1 August 2016: Some of the world's top experts on school leadership are gathering at the University of Canberra for the American Educational Research Association (AERA) funded research conference starting TODAY.
AERA is the largest community of academics and professionals in educational research with more than 25,000 members around the world. This is the first time the conference will be hosted outside the United States.
University of Canberra Centenary Research Professor Moosung Lee, who is hosting the three-day conference, said the event's discussions will focus on the way school principals use their time and the flow on effects for teachers, students and school management.
"It is a great opportunity to have some of the world's top education minds in Canberra to share their expertise on what makes some school heads more effective than others with our local school principals and leaders," Professor Lee said.
More than 30 top researchers from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America will be in attendance as well as local school principals, educators and policy makers from the ACT and surrounding region.
One of the international presenters, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor's Chair Professor Brian Rowan said one of the expected outcomes will be developing a better understanding of the ways principals can use their time to improve student learning.
"The research done by each of the attendees helps principals allocate their time to important leadership tasks more effectively," Professor Rowan said.
"We will be setting an international research agenda that we can undertake in different countries around the world to inform and improve the way that school leaders operate."
Vanderbilt University's Chair Professor Ellen Goldring said more research will be welcome in measuring principals' use of time.
"There is a common idea that increasing the time principals spend on instructional leadership will improve a school's culture, teaching, and, ultimately, student outcomes, but we really need more data to back that up," she said.
University of Canberra Professor Geoff Riordan, Dean of the Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Maths, said securing the conference in Canberra was an incredible achievement for Professor Lee.
"Moosung is our youngest Centenary Research Professor, but he is recognised internationally for his work in education research, comparisons and elite schooling. He received the AERA Emerging Scholar Award in 2015," Professor Riordan said.
"Hosting this gathering at the University of Canberra is a credit to Professor Lee and all our education researchers and staff."
- Interviews with Professors Riordan, Lee, Rowan or Goldring can be arranged.
Contact the University of Canberra media team:
Marcus Butler: 0438 477 810
Claudia Doman: 0408 826 362