Change in Education

This paper aims to highlight the importance of understanding change in education. Change is inevitable and change is constant, however not all change is desirable; it is how we embrace, implement and manage change that decides whether or not the change was successful and thus the key to success is understanding the context of the environment where the change is to occur. Since the turn of the century, globalisation, technology and uncertain government direction have inflicted much change on society and at times a vulnerable society. These factors coupled with a paradigm shift in the leadership approach taken to teaching and learning have created and forced necessary educational change. As a result competent change management is demanded at the senior leadership level in all our educational facilities to ensure harmony is maintained in the workplace.

Firstly, globalisation is a term that has grown in stature in the last decade due to its significant impact on the interaction of countries within the world. It refers to the increasing interaction of people and the obvious and at times shameless integration of culture across countries, driven by an out of control advancement in the technology sector (Mundy, 2005). Due to the universal nature of globalisation all divisions of the economy are affected and consequently necessitate change, education included. As the concept of globalisation takes a strangle hold on the markets of the world the flow-on effect of this has significant repercussions to the education sector. The parallels that exist in the structure, language, standardised testing and assessment between curriculum systems and policies throughout the world are just some examples of the presence of globalisation in education. ...

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...rt spent by our academic scholars in providing us, the professionals, with theories, research and data to help pave the way forward. We, as a Catholic school in Queensland Australia, are like many of our neighbours, striving to provide the finest teaching and learning opportunities to our students. Educational change is just one of the many obstacles that confront us on this journey, it is however the way the change is managed that determines how successful implementation is achieved. It must be noted that obstacles such as educational change must not be perceived in a negative way as it is these challenges that keep us striving to be better educators. We as professionals and academics must never stop learning, in the words of Louisa May Alcott, “I am not afraid of storms for I am learning how to sail my ship.” The example of a ‘Life, Long Learner’ starts with us.