Leadership for School Transformation

Action, practices and context

Release date: 20 April 2026

Ignite Change: A Guide to Transformative Leadership in Education

Drawing on research and their experience of more than 100 partnerships with educational leaders in early childhood, school and tertiary education, Dr Miranda Jefferson and Professor Michael Anderson consider how educators can achieve transformational leadership. They explore how creativity, collaboration, communication and critical reflection can establish the foundations for transformative leadership and consider how leaders can make transformation a reality in their own context.

Beginning by providing theoretical anchors that serve to orient and guide our discussions of transformative leadership, the authors then answer the question ‘how can leaders become transformative leaders?’ In each chapter, they consider different elements of educational leadership, such as learning, values, curriculum, pedagogy, research and inquiry, to understand not only the why of transformative leadership, but also the how. They also provide a roadmap for developing transformative leadership communities that thrive on creativity, critical reflection, collaboration and communication.

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How Schools Transform

Practices, Research and Actions That Change Schools

Edited By Miranda Jefferson and Michael Anderson

How Schools Transform explores the process of transformation. This book moves beyond the why of transformation to consider how it is achieved by a range of schools around the world.

Each chapter showcases a school-based example of transformation. Assessment, pedagogy, curriculum, leadership, values and learning are explored before considering the key principles required across schools to make transformation a reality. Bringing together examples from around the world, the contributing authors give relatable insights into the mechanics, approaches and principles that drive authentic and sustainable transformation of all sizes.

These chapters include teacher voice, student voice, embedded cases, emerging themes, resonances and reflections and ways forward. How Schools Transform weaves real stories and authentic approaches that make transformation the reality and not just rhetoric.

Reviews

“A timely must-read for educators and policy-makers ready to disrupt the taken-for-grantedness of current school practices. Jefferson and Anderson carefully weave together nine rich and diverse case studies that illustrate that, while there is no recipe to enact school transformation, persistent and courageous leadership enables new possibilities through collaboration, connection, communication and critical reflection. Authentic, hopeful, practical, powerful.” – Robyn Ewing AM, Professor Emerita of Teacher Education and the Arts, University of Sydney, Australia.

“How Schools Transform is a wake-up call for school leaders and all who work in them to make explicit the organisational routines and habits which can either stultify or enrich schools. Full of powerful stories, this is a wonderful compendium of creative ideas which will help educators to cultivate the kinds of dispositions which will help young people to thrive.” – Bill Lucas, Professor of Learning, University of Winchester, UK and Chair of the Global Institute of Creative Thinking Advisory Board.

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Transforming
Education

Reimagining Learning, Pedagogy and Curriculum

By Miranda Jefferson and Michael Anderson

Working away from trends in government policy, this book takes a future-oriented re-imagining of schools with a focus on four innate human capacities: collaboration, critical reflection, communication and creativity. Miranda Jefferson and Michael Anderson draw together examples of practice from around the world, including Australia, France, New Zealand and Spain, to provide a reimagining of education. They show how our schools can be sustainably transformed to be places of support, challenge and joy in learning, responding to student's needs and the needs in our workplaces and wider society. Readers are empowered to use knowledge and experience to build the reality they would like to see in their school, building engaged, innovative and active learning, pedagogy curriculum and leadership.

Key ideas are summarised at the end of each chapter along with an extensive referencing and bibliography, and a supporting glossary.

Reviews

“Perhaps now more than ever, we need to re-imagine what's possible for education. Making changes to education is, of course, no easy task. Transforming Education offers both a vision and concrete direction for moving the shared project of education in new and more promising directions.” – Ronald A. Beghetto, Pinnacle West Presidential Chair and Professor, Arizona State University, USA

“An informative and inspiring book with a future-oriented vision based on 4Cs. A recommended and relevant reading for principals and school educators who would like to make a difference towards quality schooling for our children and beyond.” – John Chi-Kin Lee, Chair Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, Education University of Hong Kong, China

“A timely pep talk on how to remain engaged in the dynamic process of teaching and learning. Seasoned educators and new school officials will appreciate this careful dissection of school reform. Making the abstract, concrete, readers are treated to visual representations of complext ideas. The emphasis on critical reflection and transformative pedagogy offers a solid structure for those who would like to re-envision the process of schooling. Likewise, curricular illustrations help readers see how education is a life-long process well enough to rethink what it means to be an educated person.” – Theresa A. Thorkildsen, Professor of Education and Psychology, university of Illinois at Chicago, USA

“Crackling with good ideas that schools will find stimulating and helpful as they think about how to become more creative.” – Pat Thomson, Professor of Education, University of Nottingham, UK

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Transforming Schools

Creativity, Critical Reflection, Communication, Collaboration

By Miranda Jefferson and Michael Anderson

Our book is the culmination of many years of research combined with real-life classroom experience. Readers will gain an understanding of how 4C methodology works and how it can be applied to any learning environment.

Reviews

“Transforming Schools offers countless insights, making it relevant to all areas of the curriculum... This is a thorough and thoughtful book on a much-needed topic. This book is poised to become a seminal work in the field of education.” – George Belliveau, Professor of Language and Literacy Education, University of British Columbia, Canada

“This is an absolutely excellent text, which foregrounds areas of creativity, at the same time as making links to aspects of learning theory. This will help students to make sense of a range of issues surrounding creative learning and teaching.” – John Bayley, Newman University, UK

Please let us know what you think of the book and if we can help you with ideas for transforming your school.

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