Using problem-based learning to prepare educational leaders

Criticisms of current programs for preparing educational leaders abound (Griffiths, Stout, & Forsyth, 1988). In the vast majority of traditional programs, there are few meaningful connections forged among theory, research, and practice. Students learn about leadership primarily through reading and discussing theories of leadership, rather than acquiring experience in what leaders actually do and what it feels like to be a leader. This approach to leadership preparation mistakenly assumes that students who acquire knowledge about leadership out of the context in which it later will be used will recognize when to use this knowledge and how to use it appropriately. Moreover, this approach presupposes that students enter the university with a firm commitment to becoming an educational leader, rather than exploring whether they personally are suited for this demandEDWIN M. BRIDGES is Professor of Education and Director of the Prospective Principals Program,