Empirical research shows that school leaders play a significant role with respect to improving and developing schools in order to support students’ learning (Huber & Muijs, 2010). Providers of continuous professional development (CPD) for school leaders in Europe and elsewhere have, over the last decades, increased their efforts to create effective learning contexts for both aspiring and established school leaders in order to develop their competences. The approaches to professional development for school leaders in Europe involve the completion of university courses and governmental programmes administered by state-run training institutions and other providers.

The primary objectives of a project co-financed by the EU Lifelong Learning Programme (LLP), Comenius Multilateral Projects, are to develop needs-oriented programmes which move away from the traditional “one size fits all” model and which promote reflection, professional learning, competencies and actions with respect to exercising school leadership. Moreover, it aims to develop knowledge about the role of feedback and group coaching methods in CPD that will influence the way CPD is conceptualised and delivered to participants

The project explores the potential of an ICT-based self-assessment inventory integrated as part of CPD-programmes for school leaders in 11 European countries (Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Germany, Lichtenstein, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland) as well as in Australia (Queensland). This inventory generates a personalised feedback report, based on a purpose-built competence model (x). This feedback helps the participants to identify their individual strengths and potential, it suggests areas for improvement, and sets the agenda for workshops and group coaching. The feedback report, the workshop and the coaching sessions are expected to promote reflection and personal leadership development focused on improving the participants’ motivation and competences with respect to exercising leadership.

A German version of the inventory has been trialled in Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Switzerland with 1700 education leaders (cf. Huber & Hiltmann 2011). Subsequent research was presented and published. The improved version of the inventory has been adapted to the respective country contexts and translated into seven languages using a rigorous translation process and various pre-tests. Furthermore, a guide for group coaching has been developed and facilitators have been trained in train-the-trainer workshops.

Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, the research study is focused on the impact these learning approaches have on reflection, further learning, personal growth and professional practice.

The symposium is structured in four parts. First, the chair’s introduction provides a brief background to the project covering the purpose of the project, the overall research agenda, and the current training and development opportunities in the 12 participating countries.

Then, three papers are presented:

Paper 1: Reflection through feedback: Approach and first findings

Paper 2: Reflection through coaching: Approach and first findings

Paper 3: First lessons learnt: The interplay of feedback and coaching to promote professional reflection and learning

Finally, the discussant reflects on findings from the three papers and elaborates on the opportunities and limitations of this approach to feedback and coaching to promote reflection and learning, personal growth and actions for improved school leadership.