From struggling to juggling: Towards redefinition in the field of educational leadership and management

IN THIS ARTICLE I will discuss and attempt to draw connections between four of the major current preoccupations within our field of study: • the framework for educational policy-making; • the technical–rational approach to leadership and management; • ‘best practice ’ in management outside education; • professional development, research and the contribution of higher education. In each of these areas there are currently major challenges, particularly for those of us working in academic settings within the UK context. I will indicate those which I find most salient, and where relevant will suggest what responses we might make to them and what shifts in our own focus and practice might be appropriate. The Framework for Policy-Making The emphasis in much research following the 1988 Education Reform Act has been on the effects of devolution (e.g. Bullock and Thomas, 1997; Levačić, 1998a) and marketization (e.g. Whitty, 1997; Woods et al., 1998). This is not surprising and is understandable, given our focus on leadership and management and our consequent major research objective o