Teaching and Managing: Inseparable Activities in Schools

Originally published in 1987. It has been questioned whether management theory can offer viable insights for education, largely because, unlike many other institutions, there is no exclusive managerial structure in schools - the roles of the teacher and manager are inextricably linked. This dual role usually even includes the head of a school. Nevertheless, some schools seem to be more effective than others. This book argues that, although teaching and managing are inseparable, they are not necessarily indistinguishable activities and that important non-teaching roles can be identified through critical analysis of practice in different educational contexts. The first section describes developments in organisational theory that are producing useful models for school life and also for other comparable areas in the public sector, such as health, the police and local government. The second section examines the actual processes of management in context by analysing how leadership, planning, decision-making and communication operate in real situations.