ABSTRACT
This chapter is based on reflections arising from the author's participation in the OECD/CERI International School Improvement Project (ISIP). The resonances and scope of the term ‘school improvement’ are considered, as well as its different connotations in different national contexts. The connection between improvement processes and routine operations is examined, and it is argued that we should focus attention on how the management of improvement and the management of maintenance relate to one another, rather than regard them as largely separate activities. It is noted that recent research on the improvement process has emphasized the importance of the more intuitive, judgemental aspects of the management task, and this is related to the broader conceptual shift from an over-reliance on rational, linear models of how change occurs in schools towards acceptance of a far wider range of explanations. Some recent schemes for classifying various ‘perspectives’ on or ‘images’ of schools are briefly discussed, and contrasts between the behaviour of those attempting to manage improvements on the basis of different images are indicated. The calls for a multiperspective view are supported, but it is not yet clear what is entailed in such integration or what it would imply for practice, training and research. The chapter ends with a few brief conclusions concerning professional development.
