EDM7101Theoriesand Principles of Educational Management

This course challenges students to develop paradigms based on theory to address various managementproblems in the field of education. It firstly alludes to the meaning, functions of theories, characteristics and nature of theory in Education leadership and management. It then traces the development of the theory of educational management and leadership by briefly focusing on classical organizational theory. Then, emphasis is put on various educational management/leadership models/ perspectives such as formal models, collegial models, political models (Power and Politics in schools), subjective models, ambiguity models and cultural models. Finally, various theories that are pertinent to educational management are studied such as: the systems theory, behavioral theories (Getzel and Guba’s theory of organizational behavior, McGregor’s
Y and X Theories), Content theories (need hierarchy theory, motivation-hygiene theory, Existence Relatedness Growth theory), process theories (Expectancy theory, Equity theory, Goal-Setting theory)

Leadership theories (contingency leadership theories- Path-Goal and Fiedler’s theory, great man’s theory, functional theory, situational theory, group dynamics theory, servant leadership, moral leadership, quantum Leadership, Joseph Rost’s Leadership paradigm), decision making theories (Classical model, Administrative model, Mixed scanning model, Garbage Can model, Incremental model), and the theory of Organization
culture and Climate as it applies in school-related contexts

Course Objectives
The course aims at:

•  Exposing students to the nature, purpose, and development of the theory of Educational Management and Leadership
•  Exposing students to the major theories that inform the practice of Educational management and leadership
• Enabling students to derive principles that inform the function of educational management and Leadership from the theories of educational management and leadership and to apply the same in school related contexts
•  Enabling students to acquire skills that are important in the development of grounded theory
•  Enabling students to assess the practical implications of various management and leadership theories to the practice of Educational management and leadership

At the end of this course, students should be able to: 

•  Describe the nature, purpose and development of the theory of educational management and leadership
•  Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of various theories of educational management and Leadership and how these theories can improve educational practice
• Apply theories of educational leadership and management to school related contexts.
•  Develop paradigms based on theory to address various management problems in the field of education 
•  Identify relevant theories with which to underpin their research studies in the field of educational management and leadership
•   Easily identify research problems in the field of educational management and administration
• Utilise relevant principles in the execution of various management and leadership functions (such as
• Decision making, Delegation, leadership, organization culture, conflict management, communication)