Asma Abdalla H00298183

Assessment 1
Task3: The collegial model
Asma Abdalla
H00298183
EDU 4103
Managing Innovation and Change
Asma Abdalla H00298183

The collegial model

In some countries, although there are many obvious elements of bureaucracy to

be seen in the management of schools, the trend over the past 20 years has
been towards a more democratic and participatory approach to power,
authority and decision-making. In some countries, through policies of
decentralisation, principals and their teachers are now much more
empowered to act on their own initiative in order to change things so that
they can meet the needs of their students more effectively.

Highlight the definition of collegial models on page 72 of Bush and discuss it for
a few minutes by contrasting it with a bureaucratic model. Can you see any
advantages it might offer to primary school teachers and principals?

Collegial model assume that organizations determine policy and make decisions through a
process of discussion leading to consensus. Based on this approach power is shared among some
or all members of the organization who are thought to have a shared understanding about the aims
of the institution. However, bureaucratic model is limited shared with certain number of people.
In my opinion, I certainly agree with Collegial model because there are advantages that might
offer to primary school teachers and principals which is all primary teachers and principals will
have equal voice in sitting the curriculum. For example, all of them define the curriculum, make
decisions, meeting and get knowledge from each other.

Continue with pages 73-75 of Bush and summarise the major features of
collegial models.

Collegial models have the following major features:

1- They are strongly normative in orientation. We noted that all theories tend to be normative
but collegial approach in particular reflect the prescriptive view that management ought to
be based on agreement and their advocates they believe that decision making should be
based on democratic principles.
2- Collegial model is seen as particularly appropriate for organizations such as schools and
colleges that have significant numbers of professional staff. Teachers possess authority
arising directly from their knowledge and skill. They have an authority of expertise that
contrasts with the positional authority. Collegial model assume that professionals also have a
right to share. Shared decisions are likely to be better informed and are also much more
likely to be implemented effectively.
3- Collegial models assume a common set of values held by members of the organization.
These may arise from the socialization which occurs during training and the early years of
professional practice.
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4- The size of decision making groups is an important element in collegial management . They
have to be sufficiently small to enable everyone to be heard. This may mean that collegiality
works better in primary schools than secondary schools and colleges.
5- Collegial models assume that decisions are reached by consensus than division or conflict.
The belief that there are common values and shared objectives lead to the view that it is both
desirable and possible to resolve problem by agreement.

Bush describes the suitability of the collegial model for primary schools on
pages 79-80

Read these pages and then discuss how a decision might be made in such a
school, for example, to introduce a new Reading scheme. You need to think in
terms of a sequence of actions and the people involved in each of these. Draw
some kind of diagram (e.g. a time line or a flow chart) to represent the
process.

There is a model describes how teachers followed the flowchart to be followed by

teachers in primary schools:
1- Teachers talk about teaching and they shared their planning and preparation .
2- Teachers attend and observe a lot in the classroom and follow mutual training and
development .

So how would you now define the concepts collegial (adj.) and collegiality
(n.)? What do they mean?

Collegial (adj.): That means involving shared responsibility, as among a group of

colleagues.

Collegiality (n.): That means is collegiality is the collaboration process and

sharing ideas between colleagues.

Do you think it is easier for a primary school to adopt this kind of decision-
making process than it is for a secondary school? Give reasons.

Yes, because when students getting older it’s become harder for teachers to be flexible

because for teachers they have plans to follow.

Tage,

Degrees of collegiality (Bush p72 – first paragraph; p91-94)

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Finally, although collegial models are seen as the most progressive for schools
nowadays, there is often a gulf between the theory and the practice. Just
because a certain school describes itself as embracing a collegial approach, it
doesn’t necessarily mean that it is collegial in practice.

Define the following terms and differentiate between them in your own words:

Partial or restricted collegiality: All members should have equal voices in the
process of determining policy .

Pure or genuine collegiality: This means that leaders must be truly courageous
to give power to a democratic form of decision-making.

Contrived collegiality : It is administratively regulated not constant, and it is also

compulsory rather than discretionary and it is geared to the implementation of the mandates of
government or the head teacher and it has fixed in time and place
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