Leading Networks

Networks are fast becoming the nervous system of our society and it is no exaggeration to state that the twenty-first century is the age of networks (Van Dijk 2006). Digital technology is the first thing that comes to mind when people think about networks however, it is important to note that networks are not only present in the technology arena; but also have effects in politics, economics, society, culture and, of course, education. One of the main developments over recent years has been the growth of networking in school settings. A network in education is generally considered to represent an extended group or system of connected people and organisations with similar interests/concerns who interact and exchange knowledge, and whose aims/purposes include mutual assistance, support and increased learning (Hadfield et al. 2006; Kools and Stoll 2016). The emergence of networking in education has generated a debate about the skills that professionals involved in networking need to master. According to the World Economic Forum (2020), the fourth industrial revolution, of which we are a part, is demanding a corpus of skills, such as global citizenship skills, a focus on building awareness about the wider world, sustainability and playing an active role in the global community; innovation and creativity skills, which enable innovation and include curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration with people of diverse backgrounds; technology skills, including programming, digital responsibility and the use of technology; and interpersonal skills, which are based on interpersonal emotional intelligence, such as empathy, cooperation, negotiation and leadership. There are several reasons that explain the incorporation of networks into education. The traditional single-school model is evolving towards more complex organisational forms, that necessitates greater school collaboration. A new configuration is required that responds to fast-technological change, collective knowledge creation and information sharing at classroom, school, and system level (Mifsud 2020). In many respects, the vertical-hierarchical organisation is giving way to a horizontal-lateral framework. This paradigm brings with it not only a modification of the conception we have of education, which is shifting towards approaches and pedagogies of a collaborative nature, but also alternative models of leadership practice such as distributed leadership (Azorín, Harris, and Jones 2019). Sliwka (2003, 63) stated that ‘networks can thus represent vibrant motors of change in education’. Motivated by this aspiration, the special edition of School Leadership and Management entitled ‘Leading Networks’ demonstrates that many education systems are turning their attention to networking as a way of improving teaching and learning. In recent years, a strong movement has arisen, led by governments through policies, and agents (practitioners, researchers, teachers, leadership teams and many others) who encourage initiatives focused on networking to address fragmentation and to tackle problems which are difficult for individuals to solve on their own (Harris, Jones, and Huffman 2017). Indeed, the development of education networks as regional or