Improving school administration through information technology? How digitalisation changes the bureaucratic features of public school administration

Digital media and digital data processing have substantially influenced public institutions in recent years and changed their efficiency, effectiveness and organisational set-up (nature of organisations). Based on Fountain’s Technology Enactment Framework (TEF), this paper argues that, firstly, in a circular process, digital requirements transform the bureaucratic features of school organisation, and that the effects of digital technologies on the performance and efficiency of schools as bureaucratic organisations are ambivalent. We use interview data from a sample of 51% of the head teachers of vocational school centres in the jurisdiction of Bavaria in order to substantiate these assumptions by means of structured qualitative analysis. Email technology seems particularly significant from a quantitative perspective. Indications for the transformative nature of objective digital technologies with regard to the school bureaucracies can be found for all bureaucratic categories under consideration in this analysis, particularly for the feature ‘standardisation’. The examples presented here seem to highlight that gains in efficiency or reductions of losses in efficiency caused by digitalisation are mostly caused by the concrete use of digital technology within the respective school organisation.

CONCEPÇÃO COMUNITARISTA DA DEMOCRACIA E EDUCAÇÃO (THE COMUNITARIANIST CONCEPTION OF DEMOCRACY AND THE EDUCATION) - Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5212/OlharProfr.v.11i2.233252

Analisa-se, neste texto, a concepção comunitarista de democracia e sua correlação com a educação, discutindo-se o potencial heurístico da mesma para se compreender questões ligadas à forma como as políticas públicas são concebidas e implementadas no campo da educação frente às exigências de administração democrática da escola pública. A concepção contratualista da democracia é apresentada, inicialmente, como contraponto. Mostra-se como, a partir do comunitarismo, questões ligadas à identidade e à diferença são tratadas na esfera da deliberação pública. Discute-se qual tipo de democracia podemos ter e desejar frente aos limites do comunitarismo em relação às exigências da formação humana para uma democracia radical e popular. Palavras-chave: Democracia. Comunitarismo. Educação. This paper analyzes the communitarianism as a perspective of collective decision to think democracy in public educational policies and in public school administration. First I present the contractarian conception of democracy as a counterpoint to discuss question about how communitarianism difine the limits and scope of political education and school as a place of coletive deliberation. How question about identity and difference must be democratically treated. The question is about what kind of democracy we have and want and how this is linked with the human formation. Keywords: Democracy. Communitarianism. Education.

Examining the Satisfaction of Educational Leaders and Their Intent to Pursue Career Advancement in Public School Administration

This statewide study examined selected demographic characteristics, worklife experiences, and personal issues that influence the satisfaction of administrators (assistant principals, principals, assistant superintendents) and their intent to leave their positions and careers or pursue career advancement in public school administration. The results of this study suggest that this group of school administrators is satisfied with their worklife experiences; however, personal issues and individual demographic characteristics have a major influence on their intent to leave their careers and professions or pursue advancement. Moreover, few intend to pursue public school advancement, with the exception of assistant principals, who are the least qualified and experienced but most willing.

Ethical and Moral Theory and Public School Administration

This article examines a taxonomy for understanding and applying various facets of ethical argumentation and conceptualization to administrative practice. Initially, the importance of using such research findings and developing the ability of conceptual analysis is presented. Then, an explication of normative ethics is given; that is, both a prescriptive approach to ethics and the relevance of applied ethics for educational leadership is considered. This four part taxonomy is then applied to administrative practice. Finally, recommendations are given on the use of the taxonomy for educational leaders.