Theory Competition and the Process of Change |
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| Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Helen?S?TimperleyEmail author Judy?M?Parr |
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| Institution: | (1) School of Education, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019 Auckland, New Zealand |
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| Abstract: | The reasons why many educational change initiatives have little impact are often framed in terms of either a poorly designed
process on the part of the change initiator, or in terms of problems with the attitudes, skills and/or knowledge of those
responsible for implementation. In this paper, we seek to integrate these two perspectives more closely by focusing on their
interface and the competing theories frequently held by the change initiators and implementers. This concept of theory competition
is illustrated with a case of a national literacy initiative in New Zealand in which the change initiators wished to raise
the achievement of low performing students through the development of “learning-centred” leadership in schools and evidence-based
practice. The desired outcomes were not achieved because theories about what it means to be a successful leader in such a
situation, the data needed to undertake the type of evidence-based analysis envisioned and school personnel beliefs about
the target students were understood differently by those responsible for initiating the change and those responsible for implementing
it. |
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| Keywords: | competing theories learning-centred leadership school change |
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