Educators engaged in meaning-making about their work:

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Educators engaged in meaning-making about their
work
Using deep dialogue and a sustainable system of
governance to improve performance.
Paula Joyce, PhD candidateTransformative
Education Research GroupScience Mathematics
Education Centre (SMEC)Curtin University of
Technologywww.expandingcircles.com.au
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Research Questions

• What happens when teachers are given the
  opportunity to make decisions about their work?
• Are schools (as claimed by Habermas) the best
  places to learn about democracy)?
• How are decisions made in schools, who makes them
  and who is held accountable?
• Is transformative change in schools possible?
• What is considered valuable and measureable in
  schools?

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Background Significance

• Schools
• Sites of fragmented problem/solution cycle
• Untapped tacit knowledge about teaching
  learning
• Fractured pedagogical approaches
• Decision making processes and governance do not
  lead to action
• Autocratic, endowed leadership
• Classroom push precludes deep learning
• Poor network of stakeholders
• Limited information flow in downward direction
• Assumed culture and values
• External metrics measure teacher performance by
  measuring students

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Purpose

• To introduce the Expanding Circles of Governance
  (ECoG) structure into a school to enable whole
  school reculturing restructuring.
• Emergent
• Ecological
• Coparticipant
• Harnesses tacit knowledge

Governance the heart of decision making
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Methodology

• Multiple paradigms
• Theoretical Referents

• Traditional paradigm

Explanation
Criticalism
Positivism
Systems theory
Integralism
Complexity theory
Triangulation
Objectivity
Spiral dynamics
Validity Reliability
Experimental
Auto/ethnographic
Network theory
Chaos theory
Interpretivism
Post-modernism
Post-positivism
Theories of democracy and deliberation
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Educational Research Paradigms
Western History Anthropology Interpretive turn Reflective turn Critical Studies Critical turn The Arts Literary turn Narrative turn Integral Philosophy Ecological turn Spiritual turn
Paradigms Interpretivism Criticalism Postmodernism Integralism
Focus Meaning (subjective) Emancipation (social justice) Pluralism (difference) Holism (balance)
Method Ethnographic Autobiographical 4th Generation Evaluation participant observation case study Critical Action Research Policy critique Writing as inquiry Performance Ethnography Visualising Imagining Critical auto/ethnography Philosophical inquiry
Quality Standards Legitimation trustworthiness authenticity Praxis critical reflection agency advocacy re-envisioning Representation multiple perspectives polyvocality verisimilitude pedagogical thoughtfulness Combination of standards of inquiry from various paradigms
Peter C Taylor, Curtin University, 2009
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Multiple Research Paradigms
Integralism
Criticalism
Interpretivism
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Organisational Change

• Organisational framework
• January, 2008

• Organisational framework
• July, 2009

• Restructuring/reculturing emergent and
  ongoingecological systemempowering
  leadershiptrust and opennessvalue/belief
  explicitchallenges the status quo and long held
  beliefsimproves the flow of information
  throughout the schoolincreasesd self-efficacy
  and individual self-worthdecisions are make as a
  result of deep-thinkingeffective meetingsclear
  agendaoriented to actionspace for every voice
  to be heardrecognises complexityclarifies
  responsibilityprovides opportunities for
  emerging leadershipdialogic evaluative

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Praxis oriented change-knowledge linked to action
Epistemology
Phronesis
Knowledge claims
Techne
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Outcomes

• clearly defined organisational structures
• improved information flow (up and down) to all
  corners of the organisation
• emergent leadership opportunities - leading not
  managing
• clearly defined roles
• effective meetings - purposeful discussion
• realisation of professional learning communities
• clear agreement to plans and projects
• engages the wisdom within an organisation
• gives people the big picture of the organisation
• process demands action stops ineffective
  whining

www.expandingcircles.com.au