Griffith University

PhD (UQ), MEd (UQ), TeachCert (KGTC) FACE
Professor in Education, School of Education and Professional Studies
Contact details for Professor Neil Dempster

Research expertise

Neil Dempster is a Professor in Education at Griffith University and former Dean of its Faculty of Education. His research interests are in leadership for learning, school governance, school improvement and the role that professional development plays in leadership, policy implementation and institutional change. Neil is an Honorary Fellow of the Australian Council for Educational Leaders, and a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators where he held the post of National President in 2006 & 2007. Neil has written articles on the national curriculum in Education Review and is a member of the Curriculum Standing Committee of National Professional Associations (CSCNEPA).

Current grants

• ARC Discovery - Dempster, N., Skinner, J, Lizzio, A., Andrew, D, & Keeffe, M. (2009-2011). Understanding adolescent leadership for civic engagement in secondary schools and community groups. Host institution: Griffith University. 2009-$60,000; 2010-$40,000; 2011-$40,000.
• The Principals as Literacy Leaders (PALL) project is funded under the Australian Government Literacy and Numeracy Pilots in Low SES School Communities initiative. Total project funding is $2.1million. The project is managed through a partnership between the Australian Primary Principals Association, Griffith University, Edith Cowan University and the Australian Catholic University.  Neil Dempster was the Chair of the Queensland Reference Committee and a member of  the National Reference Committee (2009-2011).
  

Current teaching areas 

• Leading Educational Organisations
  
• Leaders, Ethics and the Law
  
• Leading Learning
• Leadership Theory
• Leadership and Governance
• Research Methods at Doctoral Level
  

Publications

Books

• MacBeath, J., & Dempster, N. (2008). [Eds]. Connecting Leadership and Learning: Principles for Practice.  Routledge, London.
  
• Dempster, N. (2007). [Ed]. The Treasure Within: leadership and succession planning. The Australian College of Educators, Canberra.

Book chapters

• Dempster, N. (2008). Leadership and Learning: some ethical connections, in MacBeath, J., & Cheng, Y.C. (2008) [Eds]. Leadership for Learning: International Perspectives. SENSE Publications, Rotterdam.
  
• Dempster, N. (2008). What do we know about leadership? In MacBeath, J., & Dempster, N. (2008) [Eds]. Connecting Leadership and Learning: Principles for Practice.  Routledge, London.
  
• Dempster, N., & Bagakis, G. (2008) An Environment for Learning (Principle 2) in MacBeath, J., & Dempster, N. (2008) [Eds]. Connecting Leadership and Learning: Principles for Practice.  Routledge, London.
  
• Swaffield, S., & Dempster, N. (2008). Shared Dialogue (Principle 3) in MacBeath, J., & Dempster, N. (2008). [Eds]. Connecting Leadership and Learning: Principles for Practice.  Routledge, London.
  
• MacBeath, J., & Dempster, N. (2008). A Practical Theory in MacBeath, J. and Dempster, N. (2008) [Eds]. Connecting Leadership and Learning: Principles for Practice.  Routledge, London.
  
• Dempster, N., & Jervis-Tracey, P. (2007). Leadership Stories, in Dempster, N. (Ed). The Treasure Within: leadership and succession planning.  The Australian College of Educators, Canberra.
  
• Dempster, N., & Jervis-Tracey, P. (2007). Major Messages, in Dempster, N. (Ed). The Treasure Within: leadership and succession planning.  The Australian College of Educators, Canberra.
  
• Clarke, S., & Dempster, N. (2006). School Improvement in Australia: Upping the Ante Down Under in Lee, J.C., & Williams, M. (2006). School Improvement: International Perspectives. Noval Science Publishers Inc. New York 281-295.

Refereed journal articles

• Dempster, N., & Lizzio, A. (2007). Student Leadership: Necessary Research. Australian Journal of Education (AJE), The Australian Council of Educational Research, Vol 51 (3).
• Dempster, N. (2007). Educating Teachers: Problems and possibilities, past, present and future, Edventures. The Australian College of Educators, Canberra.
• Dempster, N. (2006). Leadership and Learning: possible links at the Gap State High School, Leading and managing. Vol 13, No 1 Summer, 2006.
  
• Dempster, N., & Johnson, G. (2006). Inter-relationships between Leadership and Learning: Some findings from Southside High, Leading and Managing. Vol 13, No 1 Summer, 2006.
• Dempster, N. (2006). Professional Standards for School Leaders: A Counter to Orthodoxy. Edventures. The Australian College of Educators, Canberra, December.
• Johnson, G., Clarke, S., & Dempster, N. (2005). "The discursive (re)construction  of parents in school texts", Language and Education: An International Journal. vol.19, 5, 380-399, Multilingual Matters Ltd., Clevedon, England.
• Sim, C., Dempster, N., & Malezer, B. (2004). "Teacher preparation in Indigenous Australian Studies", Curriculum Perspectives. vol.24, 8-21, Australian Curriculum Studies Association, Australia.
  
• Dempster, N., Carter, L., Freakley, M. and Parry, L. (2004). "Contextual influences on school leaders in Australia: some data from a recent study of principals' ethical decision-making".  School Leadership and Management, vol.24, 2, 163-174, Carfax Publishing Ltd, United Kingdom.
  
• Dempster, N., Carter, L., Freakley, M., & Parry, L. (2004). "Conflicts, Confusions and Contradictions in Principals' Ethical Decision Making", Journal of Educational Administration, vol.42, 4, 450-461, Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, United Kingdom.
• Dempster, N., & Berry, V. ( 2003). "Blindfolded in a Minefield: principals' ethical decision-making". Cambridge Journal of Education. vol.33, 3, 457-477, Carfax Publishing Ltd., United Kingdom

Refereed conference papers

• Dempster, N. & Lizzio, A. (2008). Students views of Leadership and Civic Engagement, paper presented at the International Congress on School Effectiveness and Improvement, Auckland, January 2008.
• Hay, I., & Dempster, N. (2004). Student Leadership Development within a School Curriculum Framework. in Bartlettt, B., Bryer, F., & Roebuck, D. (Eds) Education: Weaving Research into Practice, proceedings from the second International Language, Cognition and Special Education Conference, Gold Coast (Vol 2, pp 141-150).

Other publications

• Dempster, N. (2007). Student Leadership, Leading Matters. The Centre for Leadership and Management in Education (CLME), Vol 6 (1).
• Dempster, N. (2007). Action on School Leadership is Urgent: an Australian perspective, Matters of Leadership. Centre for Educational Leadership, University of Edinburgh Vol 1 (1).

A selection of publications since 1988

• Dempster, N. (2008). What do we know about leadership? in MacBeath, J., & Dempster, N. (2008) [Eds]. Connecting Leadership and Learning: Principles for Practice.  Routledge, London.
• Dempster, N., Carter, L., Freakley, M., & Parry, L. (2004). "Conflicts, Confusions and Contradictions in Principals' Ethical Decision Making".  Journal of Educational Administration. vol.42, 4, 450-461, Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, United Kingdom.
• Dempster, N., & Berry, V. (2003). "Blindfolded in a Minefield: principals' ethical decision-making", Cambridge Journal of Education. vol.33, 3, 457-477, Carfax Publishing Ltd., United Kingdom.
• Dempster, N. (2002). The Professional Development of Principals 1: A theoretical framework. 'The Practising Administrator', 24(1), 17 - 19.
• Dempster, N. (2002). The Professional Development of School Principals 3: A review of policy. 'The Practising Administrator', 24(3), 6-8 & 38-39.
• Dempster, N., Freakley, M., & Parry, L. (2002). "Professional development for school principals in ethical decision-making". In Journal of In-Service Education. vol.28, 3, 427-446, Triangle Journals, United Kingdom.
  
• Dempster, N., Freakley, M., & Parry, L. (2001). The Ethical Climate of Schooling under New Public Management. The International Journal of Leadership in Education. Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 1.12.
• Dempster, N., & Mahony, P. (1998). Ethical Challenges for School Leaders. in MacBeath, J. (Ed). Effective School Leadership: Responding to Change.  London: Paul Chapman (Chapter 5).
• Dempster, N., & Beere, D. (1996). Towards a Comprehensive Approach to Principals Professional Development: a Balancing Act. British Journal of In-service Education. Vol. 22 (3), pp. 263-274.
• Logan, L., & Dempster, N. (1992). "Reconceptualising In-service Education". In Teachers in Australian Schools: Issues for the 1990s.  Canberra: The Australian College of Education (Chapter 10).