Leadership development of curriculum leaders in a Lao higher education Institution

Abstract

The regional and national development plan for education has increased its intensity and now requires curriculum leaders to handle many additional tasks distributed from higher management. In pursuing their new roles and responsibilities, curriculum leaders are confronting many challenges and they need to acquire better knowledge and higher skills in order to fulfil the administrative tasks they are assigned. A leadership development programme would bring about improvement to knowledge and skills of curriculum leaders so they could make greater contribution to the country development.

A qualitative approach was adopted and two data collection methods, the semistructured interview and document analysis were used in this research project. This study set out to investigate the perspectives of deans and curriculum leaders from a Lao higher education institution regarding the roles and responsibilities, the curriculum leader held, and the nature of leadership development programmes that improve the curriculum leaders‘ capabilities to pursue their roles and responsibilities by using semi-structure interviews. Then these relevant documents were analysed.

The findings revealed that the curriculum leaders are not only responsible for the daily scheduled teaching activities, but they are expected to handle the administrative tasks distributed from the higher management as well as maintain and advocate the political accountability, and the institution's standards and policies.

The findings also highlighted the need for a comprehensive leadership development programme that is contextual, practical, and supportive. While curriculum leaders in Lao higher education institution are the key influence in their institution‘s learning, teaching, and managing; there are existing gaps between the requirements of their roles and the existing support they are provided. Nothing could be clearer than the fact that existing leadership development programmes are missing skills and knowledge, are underfunded and inadequately do not meet the needs of the curriculum leaders