Multilevel Pedagogical Leadership in Higher Education: A Non-Affirmative Approach

This Open Access book addresses the theoretical grounding of the pedagogical dimensions of higher education leadership and its empirical study. The book’s general point of departure is that educational leadership is a multi-level phenomenon, operating as policy work on a transnational and national level, as educational leadership on various organizational levels, and as supervision and teaching on an interactional level. It is in and through these discursive practices that policies are initiated, interpreted, translated and enacted. The volume demonstrates how Non Affirmative Theory (NAT) of education applies to understanding and dealing with the pedagogical dimensions of the multi-level and multi-actor phenomena of HE leadership in a coherent manner. It allows one to explore how the pedagogical scope of action at each level of leadership is framed or staged by the other levels, as well as how actors at different levels utilise their scope. The book starts out by exploring the pedagogical aspects of HE leadership as a multi-level and multi-actor phenomenon at a theoretical level. It continues to discuss nation state HE in a global perspective, and HE leadership in an organisational perspective. Next, the book looks at departmental leadership, management and development. Parallel with this, the volume critically explores the non-affirmative position itself by a contrasting dialogue with other theoretical approaches.

Janne Elo graduated as M.Ed. from Åbo Akademi University in 2006. In 2015 he was awarded his PhD in education from Åbo Akademi University, with a thesis titled Entrepreneurship through Sloyd (in Swedish). Elo is currently working as a university lecturer in education and educational leadership and holds a post doc position in education. He is program director in educational leadership at ÅAU and has previously worked as a project PI as well as teacher educator at ÅAU. He is currently involved in HE teacher education, principal education, as well as acting as board member in the ÅAU board (since 2021). Elo has published mainly on the topics of entrepreneurship education and educational leadership (e.g. in Higher Education).

After his appointment as chair professor in education, at University of Helsinki in the year 2000, Michael Uljens is since 2003 professor of General Education and Educational Leadership at Åbo Akademi University in Vasa, Finland. His research mediates between Nordic, German and Anglo-American approaches to educational philosophy and theory, curriculum studies, Didaktik, educational leadership and General Education (Allgemeine Pädagogik). Michael has been affiliated with various universities in Finland, Sweden, Germany, Spain, the USA and China. His most recent Open Access volumes in English are Non-affirmative theory of education and Bildung (Ed., 2023) and Bridging Educational leadership, curriculum theory and Didaktik (2017, edited with R. Ylimaki).

Michael Uljens was born on 9/2/1962 in Helsinki and was awarded his M.Ed. from ÅAU 1986, Licentiate in Education from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden (1992), PhD (education)from Åbo Akademi 1995. He was appointed Associate Professor (Docent) at the University of Helsinki in 1998 and held the Chair of General Education at the University of Helsinki (2000-2003). He has previously worked as researcher or visiting professor at the University of Jyväskylä in 1986, the Academy of Finland in 1988, University of Gothenburg 1989-92 (F.Marton), Humboldt University in Berlin 1996-97 (D. Benner), Umeå University 1999, University of Arizona (periods 2013-2014), Uppsala university (periods 2014-15). Uljens qualified for a professorship in Teacher Education at Åbo Akademi University in 1995.