Motivating Students To View Administrative Theory as Practical.

This paper demonstrates a learning activity that enables students to understand their own predominant leadership frames and to motivate them to study and use a variety of theoretical models. The text provides a history of organizational theory, making note of various theories that have thrived and then wilted over time. An assessment of students who entered the school's doctoral program over a 3-year period is also offered. Students were administered the Leadership Orientations Instrument (LOI), a test that reveals the test-taker's leadership style, and the results of that testing are detailed here. It is argued that use of the LOI provides students personal information and connects theory with practice. Instructors may then have students apply these various theoretical frames to actual administrative cases. Contains 11 references. (RJM) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** MOTIVATING STUDENTS TO VIEW ADMINISTRATIVE THEORY AS PRACTICAL Barbara Nelson Pavan Dr. Barbara Nelson Pavan Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Temple University 003-00 Philadelphia, PA 19122 (215) 204-6167 Presented at the American Educational Research Association San Diego, CA April 13,1998 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDU TIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. ° Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. 2 1 PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) MOTIVATING STUDENTS TO VIEW ADMINISTRATIVE THEORY AS PRACTICAL Dr. Barbara Nelson Pavan Temple University Purpose and Theoretical Perspective The introductory educational administration text by Sergiovanni and others (1992) labels the major views of administrative theory as efficiency, person, political and decision-making, and culture. Bolman and Deal (1991) ask students to deliberately look at an administrative case using different lenses or theoretical frames as this has the power to unblock students from fixating on their preferred frame of reference. They believe that more effective leaders are able to use all the frames, selecting a frame according to the specific situation. This process of using multiple theoretical frames to analyze complex teaching cases is utilized for our doctoral administrative theory course (Pavan, 1996). Bolman and Deal's frames are named structural, human resource, political, and symbolic which mirror Sergiovanni's terms. In addition to these four major views; critical theory with the aspects of class, economics, gender and power is used as a fifth frame for this course (Foster, 1986). The case teaching method builds on the diversity of experiences which students bring to the class. They become active participants in the learning of the entire class community. Reframing, rather than persevering in using one theoretical frame, enables an educational leader to better respect the views of diverse stakeholder groups affected by a specific situation. Reliance upon the structural or bureaucratic organizational pattern has persisted in educational organizations for a very long time even as business organizations began to move to a participatory or "team" concept. Consideration of political aspects or power relationships had been thought to be unthinkable for educational leaders even with the awareness that leaders who had political skills got things done. Following the