Philip Woods holds a Chair in Educational Leadership and Policy. He has written and researched extensively on educational policy, leadership and governance, sociological theory and the philosophical and ethical questions posed by contemporary social change. Current research interests include democracy and educational leadership, diversity and collaboration amongst schools, alternative education, and entrepreneurialism and public values. He is researching into academies and democratic learning communities, as well as editing a special issue of Educational Management Administration and Leadership on democracy and school leadership, and has led government-commissioned studies on diversity and collaboration amongst schools, headteachers’ professional development and Steiner schools in England.
Recent publications
Woods, P. A. (forthcoming) Rationalisation, Disenchantment and Re-Enchantment: Engaging with Weber’s Sociology of Modernity, in M. Apple et al (eds), International Handbook of the Sociology of Education, Routledge.
Woods, P. A. (forthcoming) Academies: Alienation, economism and contending forces for change, in T. Green (ed), The Legacy of New Labour, Palgrave.
Woods, P. A. & Woods, G. J. (eds) (2009) Alternative Education for the 21st Century, Palgrave.
Woods, P. A. and Broadfoot, P. (2008) Vers le controle pluriel de l’Ecole? La nature chageante du pouvoir dans le système educatif anglais, Revue Internationale de Sevres, 48.
Woods, P. A. & Woods, G. J. (2008) 'Democracy and spiritual awareness: interconnections and implications for educational leadership', International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 13:2.
Woods, P. A., Cowie, M. & Woods, G. J. (2008) Headteachers’ Professional Development: Provision, Barriers and Needs, Learning and Teaching Scotland.
Woods, P. A. (2007) ‘Urban Schools: Performance, competition and collaboration’, in William T. Pink and George W. Noblit (eds) International Handbook of Urban Education, Springer.
Woods, P. A., Woods, G. J. & Gunter, H. (2007) ‘Academy Schools and Entrepreneurialism in Education’ Journal of Education Policy, 22 (2).
PGR Supervision
Two students on the EdD doctorate.