The first round table, moderated by the dean, Enric Vidal, featured John Hattie, Australian educator and researcher and a leading figure in education; Anna Forés, co-director of the Chair of Neuroeducation at the University of Barcelona; Carles Monereo, professor of Psychology at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and an expert in educational psychology guidance; and Pepe Menéndez, lecturer and specialist in leadership, educational innovation and change management.

How can learning-based leadership be implemented in schools? Such was the question used by Enric Vidal to kick off the round table discussion. “A leader should be someone who brings out other voices. I think that, in schools, we should reach consensuses, not mere agreements, set clear boundaries and build a shared narrative,” argued Carles Monereo. In this spirit of collaboration, Monereo recounted a personal experience: “The highest-rated subject at my university is the one in which we agree on the assessment method with the students,” he explained.

According to Pepe Menéndez, one of the responsibilities of leaders is to create “safe environments”. “Without a climate of wellbeing and belonging, learning is impossible. We learn when we choose to learn, when we understand why, and good leaders must create those conditions. Teachers should feel that they belong to a collective project,” contended the lecturer. Anna Forés stressed that a leader must be open and attentive, particularly “in a society that struggles to listen.”

John Hattie: “There is an obsession with high performance”

John Hattie is the author of the book Visible Learning, a key reference guide for any educational institution. The university professor has conducted research with samples comprising millions of students over his career, with relevant conclusions on how to improve school system effectiveness. During his lecture at the Impuls congress, he noted that “there is an obsession with high performance in schools.” “Why don't we focus on the process instead of the results? There is no need to create new programmes or allocate so many resources; what we need is a good approach,” he reasoned.

In a context in which teachers in Catalonia are demanding improvements to the education system, Hattie advocates for greater teacher involvement in the learning process. “It doesn’t make sense to waste time on administrative and bureaucratic tasks; the school system falters as a result,” he asserted. For Pepe Menéndez, “schools must take risks,” while Enric Vidal went on to add that sometimes, “teachers resist change because what they’re doing already works. The willingness to break moulds is a hallmark of a leader,” he explained. Anna Forés placed emphasis on the “emotional support network” that should surround a leader.

Along these lines, the second day of the congress included another international round table discussion entitled “Challenges of Sustainable Educational Leadership”, moderated by Enric Vidal and featuring Andrew Hargreaves (Boston College), Maria Rosa Buxarrais (UB), Glòria Gratacós (Universidad Villanueva) and Anna Cristina D’Addio (UNESCO).

The second round table addressed the ethical leadership of school administrators and reviewed strategies to support teachers in every stage of their careers. Discussion also focused on how to handle the episodes of uncertainty that currently affect life at schools.

Impuls Congress at UIC Barcelona

The Impuls Congress, organised by the Institució Familiar d’Educació, took place on 12 and 13 February at UIC Barcelona under the title “Leading the School of the Future”. Over two days, the congress explored ways to improve educational quality, strengthen learning and build a network of leaders committed to a sustainable transformation.