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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate and assess the role played by university governance in the effectiveness and efficiency of the higher education system through literature analysis and the management evaluation method of Organization and Methods (the O and M technique) and argue for a more radical change in, and greater scrutiny of, university governance so as to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of university operations and thus yield a more optimal satisfaction of social needs. Design/methodology/approach: The paper employs the O and M technique in order to investigate and assess the role played by university governance in the effectiveness and efficiency of the higher education system. Findings: The "objective" is education and knowledge and there is no room for experimentation in the system. The higher education sector does not need experiments to develop further. Rather, it deserves cautious, creative and innovative consideration and needs a very distinctive treatment of national problems. No matter the policy orientation of the system, higher education policy makers should not forget that higher education has a tremendous influence on peoples' attitudes and beliefs so the focus should be on the actual knowledge on social responsibility and on the commitment of higher education to serve social interests and needs. Research limitations/implications: The analysis developed in this study would benefit from a deeper exploration by investigating more numerous and diverse examples from the international arena of higher education. Originality/value: This study acts as a complement to previous research on higher education governance since it develops further the analysis and the understanding of university governance. By using as examples two countries with different orientation in their higher education system (mainly due to differences in cultural and ideological perceptions) and keeping in mind that there is no ideal model for university governance, this study could enlighten decision makers in any country to develop a more effective and constructive model of university governance that would serve societal interests more effectively.

This paper aims to explore Academic Staff Governor (ASG) roles at three further education colleges in England. Uniquely, the research focuses on ASG activities, the understanding of ASG roles, and aspects of the role that can be reimagined, which may be of benefit to practising governors, particularly ASGs such as further education (FE) teacher governors. The study draws upon relevant literature to identify concepts related to governors' roles and activities. An interpretivist stance is used to collect predominantly qualitative data through a combined methods approach, and to engage with ASGs and external governors. During fieldwork, qualitative and quantitative evidence was analysed from semi-structured interviews, questionnaire responses, observations of governance meetings and governance documents. Findings suggest that ASGs' insiderness, their affiliation with other groups and decision-making circumstances may influence their governing activities. Activities rooted in operational settings such as professional-information giving were highly valued by other governors, while there were uncertainties about the benefit of having managerial staff as ASGs. There was evidence indicating uncertainty among the college staff regarding the role of an ASG in the colleges' boards. As a result of the study, to conceptualise an ASG's role in FE colleges, 'The 3 RaPs (Roles as Position/Perceived/Practice) Framework' for an ASG's role has been developed. The research recommends clear and specific role descriptions for ASG posts; action to allow more opportunities for ASGs to act as governors in order to transform the scope of the role. Finally, several recommendations are set out in order to address ASGs' insiderness, to promote ASGs' professional profiles in the FE sector and to improve the methodological approach for use in similar future research.

This article presents a discussion around issues of identity for part-time professional doctoral students. The current supervision arrangements of a professional doctoral programme were considered, using an exploratory study, to explore the idea that supervision for competent confident professionals should, in the early stages, focus on identity in addition to progress and process. Differing supervision models are discussed alongside ideas of identity development, more knowledgeable others and socialisation. It is suggested that individual academic supervision may focus too much on process and progress in the initial stages of professional doctorate programmes, and that supervision from a near peer in order to help students transition from the centre of their professional identity to the centre of a researcher identity may be of benefit. Alternative models are suggested for the leadership and the design of taught elements of these programmes, in order more fully to support the development of the competent professional's research identity.

This article draws on data collected from a series of semi-structured interviews with headteachers and other stakeholders on the use of the Pupil Premium in Ofsted-rated outstanding schools. It has a focus on the significance of fundamental principles in determining how effective use is made of additional resources. In particular, the importance of a clear identification and maintenance of a consistent set of values, by school leaders, is identified as a major contributory factor in ensuring successful utilization of the Pupil Premium for the ultimate benefit of all pupils in the school and for the broader community.

Set against a period of rapid change, education has grown in political importance and policy development has moved from the local authority to central government with a key role being played by the Secretary of State. Based on a series of semi-structured interviews, with 10 politicians who have served as Secretary of State for Education, this paper considers a range of issues related to the development and implementation of education policy in England. This paper focuses on motivation and preparation for the role, the movement of ministers, regional factors, relationship with the Prime Minister and the breakdown of consensus. It illustrates the reality of policy implementation against the political realities of serving as a Government minister and the illusion of being able to develop long-term strategies in a rapidly changing environment.

Drawing on data from a series of semi-structured interviews this article reports on findings from a research project focusing on the responses of two local authorities and their secondary schools to the Academies Act 2010. The article considers the background and the development of the education system in both localities. It goes on to focus on issues relating to collaboration, competition, independence and the re-structuring of school governance. For the purposes of the analysis, our theoretical underpinnings drew upon path dependence and Michel Foucault's theories of discourse and power. This framework helped us to illuminate how local conditions had a significant impact on responses to the national policy agenda.

This paper draws on data collected from a series of semi-structured interviews with head teachers and other stakeholders on the impact and effectiveness of the introduction of a Primary School Improvement Group (PSIG) by the Local Authority (LA). The PSIG was introduced as a response to concerns expressed by the Department of Education about the perceived levels of underperformance by some primary schools in the city. Operating against a background of national policy developments, the LA developed a programme that enabled head teachers of highly effective schools to support senior staff in schools facing difficulty.

This paper addresses the nature of governors in the governance of further education colleges in an English context. It explores the complex relationship between governors (people/agency), government (policy/structure) and governance (practice), in a college environment. While recent research has focused on the governance of schooling and higher education there has been little attention paid to the role of governors in the lifelong learning sector. The objective of the paper is to contribute to the debate about the purpose of college governance at a time when the Learning and Skills Council commissioning era ends and new government bodies responsible for further education and training, including local authorities, arrive. The paper analyses the nature of FE governance through the perspectives and experiences of governors, as colleges respond to calls from government for greater improvement and accountability in the sector. What constitutes creative governance is complex and controversial in the wider framework of regulation and public policy reform. As with other tricky concepts such as leadership, professionalism and learning, college governance is best defined in the contexts, cultures and situations in which it is located. College governance does not operate in a vacuum. It involves governors, chairs, principals, professionals, senior managers, clerks, community, business and wider agencies, including external audit and inspection regimes. Governance also acts as a prism through which national education and training reforms are mediated, at local level. While governing bodies are traditionally associated with the business of FE--steering, setting the tone and style, dealing with finance, funding, audit and procedural matters--they are increasingly being challenged to be more creative and responsive to the wider society. Drawing on a recent case study of six colleges, involving governors and key policy stakeholders, this paper explores FE governance in a fast changing policy environment. (Contains 4 notes.)

The leadership challenges facing most head teachers can at times be daunting but for those leading schools in difficulty, the challenges are acute. This article draws upon the personal experience of an executive leader in a school facing difficult circumstances. It will firstly, outline and analyse this model of leadership and secondly, look at how executive leadership can contribute to improvement in a challenging school context. The article concludes that executive leadership is a powerful lever for change when it is able to mobilize and release leadership energy between and across schools. However, it is suggested that securing long-term improvement in schools in difficult circumstances will require much more than system leadership currently offers. It will require deeper, more distributed forms of leadership that connect people together and draw upon the yet untapped and underdeveloped resources for collaboration. (Contains 1 note.)

The last 30 years have witnessed ongoing calls for the reform of post-14 education, to make it more responsive to the needs of employers and the economy, and overcome the academic-vocational divide. This article maps out recent proposals and changes in 14-19 education to remind us that they are rooted in a complex past, and while they might appear to be a solution to current problems, they often give rise to other issues. The publication of the most recent White Paper "14-19 Education and Skills" marks no more than another episode in the development of this crucial phase and the failure to address wholesale reform simply adds to the complexities of the inherent incrementalism.