’ understanding and use of the PSTLs was primarily grounded in meeting performance management requirements, with a small minority recognising the broader role of the PSTLs in relation to the Schools as Learning Organisations (SLO) agenda and the Curriculum for Wales (CfW). The study explored broader discussions of Welsh professional practice, with a particular focus on the National Academy for Educational Leadership (NAEL). Established in 2018 to enhance leadership capacity and promote leadership development, the NAEL has been pivotal in the professional learning policy discourse in Wales. The study identified two main debates: the NAEL’s role as a cohesive entity within the middle tier and its function within the PSTL framework. The study concludes that the effective use of the PSTLs is crucial for the professional learning and development of headteachers. It recommends the following: fostering a stronger culture of self-evaluation to enhance internal accountability; providing clear guidance on the role of PSTLs within the performance management system; clarity within the middle-tier partnerships of professional learning and development; alignment of the CfW, the SLO agenda, the NAEL’s objectives and the PSTLs within the National Approach to Professional Learning (NAPL) agenda for a cohesive approach to professional learning and development.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Funders:	ESRC
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	19 February 2025
Last Modified:	19 Feb 2025 13:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/176296

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