Whatever the problem, learning is the answer?

Author(s):

Lars Svedberg

Conference:

ECER 2008

Network:

26. Educational Leadership

Format:

Paper

Session Information

26 SES 04, Network 26 Session 4

Paper Session

Time:

2008-09-10

16:00-17:30

Room:

AK2 133

Chair:

Lejf Moos

Contribution

This paper focuses organizational changes, structures and cultures in upper secondary schools in Stockholm starting with a discussion about how and for what they use their time for learning and development purposes. The data I will draw upon are from interviews with management teams, a web-based questionnaire and focus group interviews with teachers, teacher team leaders and principals. Upper secondary schools have developed a sophisticated organizational structure to meet a whole range of purposes and demands. However, due to its complexity it can also become an arena for competing interests and requires a specific leadership and management that is open to shared decision-making and shared responsibilities without losing focus.

Method

Questionnaires,interview, focus group interview

Expected Outcomes

Upper secondary schools with deep historic roots and institutionalized traits have been and still are put under pressure to find new ways of working. Advanced organizational structures can hide a meaningless content and urgent problems can be trapped in organizational forms that prevent practical solutions. The feelings of emptiness and alienation that can emerge, when form and structure/culture do not fit, often leads to demands for better leaders, more training or professional development.

References

Alvesson, Mats (2001a). Identity regulation as organizational control : producing the appropriate individual. Lund. Alvesson, Mats. (2001b). Organisationskultur och ledning. Malmö: Liber ekonomi. Baudrillard, Jean. (1993). The transparency of evil: essays on extreme phenomena. London: Verso. Bouwen, Rene & Hovelynck, Johan (2006): The group-in-the-making: from group dynamic to relational practices. In Hoskin, Dian Marie & McNamee, Sheila (ed.): The social construction of organization. Liber & Copenhagen Business School Press. Carlgren, Ingrid (2005): Vad har hänt med läraryrket? I Forssell, Anna (red.): Boken om pedagogerna. Liber. Fendler, Lynn (2001): Educating flexible souls. In Hultqvist, Kenneth & Dahlberg, Gunilla: Governing the child in the new millennium. RoutledgeFalmer. Foucault, Michel (1980): Power / knowledge. Pantheon. Fullan, Michael. (2001). The new meaning of educational change. London: Teachers College Press ; RoutledgeFalmer. Hindess, Barry (1996): Liberalism, socialism, and democracy. Variations on a common governmental theme in Barry, A, Osborne, T & Rose, N: Foucault and political reason. UCL Press. Hargreaves, Andy. (2006). Sustainable leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Huzzard, Tony & Wenglén, Robert (2007): Lärande i organisationer. In Alvesson, Mats & Sveningson, Stefan: Organisationer, ledning och processer. Studentlitteratur. Lund. Leithwood, Kenneth et al (1999): Changing leadership for changing times. Open University Press. Leithwood, Kenneth, Robert Aitken, & Doris Jantzi. (2006). Making schools smarter : leading with evidence. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press. Potter, Jonathan (1996): Representing reality. Discourse, rhetoric and social construction. Sage. Senge, Peter M. (1992): The fifth discipline : the art and practice of the learning organization. London: Century Business. Svedberg, Lars (2004): Rhetorical resources for management – the leading words. In Journal of Educational Management & Administration. 2004:8. Svedberg, Lars (2006): Municipal progress – about an award and three winners. In International Studies in Educational Administration, Volume 34, Number 3, 2006. Svedberg, Lars; Nestor, Bo; Forssell, Anna; Brandt, Lars & Jonsson, Lars-Gustaf (2007): Tid som resurs? Kartläggning och diskussion av gemensam tid i gymnasieskolan. AKKA – skriftserie från Forskningsgruppen ut/bildning som ett välfärdsprojekt. LHS förlag. Torrington, Derek & Weightman, Jane (1989): The reality of school organization. Blackwell Education. Zhao, Yong (2007). Issues in global transformation. In Hopkins, David ed. Transformation and innovation. System leaders in the global age. Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, London.

Author Information

Lars Svedberg

Stockholm University

Dep of Education

Stockholm

186

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