This book argues that schools are unique places that require their own theories and practices. Chapter 1 examines the theories of leadership and the school practices that are currently taken for granted in school operation. Chapter 2 addresses the question of what kind of theory is appropriate to the schoolhouse. A framework for understanding…

Metaphors are useful for creating new meanings and making assumptions explicit. This paper describes the metaphors that four female principals used to conceptualize their thinking about leadership and power. Data were derived from observations and interviews with the principals, who had been identified by their school boards as outstanding…

Research has shown that change imposed from above by a bureaucracy will usually engender resistance. The education system under the new democractic South Africa recently underwent change. This paper presents findings of a study that examined whether principals in South Africa perceived any internal or external resistance-to-change factors in their…

A study examined the effects on elementary school climate that result from a change of principal. Data were collected over a 12-month period at 12 schools in an urban school division. Six of the schools were scheduled to have principal changes in fall 1994 and six were not. Teachers completed Hoy, Tarter, and Kottkamp's (1991) OCDQ-RE survey in…

This paper presents findings of a study that investigated associations between the learning environments of schools and the principal's interpersonal behavior as perceived by teachers. It also describes the development and validation of an instrument to measure principals' interpersonal behaviors with their teaching staffs. The questionnaire was…

Individual action is a basic analytical unit in educational action. This paper examines how individual and organizational actions in schools draw their true meanings from the institutional structure of education and complement each other in creating different structures of meanings in different practical educational situations. The paper argues…

A good deal of evidence now suggests that a strong sense of community in schools has benefits for both staff members and students, while providing a necessary foundation for school improvement. This digest provides an overview of the literature on schools as communities. The digest identifies the elements of community schools, the effects of…

This guide is intended as an aid to educators who conduct programs and activities on climate and global change issues for a variety of audiences. The selected set of currently available materials are appropriate for both formal and informal programs in environmental education and can help frame and clarify some of the key issues associated with…

This paper examines elements that support the creation of a Motivational Learning Environment. Is it possible to motivate students or should educators focus their energy on creating a motivational learning environment in which students become self-directed and self-motivated learners? The paper focuses on the topics of paradigms, purpose, people,…

Promotions, particularly management promotions, play an important role in organizations. Despite their importance for both individuals and organizations, little is known about how and why most promotions occur. This publication presents findings of a study that examined 64 promotions that occurred in three Fortune 500 companies from 1986-89. The…

Two characteristics that are commonly associated with organizational behavior, power and sex, are examined. Sexual behavior within the workplace and schools is discussed as are the effects of sexual stereotypes, sexually harassing and non-harassing sexual behavior, and office romances on the organization and its members. A conclusion is that these…

This book argues that the modern university has forgotten its spiritual foundations and that it needs to reappropriate these foundations before it can creatively and responsibly reform itself. The book first offers a critical examination of the ethos of the modern academy, especially its understanding of knowledge, teaching, and learning, and then…

Findings of a study that examined eight South Carolina school-improvement councils (SICs) that were identified as effective are presented in this report. The sample included SICs from two high schools, two middle schools, and four elementary schools that had indicated in a previous survey that they had basic organizational structures, effective…

Professional development is an emerging view of faculty development that places teachers in charge of their own professional growth. The emergence of Total Quality Management (TQM) provides a vehicle for designing professional development to meet the needs of individuals and the organizations that employ them. The eight tenets of Deming's theory…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the role principals play as schools institute democratic governance structures. During 2.5 years, data were collected through interviews, observations, and document analysis at six schools engaged in a shared decision-making (SDM) project. Findings suggest that for principals to foster SDM in…