Educational administration 1969–2014: reflections on pragmatism, agency and reform

Abstract

This concluding article attempts to review some dominant themes from the preceding contributions and relate them to my own preoccupations and perspectives. It focuses on the themes of agency, reform and the field. It points to the risk of polarising the debate about the relative influence of agency and structure but acknowledges and exemplifies the impact of the radical organisational reforms of recent years, particularly in England, on schools and their leaders. The educational world has changed beyond recognition since Baron and Taylor's edited book was published. I argue that, in spite of the severe challenges this has posed for the field of educational administration, and whatever the variations in its title and scope in different contexts, it has become the important and distinctive field of study and application that they intended it to be.

Keywords:

• educational administration
• agency in leadership
• educational reform

Notes on contributor

Ron Glatter is Emeritus Professor of Educational Administration and Management at The Open University and Visiting Professor at the Institute of Education, University of London. He is also Honorary President of the British Educational Leadership, Management and Administration Society (BELMAS).

Notes

1. Where no date is given, references are to articles in this issue.

2. Among other pioneers in Britain at the time, particular mention should be made of Meredydd Hughes (1970), who was based originally at the University of Wales in Cardiff before moving to the University of Birmingham. He later became President of the Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration.

3. www.belmas.org.uk.