Abstract
This edition of Management in Education draws together a range of articles from a variety of countries, giving us pause for thought in a number of areas not least those around values and what we consider to be important in education. We start this edition with discussion of market agendas in relation to education. Kimberley Powell and Melanie Powell Rey highlight the problems for higher education in the United States as a result of diminishing financial resources, increased competition and rising costs which they argue can be addressed through looking at resource dependency theory. Kimberley and Melanie argue that this will involve universities in being more aware of market needs and carefully considering which elements of the market they wish to contribute to. Universities must also consider the constraints within which they operate and where new opportunities may reside.
Perhaps in contrast to thinking about how we manage or mediate market-led change, we are urged to consider citizenship and the justification of market agendas in the following think piece. Ron Glatter challenges us to consider the differences between institutions and organisations, and the connotations each have in relation to public education. Ron contrasts the notion of the public- and the private-life of institutions (focussed on performance and accountability and on the education of individuals respectively) and the links with citizenship that such an understanding brings. Ron further argues that where the public-life of institutions is focussed on markets, then trust is lost as ethical and moral dilemmas emerge and the role of citizenship declines.
The notion of citizenship and the importance of hearing varied voices come to the fore in the following articles. Hope Pius Nudzor discusses the difficult problem of how to engage children in education in disadvantaged sub-Saharan African communities where, despite being fee-free, engagement in education is still not a universal. Based on doctoral research, hope illustrates the problems for parents where the associated costs of schooling (uniform, food etc) make sending children to school untenable when they could instead be working for the more immediate benefit of the family. Hope wishes, amongst other things, to open up public debate that will influence governments to improving the living conditions of citizens. Next, Henry Tran seeks to address the neglect in thinking about those working in human resources (HR) in schools in America, considering this area in relation to management theory. Henry argues that it is vital that HR is part of the development of organisational strategy. Through his research, Henry argues that HR personnel are conceived as being part of personnel management (as indeed they see themselves) but that this role should be broadened into a wider strategic role which will, he argues, support improved school outcomes. This is followed by Beate Hellawell, who examines the stresses and dilemmas for those working in support for Special Educational Needs (SEN) in the light of growing government prescription and demands around multi-agency working together with the simplification of understandings for underperformance. Beate argues that current regulation demonstrates restricted understandings of the complexities and moral dilemmas faced in attempting to improve results whilst supporting individual needs. Beate’s research demonstrates that those working in SEN are being distanced from children and parents through layers of unhelpful bureaucracy, demand and accountability.
Finally we consider how leaders’ voices might be used to work with colleagues in schools. Abdulmuhsen Ayedh Alqahtani looks at the ways in which school leaders can motivate teachers in ways that feed into a motivated school climate in Kuwait. The use of language is considered in terms of the ability to communicate effectively and engage others in wanting to join quests for change or improvement. Through the research undertaken Abdulmuhsen recommends that school leaders would benefit from a greater awareness and use of motivational approaches to school leadership. Gemma Parker then considers the applicability of notions of distributed leadership at a time where shifts in education have altered the ways in which schools operate. Drawing on five elements of teaching to discuss this issue Gemma also takes account of an undermining of the influence of higher education in initial teacher training and the demands of the new primary curriculum. Gemma urges teachers to hold on to their professional power in the light of changing educational agendas.
Thus in this edition a number of questions are raised. What importance do we place on moral and values-led education? How do we position these views in relation to marketization? To what extent do we play and market-driven game and work to mediate rather than challenge practices that we view as questionable? Gemma’s plea to hold on to professional power seems apt in the light of the debates raised here.