As external forces demand change in the delivery of postsecondary education and institutions seek to take advantage of new opportunities, the potential for achieving higher levels of student and institutional success is vast. New technologies, communication tools, data use, and organizational constructs present key factors in improving the…

Purpose: In the USA, as elsewhere, there is an ongoing need to improve quality in higher education. Quality improvement models from business have not been widely embraced, and many other approaches to accountability seem to induce minimal compliance. This paper aims to contend that learning communities represent a viable alternative in the quest…

This article suggests principles that are fundamental to efficient organizational change and attainment of a shared vision of the institution. The principles were developed during analysis of organizational culture at a public state university. Twelve principles addressing imperatives for change and eight principles underlying the attainment of…

In this paper the authors extend an earlier study that developed images of what schools are like as social entities. That study found that elementary schools correspond to the rational bureaucratic image, whereas secondary schools are more loosely coupled systems. The study was limited by a small sample. In this paper the research was extended to…

Current motivation theories aid in the development of a two-step organizational change procedure applicable to educational change. The process involves constructing a climate with a psychological atmosphere that is conducive to change and directly asking others to change. (DCS)

The concept of faculty effectiveness, individually and as a group, is examined, changes in the criteria of effectiveness in the course of faculty careers are considered, and suggestions for assessing effectiveness are discussed. (MSE)

Since the creative group is the agent for change, for developing innovative responses, a manager must create a climate in which a creative group can flourish. There are three steps to this process: setting the course, focusing the forces, and making the decision. Leadership and decision-making techniques already developed can aid in this process.…

This book was written for teachers and principals who wish to exercise leadership in the ongoing work of school renewal. The book presents a new theory of educational leadership, examines the essential elements of leadership, and provides an indepth look at what "vision" means for educational leaders. Chapter 1 describes the roles of the principal…

This report, part of a project called "Redesigning Higher Education", argues that a set of fundamental changes underlies the growing number of critical difficulties faced by higher education in the United States. It finds the governance structures of American higher education inadequate to deal with a changing and increasingly cost-conscious…

Examines sources of stress and coping mechanisms for teachers in the 30-45 year age group in the state of Victoria, Australia. Strategies for relieving stress should focus on the relationship between teachers and the organizations within which they operate. (MD)

It is not research and undergraduate teaching that are in conflict, but how we perceive and value those activities and organize our institutions to reflect those attitudes. Remedies include renewing faculty and graduate student commitment to home campuses, appropriate evaluation and rewards for excellence in teaching, and institutional…

It is argued that, although significant progress has been made recently in the content, methods, and techniques of foreign language education, inadequate attention is given to the role played by the institutions, literal and figurative, of language instruction. These include program design, classroom environment, teacher education, and teacher…

This paper examines the concept of school climate as a key factor in the success of planned change in elementary schools. Beginning with a general review of the literature on organizational climate and using as its basis three major reviews that appeared in the mid-1970s, the paper defines climate, examines variables that have been used as part of…

Brings the perspectives of five individuals (Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Charles Darwin, Johann von Herder, James Madison) to the question of why humans behave as they do when faced with the need for decision making and change in higher education. Argues that effecting change is easier if leaders attend to the concerns and fears of those affected by…

Describes trust level theory in relation to Foxfire practices and educational change. Proposes that, as individuals in an organization move up an environmental quality scale, the value and nature of their organizational relationships improve, and fear is displaced by trust. Discusses seven trusting processes and their commonalities with Foxfire…