School Leadership and Complexity Theory

Interest in complexity theory, a relation of chaos theory, has become well established in the business community in recent years. Complexity theory argues that systems are complex interactions of many parts which cannot be predicted by accepted linear equations. In this book, Keith Morrison introduces complexity theory to the world of education, drawing out its implications for school leadership. He suggests that schools are complex, nonlinear and unpredictable systems, and that this impacts significantly within them. As schools race to keep up with change and innovation, he suggests that it is possible to find order without control and to lead without coercion. Key areas: * schools and self-organisation * leadership for self-organisation * supporting emergence through the learning organisation * schools and their environments * communication * fitness landscapes This book will be of interest to headteachers and middle managers, and those on higher level courses in educational leadership and management.

Morrison, Keith

Part One: The Theory of Complexity 1. Complexity Theory Part Two: The Practice of Complexity in Schools 2. Schools and Self-Organization for Complexity 3. Leadership for Self-Organization and Emergence 4. Supporting Emergence through the Learning Organization 5. Schools and their Environments 6. Communication 7. Fitness Landscapes 8. Retrospect and Prospect