Professor Helen Gunter
Professor of Educational Policy, Leadership and Management.
Qualifications:
BA (Hons) Modern History and Politics (Upper Second) Liverpool University
PGCE History Liverpool University
MSc Educational Management CNAA
PhD An Intellectual History of the Field of Education Management from 1960 Keele University
Main research interests:
My main interest is in the modernisation of education as policy and practice at national and local levels. This has two strands to it:
- how teachers, teaching, learners and learning are being structured through performance management systems, and more recently remodelling;
- how knowledge production within the field of educational leadership has sustained or challenged these policy strategies.
I am particularly interested in using Bourdieu¿s tools of field, habitus and capital to describe, understand, and explain modernisation.
I have been involved in a range of projects on policy change in education and how these developments are being handled, and in particular now interventions in practice support learning and learners:
2004: Evaluation of the Innovation Project at Knutsford High School, Knutsford, Cheshire. Funded by the DfES Innovation Unit. Project Co-Directors: Dr Helen Gunter and Professor Pat Thomson (Nottingham).
2001-2004: Evaluation of the National University of the First Age. Funded by the National University of the First Age/DfES. Project Director: Dr Helen Gunter
2002: ICT Test Bed Baseline Project for the DfES. Project Co-Directors: Professor Hywel Thomas and Dr Helen Gunter. With: Dr Graham Butt, Ann Lance, Dr Rachel Pilkington, Dr Steve Rayner, Ian Selwood.
2002-2003: Evaluation of the transforming school workforce pathfinder project for the DfES. Project Co-Directors: Professor Hywel Thomas and Dr Helen Gunter. With: Celia Brown, Dr Graham Butt, Ann Lance, Dr Steve Rayner.
The second strand has its origins in my PhD and this has been furthered through the ESRC Seminar Series Competition, Challenging the Orthodoxy of School Leadership: Towards New Theoretical Perspectives with Professor Alma Harris, Dr Michael Fielding, and Professor Geoff Southworth (2002-2003). I am continuing to move this forward in regard to the history of the field, and mapping knowledge production within the field.
Main teaching interests:
My main area of teaching is with in-service educational professionals who wish to undertake master¿s and doctoral degrees in the area of education policy, leadership and management.
International experience:
2002: Adjunct Professor of Educational Management. Unitec, Te Akornaga Matauranga, School of Education, Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand.
2005: Visiting Professor, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town South Africa.
Selected publications:
Gunter, H. (2005) Leading Teachers London: Continuum.
Gunter, H. (2005) "Conceptualising research in educational leadership" Educational Management, Administration and Leadership, Special Edition: Researching Leadership - A Review of Progress, 33 (2), pp 165-180.
Gunter, H. and Rayner, S. (2005) "Rethinking Leadership: perspectives on remodelling practice" Educational Review. 57 (2), pp 151-161.
Butt, G. and Gunter, H. (2005) "Challenging modernisation: remodelling the education workforce", Educational Review. 57 (2), pp 131-161.
Fitzgerald, T. and Gunter, H. (2005) "Trends in the administration and history of education: what counts? A reply to Roy Lowe" Journal of Educational Administration and History, 37 (2), pp 127-136.
Gunter, H. (2004) "Labels and Labelling in the field of educational leadership" Discourse, 25 (1) pp: 21-42.
Gunter, H. (2004) "The purposes and practices of intellectual work: a reply to Galbraith" Journal of Educational Administration, 42 (1) pp: 29-42.
Gunter, H. (2003) "Intellectual histories of the field of education management in the UK" International Journal of Leadership in Education, Special Edition on Bourdieu and educational leadership. 6 (4). pp: 333-347.
Gunter, H. (2003) "Comparing and contrasting the perspectives: an evaluative review of the book" in: Bennett, N. and Anderson, L. (eds) Rethinking Educational Leadership: challenging the conventions London: Paul Chapman Publishing. pp: 187-200.
Gunter, H. (2003) "The challenge of distributed leadership: introduction to the special edition" School Leadership and Management, 23 (5). pp: 261-265..
Gunter, H. (2003) "Teachers as educational leaders" in: Brundrett, M., Burton, N. and Smith, R. (eds) Leadership in Education London: Paul Chapman Publishing. pp: 118-131.
Gunter, H., Brodie, D., Carter, D., Close, T., Farrar, M., Haynes, S., Henry, J., Hollins, K., Nicholson, L., Nicholson, S. and Walker, G. (2003) "Talking Leadership" School Leadership and Management, 23 (3). pp: 291-312.
Gunter, H., Powers, S. and Rayner, S. (2003) "Professional development and leadership in special education" Journal of Special Education Leadership, 16 (2). pp: 76-86.
Gunter, H. and Ribbins, P. (2003) "The field of educational leadership: studying maps and mapping studies" British Journal of Educational Studies, 51 (3). pp: 254-281.
Gunter, H. and Ribbins, P. (2003) "Challenging Orthodoxy in School Leadership Studies: Knowers, Knowing and Knowledge?" School Leadership and Management, 23 (2). pp: 129-146.
Ribbins, P., Bates, R. and Gunter, H. (2003) "Reviewing research in education in Australia and the UK: evaluating the evaluations" Journal of Educational Administration, 41 (4). pp: 423-444.
Ribbins, P. and Gunter, H. (2003) "Leadership studies in education: maps for EPPI reviews?" in: Anderson, L. and Bennett, N. (eds) Evidence Informed Policy and Practice in Educational Leadership, London: Paul Chapman. pp: 168-184.
Gunter, H. (2002) "International networking and the development of the field of education management in the UK". Journal of Educational Administration and History, 34 (2). pp: 92-105.
Gunter, H. (2002) "Teacher appraisal 1988-1998: a case study". School Leadership and Management 22 (1). pp: 61-72.
Gunter, H. (2002) "An analysis of how the past and future are conceptualised and used within the field of education management" Leading and Managing, 7 (1). pp: 1-14.
Gunter, H. (2002) "Purposes and positions in the field of education management: putting Bourdieu to work" Educational Management and Administration, 30 (1). pp: 3-22.
Gunter, H. and Ribbins, P. (2002) "Leadership studies in education: towards a map of the field" Educational Management and Administration, 30 (4). pp: 387-416.
Rayner, S., Gunter, H. and Powers, S. (2002) "Professional Development Needs for Leaders in Special Education" Journal of In-service Education, 28 (1). pp: 79-93.
Ribbins, P. and Gunter, H. (2002) "Mapping Leadership Studies in Education: towards a typology of knowledge domains" Educational Management and Administration, 30 (4). pp: 359-386.
Gunter, H. (2001) "Critical approaches to leadership in education" Journal of Educational Enquiry, 2 (1). pp: 94-108.
Gunter, H. (2001) Leaders and Leadership in Education London: Paul Chapman.
Gunter, H. (2001) "Modernising Headteachers as leaders: an analysis of the NPQH" in: Fielding, M. (ed.) (2001) Taking Education Really Seriously: Three Years Hard Labour London: Routledge/Falmer. pp: 155-168.
Gleeson, D. and Gunter, H. (2001) "The Performing School and the Modernisation of Teachers" in: Gleeson, D. and Husbands, C. (eds.) (2001) The Performing School. London: Routledge/Falmer. pp: 139-158.
Gunter, H. (2000) "Thinking Theory: the field of education management in England and Wales" British Journal of Sociology of Education, 21 (4). pp: 623-635.
Gunter, H. (1997) Rethinking Education: the consequences of Jurassic management. London: Cassell. Gunter, H. (1999) "Contracting Headteachers as leaders: an analysis of the NPQH" Cambridge Journal of Education, 29 (2). pp: 249-262.
Gunter, H. (1999) "Adding Values: the role of LEA Appraisal Co-ordinators in the implementation of Teacher Appraisal" Educational Management and Administration, 27 (4). pp: 375-387.
Gunter, H. (1999) "Researching and constructing histories of the field of education management" in: Bush, T., Bell, L., Bolam, R., Glatter, R., Ribbins, P. (eds.) Educational Management: Redefining Theory, Policy and Practice. London: Paul Chapman Publishing. pp: 229-245.
Gunter, H. (1995) "Jurassic Management: Chaos Theory and Management Development in Educational Institutions" Journal of Educational Administration, 33 (4) pp: 5-20.