Educational leadership and change: structural challenges in the implementation of a shifting paradigm

Abstract

A great deal of research has been conducted regarding leadership and change. The impact of this research has not been limited to academe, but rather, government policy in different jurisdictions has been directly impacted by developments into collegial forms of leadership. While the positive correlation between leadership and change has been widely acknowledged, this article argues that a disconnect has emerged between the theory and practice signifying that the efficacy of change remains hampered by structural constraints and subjective factors that result in unpredicted outcomes. To explore this thesis, the fundamentals of educational leadership theory, our ability (or inability) to manage change and an analysis of the difficulties faced by leaders as they move from theory to praxis are examined.