ABSTRACT
This final chapter concludes that from all the data sources, five themes emerged relating to decision-making and implementation of second-order educational changes: 1) Knowledge and skill, 2) Collaboration and communication, 3) Balance of autonomy, accountability, and direction, 4) Political and bureaucratic considerations, and 5) Strong moral imperative. As a result, a grounded theory emerged: For second-order educational change decisions to be implemented at the department, district, or school level, educational leaders must understand political and bureaucratic considerations and have a strong moral imperative. Furthermore, having knowledge and skill, ensuring collaboration and communication, and providing a balance of autonomy, accountability, and direction are crucial. When comparing decision-making and implementation in the education system, the evidence in my research suggested that no longer can senior leaders be thought of as top-down agents of change or seen as the visionaries of the system. Instead of a single individual being responsible, other educational leaders at various levels, who are partners or group members, must take on some of the responsibility for leadership. This supports a shared, distributed, and participative leadership model where decisions are tethered to the central values of an organization rather than a singular person within that organization.
