Creating Coherence in Educational Change Through Communication Framing

Purpose. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences suburban public TK-12 school district leaders have had in framing educational change to school sites. Theoretical Framework. The coherence framework (Fullan & Quinn, 2016a), specifically focusing direction and cultivating collaborative cultures, was used as the theoretical framework to better understand the leadership strategies used by leaders in public TK-12 education in framing educational change. The framing theory (Goffman, 1974) was an additional framework used to better understand how sensemaking and sense giving frames (Weick, 1995) can be used to message educational change. Methodology. This qualitative phenomenological study gathered and analyzed data collected from TK-12 district leaders in Los Angeles County, California. Participants were asked to speak of their experience in messaging change to school sites and the strategies used to build understanding and successful implementation of change. A total of 8 participants were interviewed for this study. Findings and Conclusion. The data collected showed the essence of educational framing stems from the relationships built and developed when a leader first begins in an organization. A total of 7 themes emerged from the data collected: (a) developing partnerships that crate meaningful relationships with all stakeholders, (b) seeking feedback and reflecting on progress, (c) taking into consideration multiple perspectives, (d) authentically listening to people, (e) collaborating with staff, (f) establishing a vision, and (g) allowing time to explore and understand. Recommendations. The findings aligned with existing literature and contributed to the limited research on framing in education. It is important for all leaders to develop a plan that allows leaders to frame change that connects to employees’ values and beliefs. Leaders need to be able to develop relationships and bring people along with them by including the voice of all stakeholders. Further research is recommended in seeking the perspective of site leaders in how district leaders frame educational change, continuing to explore the different types of framing methods used in education, further exploring the impact framing has on change, and digging deeper into sensemaking and sense giving and how these framing techniques can help leaders frame educational change