Staff Profile

Dr. Lisa Ramshaw

Lecturer in Education and Leadership within Newcastle University’s School of Education, Communications and Language Sciences.

I am a scholar in educational leadership, and my experience has spanned various leadership roles, multiple curricula (English, International Baccalaureate (IB), and American), both in-school, across-school and within training contexts in England and internationally. This experience has involved partnerships with several other universities. Following a 20-year career in education, I successfully transitioned into this lectureship role at Newcastle University in September 2021. This opportunity has afforded me the ability to deepen my scholarship of leadership and strategic management.

My role within the university is internally and externally facing. I work internally within the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences (ECLS) as Lecturer in Educational Leadership and Degree Programme Director (DPD) for MA Education: International Perspectives. I lead on three post-graduate modules within the academic year, of which all have very high international student numbers. These include: Leadership and Strategic Management (EDU8172); Future of Educational Leadership and Practitioner Research (EDU8233); and Dissertation/Action Research Portfolio (EDU8019). Externally facing, I work within the Educational Leadership Centre (based in ECLS) focusing on the professional development of teachers and leaders nationally. I contribute as content writer, quality assurer for facilitators, lead moderator and academic lead for the online assessment systems, for the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) for school leaders, accredited by the Department for Education (DfE).

I hold an MSc in Leadership and Management in Education (Manchester Metropolitan University, UK), and completed my Ed.D (Educational Doctorate) in Educational Leadership with Western University, Ontario, Canada, in June 2018. Both my Masters and Doctoral qualifications were of extreme value to my professional experience, as I was able to apply my learning directly to my employment contexts. Topics of deep study included coaching as a cultural leadership style, effective and efficient professional development evaluation processes, and interdependent leadership approaches and solutions to enhance team motivation through a period of rapid change management. This varied education, employment, and conscious reflection has allowed me to expand my understanding, application, and synthesis of educational practices.

Throughout my previous 12 years of international experience, I was blessed with career opportunities and progression, within the same organisation. The valuable experience I gained in England within the first few years of my career, as an Assistant Head leading Professional Development (PD) and ITT, allowed me to transition into my international career. I started at an IB International School in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a PE Teacher and Professional Development (PD) Leader, and I was then fortunate to move into a central PD Leader role, within the wider organisation's Education PD department, where I worked with over 50 schools (over 8500 teachers and leaders) in the UAE region, and with other schools globally. These schools spanned several curriculums and contexts, including American, British, Indian and IB curriculums, and schools that were mixed, all-girls, and all-boys contexts. I had the opportunity to visit and work in countries such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Malaysia, Switzerland, Australia, Canada.

Module Leader for the following Education modules:

EDU8172: Leadership and Strategic Management

EDU8233: Future of Educational Leadership and Practioner Research

EDU8019: Dissertation/Action Research Portfolio

Developed the leadership component for the following Speech and Language Sciences module:

SPE4051: Professional Issues and Leadership

Doctoral work:

Ramshaw, L. (2018). Enhancing Team Motivation Through a Period of Rapid Change. The Organizational Improvement Plan at Western University, 48. Retrieved from https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/oip/48   

Blogs:

Go to the Educational Leadership Centre website to view a series of blogs that I have authored and co-authored with colleagues:

Bingham, S. and Ramshaw, L. (2023) Are your challenges also opportunities? The realities and practicalities of being a middle leader

Ramshaw, L. (2023) What educational model are you 'sandwiched' within?

Ramshaw, L. (2023) Applying pedagogy and andragogy for effective meetings

Ramshaw, L. (2023) Selecting Goleman's leadership styles

Ramshaw, L. (2023) Putting your 'toolbox' into practice

Book Review:

Ramshaw, L. (2024) ‘Handbook on leadership in education: by Philip A. Woods, Amanda Roberts, Meng Tian and Howard Youngs, 2023, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing Limited, £240.00 (pbk), 547 pp., ISBN 978-1-80088-041-2’, International Journal of Research & Method in Education, pp. 1–2. doi: 10.1080/1743727X.2024.2341583.