Educational Improvement and Change

Question 1

What is school improvement?

Answer 1

a systematic effort concerned with changing the learning conditions with the aim of accomplishing educational goals more effectively (about process as well as outcomes)

Question 2

What are the two types of improvement initiatives?

Answer 2

Adoptive (Hoban, 2002): top-down initiative imposed on schools by the state, one stop linear approach
Adaptive (Hopkins, 2002): developing the capacity for change rather than a specific approach
OR
Organic vs Mechanistic

Question 3

Stoll and Fink (1996), on the goal of change:

Answer 3

‘The real agenda is changing school culture not single innovations’

Question 4

How is the culture of the school expressed in every day life? (MacGilchrist et al., 2004)

Answer 4

Professional relationships
Organisational arrangements
Opportunities for learning (adults and pupils)

Question 5

What are the factors that promote school improvement? (Joyce, 1991)

Answer 5

5 doors to improvement
collegiality 
research 
site-specific information
curriculum initiatives
instructional initiatives

Question 6

Caldwell and Spinks (1992) mega-trends in education

Answer 6

more self-management
concern for quality of education for all
technology
stress on problem solving, life-long learning
women in senior roles
increasing role of parents in education

Question 7

Fidler’s (2002) typology of how people react to change

Answer 7

spectrum:

change drivers, careerists, co-operatives, ambivalent, skeptical, resistors, luddites

Question 8

Chin and Benne’s (1969) three types of change models

Answer 8

bureaucratic (orderly steps, people follow expectations)
power-coercive (sanctions applied to motivate)
normative-reeducative (human response, change in attitudes and culture)

Question 9

Fullan’s (2007) 3 stages of change (similar to Lewin’s (1958) 3 stages)

Answer 9

Introduction (unfreezing present situation)
Implementation (moving to new situation)
Institutionalisation (refreezing the new situation)

Question 10

Method for analysing reactions and planning for change (Fidler, 2002)

Answer 10

Force field analysis (facilitators vs inhibitors which contribute to the success or lack there of of a change initiative)

Question 11

IQEA development project (Hopkins et al., 1994)

Answer 11

higher-education consultants working in schools to improve the school, data is collected, SIG, staff development opportunities, whole school emphasis

Question 12

Morrison’s (1998) caution about planning for change

Answer 12

‘In practice the plan seldom unfolds in the ways anticipated. People change things! People respond to change in a variety of ways.’
Social reality is complex and hard to predict. Ownership of change increases likelihood of success.

Question 13

Fullan and Hargreave’s (1991) advice for successful change initiatives

Answer 13

take action
other people are just as important as head
ownership takes time
supporting teachers through the change is more important than the intro
a firm push can actually help

Question 14

Hargreaves and Hopkin’s (2004) cycle of development planning

Answer 14

Audit (review of strengths and weaknesses, SWOT analysis)
Construction (priorities and targets chosen)
Implementation (targets put into place)
Evaluation (consolidation, checking of the plan)

Question 15

Earley’s (1998) conclusions on change:

Answer 15

‘For strategy to be successfully implemented, staff at all levels in an organisation increasingly need to be involved in decision-making and policy formulation – albeit to varying degrees – and be encouraged to develop a sense of ownership and share the organisation’s mission’.

Question 16

Fidler (2002), Strategic change should be concerned with:

Answer 16

• the whole scope of a school’s activities
• the school’s long-term direction
• matching its direction to environmental pressures
• devising activities which are sustainable given the school’s level of resources

Question 17

Caldwell’s (2008) types of ‘capital’ or resources required in the ‘self-managing’ school related to student achievement

Answer 17

-Intellectual (knowledge and skill of workers): teacher quality is the single most important school variable influencing student achievement
-Social (collaborative networks): link between parent community involvement and improving student outcomes
-Spiritual (moral purpose and values): when there are collective values, higher achievement happens
-Financial (monetary backing): increased funding has little impact on school outcome
All must be aligned to be effective. Leaders at the local level are best placed to make decisions about resources in order to optimize outcomes.