Important Concepts in the Readings

1. Fullan’s piece detailed complexity and dynamic complexity convergent problem and divergent problem

2. Sergiovanni’s piece rules-based and norms-based strategies for

change

Four Waves of Educational Change

1955-65, national security; 1965-75, social equality; 1975-early 90s, academic

excellence and economic superiority

Early 90s to present, systemic change and accountability

The RDDE Model Research, development, decision,

evaluation a rational model embodied in the Western,

industrial,and highly technological culture originating from agricultural research and

improvement rational perspective on policymaking structural perspective on organization top-down approach & injection mentality

The DDAE Model dialogue, decision, action, evaluation a combination of internal

responsiveness and external stimulation

nonlinear and only vaguely goal-oriented

cultural and political perspectives on policymaking and organization

RDDE and DDAE Models Compared

Two extremes of a continuum of educational change models

Programmed and adaptive implementation as discussed by Berman

(1980) The fidelity perspective and the

mutual-adaptation or evolutionary perspective as distinguished by Fullan (1991)

The ecological model School has its own culture. Change and renewal School as the center or unity for renewal Toward an ecological model

Three Strategies for Change Rational, empirical–discovering or

inventing new things and making them available

Power coercive—using rules and sanctions to compel

Normative—opening up the decision process to members of the organization

Owens, R. G. (2001). Organizational behavior in education. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Bibliography on Theories of ChangeFullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass. Fullan, M. G. (2001). The new meaning of educational change.

New York: Teachers College Press.Goodlad, J. I. (1975). The dynamics of educational change: toward

responsive schools. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.Goodlad, J. I. (1987). Toward a healthy ecosystem: The ecology of

school renewal. In J. I. Goodlad (Ed.), The ecology of school renewal (pp. 210-221). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Boston, Harvard Business School Press.

Sarason, S. B. (1996). Revisiting “The culture of the school and the problem of change”. New York: Teachers College Press.

Sarason, S. B. (1991). The predictable failure of educational reform. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Small Group Discussions

1. On Fullan’s piece1.1 Please define the following two sets of

concepts and briefly discuss how they are related to the theory of educational change.

detailed complexity and dynamic complexity convergent problem and divergent problem

1.2 Please briefly discuss the eight lessons. What is your reaction to these lessons?

Small Group Discussion (Cont.)

2. On Sergiovanni’s piece2.1 What does Sergiovanni mean by rules-based

and norms-based strategies for change?

2.2 What are the main arguments in Sergiovanni’s “new theory of educational change”?

2.3 How are his arguments related to your professional experience and/or beliefs? In other words, what is

your reaction to his arguments?