School of Education Annual Winter Lecture.
255 Humanity Lecture Theatre, Glasgow, G12 8QQ
Friday 27th November 2026 4:30PM
Date: 27th November 2026
Time: 16:30-18:30
Location: 255 Humanity Lecture Theatre, Gilbert Scott Building
Speaker: Professor James P Spillane
Rethinking educational leadership: A system-wide distributed perspective on leading instructional improvement
How do we lead improvement when teaching happens across classrooms, schools and systems? This lecture explores educational leadership as a system-wide, distributed practice - connecting the work of teachers and leaders across different levels of education. Drawing on research, policy and practice, Professor Spillane considers what this perspective means for instructional improvement.
Biography: James P. Spillane is the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor in Learning and Organizational Change at the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. He is also professor of Human Development and Social Policy, professor of Learning Sciences, professor (by courtesy) of Management and Organizations, and faculty associate at Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research.
His work explores the policy implementation process at the state, district, school, and classroom levels, focusing on intergovernmental and policy-practice relations. He also studies organizational leadership and change, conceptualizing organizational leadership as a distributed practice.
Recent projects include studies of relations between organizational infrastructure and instructional advice-seeking in schools and the socialization of new school principals. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Institute of Education Sciences, Spencer Foundation, Sherwood Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York.
He has authored several books including Diagnosis and Design for School Improvement (Teachers College Press, 2011), Navigating the Principalship: Key Insights for New and Aspiring School Leaders (ASCD, 2019), and numerous journal articles and book chapters.
In recognition of his contribution to educational research, he was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2013 and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020. He is immediate Past President of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement.
Time: 16:30-18:30
Location: 255 Humanity Lecture Theatre, Gilbert Scott Building
Speaker: Professor James P Spillane
Rethinking educational leadership: A system-wide distributed perspective on leading instructional improvement
How do we lead improvement when teaching happens across classrooms, schools and systems? This lecture explores educational leadership as a system-wide, distributed practice - connecting the work of teachers and leaders across different levels of education. Drawing on research, policy and practice, Professor Spillane considers what this perspective means for instructional improvement.
Biography: James P. Spillane is the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor in Learning and Organizational Change at the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. He is also professor of Human Development and Social Policy, professor of Learning Sciences, professor (by courtesy) of Management and Organizations, and faculty associate at Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research.
His work explores the policy implementation process at the state, district, school, and classroom levels, focusing on intergovernmental and policy-practice relations. He also studies organizational leadership and change, conceptualizing organizational leadership as a distributed practice.
Recent projects include studies of relations between organizational infrastructure and instructional advice-seeking in schools and the socialization of new school principals. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Institute of Education Sciences, Spencer Foundation, Sherwood Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York.
He has authored several books including Diagnosis and Design for School Improvement (Teachers College Press, 2011), Navigating the Principalship: Key Insights for New and Aspiring School Leaders (ASCD, 2019), and numerous journal articles and book chapters.
In recognition of his contribution to educational research, he was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2013 and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020. He is immediate Past President of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement.
Event Details
Starts at 4:30PM
