Implementing educational policy at the school level – Organization dynamics and teacher concerns

Abstract

Difficulties in implementing change in schools have been explained either by referring to the concerns of teachers or to the organizational dynamics of the school. This article presents a framework in which these two sets of factors are linked. It is suggested that the school, in responding to major policy change, triggers specific organizational issues that in turn will arouse specific concerns on the part of the individual teacher. The implementation of major change is seen as the resolution of these issues and their related concerns. The framework maps the interplay of organizational issues and personal concerns; it serves as a reflection on the dynamics of change and on the management of “the implementing school”.

Citation

Van der Vegt, R., Smyth, L.F. and Vandenberghe, R. (2001), "Implementing educational policy at the school level – Organization dynamics and teacher concerns", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 39 No. 1, pp. 8-23. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578230110366883