Rethinking Educational Change With Heart And Mind

"Why does successful, enduring change beyond a few isolated schools continue to elude us? The fundamental problem, says editor Hargreaves, is that educational change is more complex and controversial than the change literature has recognized. In this book, Hargreaves and the other contributors move the dialogue about change beyond the technical aspects to three essential areas of teaching, learning, and leadership that have received only limited attention: the passion, purpose, and politics of change. Each chapter looks realistically but also optimistically at many of the complexities of change. In the first chapter, editor Hargreaves discusses the need for greater depth and breadth in our educational change efforts. In the next few chapters, authors explore the vital role of parents and communities in educational change efforts. Subsequent chapters stress the value of involving students in school improvement; suggest practical ideas for managing time differently; and discuss the importance of clear, measurable goals. Other authors look at alternative assessment practices, with a corresponding view of accountability. Additional topics include collaborative action research among teachers in their own schools around issues of professional interest to them, as well as ways that even wider collaborations, or networks, foster positive change. In another chapter, the authors ask whether what we know about school improvement applies to schools that are "failing" or seriously troubled. They examine the political as well as technical issues involved in designating a school as failing or troubled, arguing for more sophisticated ways of designation. The closing chapter expands on a theme of the opening one--the place of emotion in educational change--by discussing a second theme, that of hope, without which there is no commitment or optimism that children's lives can be made better.

The Sharp Edge of Educational Change conveys the realities of reform as they affect educators' practice. The collected chapters each focus on particular current reform and reveal the technical and logistical complications, social and political dynamics, cognitive disjunctures and limitations, and emotional demands of reform. In so doing, they provide new and rich conceptual perspectives on the contemporary nature of teachers' and administrators' work in classrooms, schools and other educational settings.

The International Handbook of Educational Change is a state of the art collection of the most important ideas and evidence of educational change. The book brings together some of the most influential thinkers and writers on educational change. It deals with issues like educational innovation, reform, restructuring, culture-building, inspection, school-review, and change management. It asks why some people resist change and what their resistance means. It looks at how men and women, older teachers and younger teachers, experience change differently. It looks at the positive aspects of change but does not hesitate to raise uncomfortable questions about many aspects of educational change either. It looks critically and controversially at the social, economic, cultural and political forces that are driving educational change. School leaders, system administration, teacher leaders, consultants, facilitators, educational researchers, staff developers and change agents of all kinds will find this book an indispensable resource for guiding them to both classic and cutting-edge understandings of educational change, no other work provides as comprehensive coverage of the field of educational change.

ANDY HARGREAVES Department of Teacher Education, Curriculum and Instruction Lynch School of Education, Boston College, MA, U.S.A. ANN LIEBERMAN Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Stanford, CA, U.S.A. MICHAEL FULLAN Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada DAVID HOPKINS Department for Education and Skills, London, U.K. This set of four volumes on Educational Change brings together evidence and insights on educational change issues from leading writers and researchers in the field from across the world. Many of these writers, whose chapters have been specially written for these books, have been investigating, helping initiate and implementing educational change, for most or all of their lengthy careers. Others are working on the cutting edge of theory and practice in educational change, taking the field in new or even more challenging directions. And some are more skeptical about the literature of educational change and the assumptions on which it rests. They help us to approach projects of understanding or initiating educational change more deeply, reflectively and realistically. Educational change and reform have rarely had so much prominence within public policy, in so many different places. Educational change is ubiquitous. It figures large in Presidential and Prime Ministerial speeches. It is at or near the top of many National policy agendas. Everywhere, educational change is not only a policy priority but also major public news. Yet action to bring about educational change usually exceeds people's understanding of how to do so effectively.

Young Children and the Environment tackles one of the biggest contemporary issues of our times - the changing environment - and demonstrates how early education can contribute to sustainable living. An essential text for students in early childhood education and a practical resource for child care practitioners and primary school teachers, it is designed to promote education for sustainability from birth to 8 years. The text refers to national and international initiatives such as 'Sustainable Schools', 'Child Friendly Cities', and 'Health Promoting Schools' and explores their existing and potential links with early childhood education. Groundbreaking content draws on recent literature in the areas of organisational, educational and cultural change and environmental sustainability. Early childhood case studies and vignettes exemplify leadership in practice, and 'Provocations' are integrated throughout to inspire new ways of thinking about the environment, the wider world, young children and the transformative power of early education.

This 10th-anniversary sequel to the authors’ best-selling book Professional Learning Communities at WorkTM: Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement merges research, practice, and passion. The most extensive, practical, and authoritative PLC resource to date, it goes further than ever before into best practices for deep implementation, explores the commitment/consensus issue, and celebrates successes of educators who are making the journey.