Understanding Decision-Making in Educational Contexts

A Case Study Approach

Stephanie Chitpin

Emerald

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9781800718180

15 March 2021

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9781800718173

15 March 2021

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9781800718197

15 March 2021

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Description
Contents
Reviews
About

Understanding Decision-Making in Educational Contexts presents 'problem cases' confronting school leaders in real settings, and illustrates the multiple approaches that school leaders draw upon to navigate complex and challenging decision-making contexts. Although school leaders draw upon knowledge and instruments that are available to them, the approach used for this volume is decidedly Popperian in nature.

In this collection, each chapter presents a case study problem, a discussion of the salient concepts and principles of the case, an exploration of problem formulation, and concludes with a decision analysis using a Popperian approach to problem solving. Each chapter concludes with lessons learned and the expected decision-making skills acquired from the critical analysis of each educational challenge using the Objective Knowledge Growth Framework, a Popperian decision-making approach.

This book is essential reading for anyone who aspires to take on a leadership role in a school setting, or is curious to develop their understanding of leadership problems.

PART I Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. What is Decision-Making? Chapter 3. Educational Leadership in Performative Times: High Stakes Testing in England Chapter 4. Opportunities and Challenges in Leadership Chapter 5. Great Expectations: The Achievement Gap in English Schools PART II Chapter 6. Inside an Ivy League High School: The Problem of Promise, Passion and Pain Chapter 7. License Revocation of Teachers Chapter 8. Attendance Policy in Action Chapter 9. A Tale of Two Learning Theories Chapter 10. Rights and Freedoms Educational Standardization in the UK Chapter 11. The Nature of Decision-Making in School Leadership: An Epilogue

'From close-up accounts of individual classrooms to entire national policy frameworks, this important and clearly written book reveals that decision-making in leadership is not just about rational problem-solving. It is also an ethical, emotional, and politically aware process of struggling to be oneself and do the right thing in complex and dangerous times. If you want to dig deeper in your leadership, this is the book for you.'
- Andrew Hargreaves, Boston College

'Anyone seeking practical help with school level decision making will appreciate this well-crafted and researched book. Using relevant examples, Chitpin describes how aspiring and current school leaders can analyze and evaluate common leadership problems and she offers proactive guidance to ensure that things go right. This theory rich volume is infused with practical applications of key decision-making theories that are, in turn, essential to transforming feelings of hopelessness into constructive leadership action. In a time when we all need school leaders to engage in creating more effective and creative systems of decision making, this book proves to be both practical and important.'
- Sharon Kruse, Washington State University

Stephanie Chitpin is a Full Professor of Leadership at the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Canada. She is the recipient of the 2020 Research Excellence Award. She is also the Series Editor of Transforming Education Through Critical Leadership, Policy and Practice.