Managing Change in Schools (PDF)

Change has been a major component of education for the past few years as wide-ranging new legislation has been implemented. However, practical advice on how to manage and cope with change in schools has been hard to come by. This book, written by two practising educational psychologists, seeks to remedy this by providing practical psychological approaches to the management of schools in general and the management of change in particular.
The book examines planning for the future, arguing for vision, intermediate and short-term objectives. It also looks at a number of key strategies in relation to bringing about change, including consultation, negotiation, research, project development, in-service training, professional and policy development. The authors point out the systematic links between policy, professional development and objective setting, and also explores methods of evaluating change and celebrating success. Most importantly, the book looks at how change affects the individual, how to safeguard the interests of staff and pupils during the change process, and how to be aware of the limits to the amount of change the individual and the organisation can reasonably be expected to cope with. The final section puts a case for asserting the school philosophy amid imposed changes. Each chapter offers information evidence, theory and practical advice, and ends with an action plan.