Steering Dynamics in Complex Education Systems. An Agenda for Empirical Research

Autor/inn/en	Theisens, Henno; Hooge, Edith; Waslander, Sietske
Titel	Steering Dynamics in Complex Education Systems. An Agenda for Empirical Research
Quelle	In: European Journal of Education, 51 (2016) 4, S.463-477 (15 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0141-8211
DOI	10.1111/ejed.12187
Schlagwörter	Research Needs; Agenda Setting; Educational Policy; Governance; Models; Administrative Organization; Administrative Principles; Educational Practices; Group Dynamics; Institutional Role; Government Role; Stakeholders; Partnerships in Education; Systems Analysis; Educational Administration; Social Networks + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Forschungsbedarf; Politics of education; Bildungspolitik; Education; Educational policy; Financing; Steuerung; Bildung; Erziehung; Finanzierung; Analogiemodell; Bildungspraxis; Gruppendynamik; Hochschulpartnerschaft; System analysis; Systemanalyse; Bildungsverwaltung; Schuladministration; Schulverwaltung; Social network; Soziales Netzwerk
Abstract	Many policy systems and education systems have grown more complex in the last three decades. Power has moved away from central governments in different directions: upwards towards international organisations, sideways towards private institutions and non-governmental organisations and downwards towards local governments and public enterprises such as schools. Where once we had central government, we now have governance, which can be defined as the processes of establishing priorities, formulating and implementing policies, and being accountable in complex networks with many different actors. Steering in such complex education systems emerges from the activities, tasks and responsibilities of state and non-state actors, operating at different levels and from different positions and often has un-deliberate, un-intentional and un-foreseen consequences. There are many conceptual models that encapsulate this complexity, but this article suggests that there is a real need for empirical research. Without empirical research it remains unknown whether and how steering in complex networks works out in practice, what are its effects and for whom. Moreover, it is only through empirical research that we can find out whether central government has become less dominant, or rather whether its appearance has changed and it has become less visible, but not necessarily less influential. Foucault's governmentality perspective is a useful notion on which to build such a framework for empirical research which allows for a careful study of the interactions that signify steering. Inspired by Foucault, this article develops a trilogy of assumed conditions for steering to take effect in modern societies. Following this reasoning, "something" first needs to be made thinkable, calculable and practicable by different actors for steering to occur. This trilogy is a promising starting point for empirical research into very specific phenomena which can help us to understand how steering in complex education systems works. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01