Trial lecture: Jelena Veletić - Centre for Educational Measurement (uio.no)
Disputation: Jelena Veletić - Centre for Educational Measurement (uio.no)
─ Simply stated, my research focuses on measuring school leadership effectively. I am interested in finding the optimal way to understand this complex concept, including identifying the right people to ask about leadership in schools and exploring whether there is a common leadership construct across different cultures. I also explore how different people in schools perceive leadership from their perspectives, how these perspectives vary, and how these variations are related to other school and teacher level variables, Jelena Veletić explains.
To do this, she is using data from international large-scale studies like the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). Ultimately, she hopes that her research contributes to a better understanding of school leadership and the ways to measure it on a large scale.
Psychologist with interest in education
─ I have a background in psychology and hold a degree as a psychologist. My master's thesis was in the field of educational psychology, specifically exploring motivation for reading in lower secondary grades.
During her time at university, she had the opportunity to teach bachelor students about pedagogical psychology, covering topics such as cognitive theories of learning and learning styles. She also actively volunteered in various programs, providing support to disadvantaged children, low achievers, and children with challenging backgrounds to help them with their learning.
Jelena transitioned to the HR sector, where she spent six years working as a psychologist. In this role, She utilized personality and cognitive tests to assess and recommend suitable candidates for different positions within organizations. Even though her career path took a detour to the HR sector, she has been very passionate about understanding how people learn and what factors influence these learning processes.
School leadership is complex
School leadership is crucial, she tells us, but quantifying its significance through statistics can be quite challenging. The impact of leadership is far-reaching and operates through various channels and individuals within schools. When you factor in diverse cultures and contexts, you end up with a complex web of actors, actions, and situations all interwoven together. ─ Doesn't that already sound interesting and challenging, Jelena asks.
When it comes to what she hopes to discover from her research, Jelena says:
─ I don’t think my research will change the world instantly; but I do hold a hope that my research can make a meaningful impact, even if it is a small one. My goal is to assist those involved in measuring schooling, by providing them with a more useful way to account for the school factors including school leadership and school climate. By exploring their relationship with final schooling outcomes, I hope to offer valuable insights that can contribute to the enhancement of educational practices and educational strategies.
She continues to explain some of the most significant current findings in her PhD project:
─ I have shown that teachers and principals see leadership practices through their own prisms, so it is of crucial importance who do we question about leadership when constructing leadership measures. Based on my findings, I provide valuable recommendations on utilizing teacher reports as a valuable resource alongside principal self-reports to measure leadership effectively.
Moreover, she has highlighted the complexities of generalizing leadership across diverse cultures, emphasising the need for further research in this area. In large-scale studies that encompass numerous countries and cultures, the task of creating a comparable, unified scale remains a challenge. Nevertheless, through her work, Jelena hopes to inspire continued efforts to refine and enhance our understanding of leadership across various cultural contexts, leading to more robust measures.
Importance of measurement
We ask her why her research and research findings are important, and she elaborates:
─ I think it brings to the forefront the importance of measurement for the development of theory. Without well-established and robust theories our measures lack the depth and accuracy. Conversely, the absence of reliable measures can impede the advancement of theory. Therefore, accurate and robust measures are vital for gathering empirical evidence and validating theoretical concepts. That is why I place emphasis on the measures used in my research, particularly when studying school leadership. I hope that precise measurement will contribute to the field and understanding of the concept of school leadership in general.
The everyday life of a Doctoral Research Fellow
So, how does a typical workday look like for our soon to be Doctor?
─ I love working from the office, so I usually do so. I start my day with easy tasks that only takes from a few minutes up to an hour – it's like a warm-up. After that, I dig into reading, studying models, and writing stuff.
She feels that the days are well balanced between writing and reading. Moreover, teaching and running statistical models keep things dynamic and enjoyable for her.
─ Some of the qualities or characteristics that are important to be a good researcher depends on the research, but definitely curiosity, conscientiousness, and patience.
And when it comes to who has inspired her most in her research career, se replies:
─I think my immediate colleagues and professors. A strong and supportive network has been instrumental for my personal growth and research progress.
As a final word of wisdom to those who are considering a research career or a doctorate, Jelena states that it's hard, but it is possible. And it’s so gratifying once you are done!