Session Information
15 SES 01, Paper Session
Paper Session
Contribution
As Michael Fullan notes: in a chaotic world identified with the motto “change or die”, educational organizations are expected to lead changes and to introduce innovation in order not to be lost to the past (Fullan, 2001). The literature relating to the introduction of change in education indicates that successful change necessitates the action of representation of the change, participation in its assimilation and the institutionalization of the change (Hadfield, 2009; Townsend, 2013b; Willoughby & Tosey, 2007). Thus, when leadership begins to consider how to introduce change in school, they need to ask who should be involved in the change, who should make the decisions concerning the process of change implementation and whether the desired change process can improve collaboration (Townsend, 2013). Their decisions should consider the area of change desired, and the approach needed to implement the change, including role-holders’ perceptions of the substance of the change, whether or not it is a local initiative, and whether it should use an individual or system approach that cuts across the entire organization.
The present research aims to investigate collaborative processes between an academic teacher education college and the neighboring Al-Bashaer School of Science, relating to (1) the introduction of the use of software for the management of school follow-up (http://www.LiveTop.com); (2) delivering instructions through a palm-based tablet computer and (3) implementation of an academic project in high school (academic courses and even the opportunity to gain an academic degree). The college will attempt to guide the project through a participatory action research in order to lead the change, and assist its assimilation. The research will investigate stake holders’ perceptions of the substance of the change and their implications for the system, including perceptions concerning teachers’ teaching methods and students’ learning methods. The research will also trace the tension experienced by the school leadership and their colleagues when leading change in each of three dimensions: methods of action, implications of the change and perceptions of the change.
Method
Expected Outcomes
References
Hadfield, M., & Chapman, C. (2009). Leading School-Based Networks. Abingdon: Routledge. Townsend, A. (2013a). A tension between representation and participation in leading change. Paper Presented at BELMAS Annual Conference, Edinburgh, 13-15, July. Townsend, A. (2013b). Rethinking Networks in Education: Case Studies of Organisational Development Networks in Neoliberal Contexts. Interchange, 43(4), 343-362. Willoughby, G. & Tosey, P. (2007). Improvement Imagine `Meadfield': Appreciative Inquiry as a Process for Leading School. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 35(4) 499–520. Yin, R. K. (2003). Case Study Research Design and Methods (third edition). London: Sage.
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