Importance in Improving English Teaching in Schools - Essay Example

Heading: Implementing change Your name: Course name: Professors’ name: Date An outline of the plan This project proposes a new mode of teaching English in Australia high schools. The new mode involves the use of a research-based learning concerning incorporating multi, digital technologies, and learning assessment. In order to initiate a sustainable change in a school setting, I will employ Fullan’s proposed steps including initiating change, implement change, continuing the change’s implementation, and determining the outcome of the change. As a change agent, I will explain to the stakeholders the importance of the change relative to the current mode of English teaching. I will identify problems that the present approach has, and participate in the creation of relationship with professionals and customers. I will also ensure that the vision of the proposed change is well articulated. I will also set up a leadership agenda, and a measuring and monitoring mechanism. Part A Outline plan The most fundamental aspect in ensuring that the stakeholder understands the need for change, I will concentrate on the merits of merits of changing aspect so teaching. The first issue that I will point out is the need to ensure success, more so, success which is sustainable. This is because change on the way things are done can only be initiated with the need to succeed in mind (Fullan, 2011). I will also ensure that the stakeholders are part of the initiative by emphasising on the relevance and importance of their participation; this is basically because their participation will generate motivation and purpose to go ahead with the desired change. A vision statement and plan that has clear and cut out ideas necessary in implementing change will also be useful in ensuring that the stakeholders are fully engaged in the process. A concise and focused plan demonstrates the need for change and the seriousness of initiating change in the process, this will be essential in ensuring that the stakeholders agree and participate in the process. In my context, there are a number of evidences that support the implementation of the change process which will came in handy. The first evidence that will initiate the need for change as well as support it is the current state of teaching, the success rate of the teaching process. In order to bring out meaning in this case, the success in other areas will be highlighted in comparison with the current success rate in the school. This is an importance evidence for the stakeholders as well as other participants in the process (Fullan, 2011). By drawing meaning is a substantiate way; chances of encountering obstacles will be reduced significantly. Another type of evidence that will be used to initiate change is the need for change, in the modern world change is inevitable, change is an essential component of progress, curriculum change in school is based on maintaining relevance and focusing students on skills and other attributes that will make them competitive in the modern world. These are the key evidence of inspiring change and ensuring that the process is done is the best way possible, more so, with the consideration of the key stakeholders in the process. As stated by Geijsel, Sleegers, Leithwood, & Jantzi (2003), the first strategy that will be adopted in order to ensure short term success is the integration of external agents as experts and as facilitators in the process of change implementation. The experts will involve educators from different areas with interest on the local community’s success in their endeavour. The role of the experts in this case will be to uncover areas of weaknesses that need urgent change (as part of the short term goals). The facilitator on the other hand will act as a guide to the successful implementation of the process in the best way possible (Fullan, 2011). Instituting a sound leadership is also an important strategy both for short and long term goals. Such a leader needs to be focused on issues affecting the community, be in a position to resolve conflicts by encouraging voicing of disconnects in the interaction process. Through such initiatives, easy transition to a state of resilience will be made possible and hence increasing chances of repairs and hence fostering sustainable connections as the engaged people work towards achieving a sustainable change to the society. Other strategies that will be necessary in order to facilitate both short term and long term goals includes; ensuring that the participants are involved and motivated, by making all the stakeholders and other interested parties as owners and part of the process, their unparalleled contributions can be achieved (Fisler & Firestone, 2006). In order to develop better ways of ensuring that the long term action plan is achieved, the most fundamental issue to be addressed is clearly deriving the vision of the change, when the change needs to be achieved as well as setting a clear time frame for the achievement of this desired goal. Follow-up through different stages of achieving the change will also be ensured in order to achieve the long term change results. As noted by Fisler & Firestone (2006) some of the issues that may be experience while implementing change include resistance to change, slow adaptation of the change process and failure to implement the short term and long term goals. These aspects are specifically issues that may arise in my context. There are a number of strategies that will be adopted in order to ensure that these issues that may arise are well addressed. The first initiative is to remind the participants in the change process the need to go ahead with the change by pointing to the importance of the change process. Making the people involved fully understand the importance of the process by drawing them back to the reason why the process started is imperative. This will give them a renewed vigour and new sense of purpose to implement the much needed change. More so, by seeking the support of the government through its policies, major issues will be avoided (Fisler & Firestone, 2006). The responses of the stakeholders will be addressed by ensuring that there is a progressive report which updates them on the current progress including the challenges and milestones achieved. Their inquiries/concerns will be addressed through constant communication. By ensuring that there is a constant connection in terms of communication, free flow of information will be ensured. According to Geijsel, Sleegers, Leithwood, & Jantzi (2003),one of the most fundamental ways of ensuring the success of the change process is by going back and analysing the results of the change. This includes what good the change as brought to the contemporary society or school setting in this case. Since this case targets new modes of teaching English, a measure of the success of the new modes will be measured, the previous performance rate as a result of the older ways will be compared to the new adopted way success. Sustainability of change will also be achieved by ensuring repetition of the fundamental processes including revising and assessing the adopted modes. Using other schools as a benchmark, the level of success can assessed and thus maintained or improved. The involvement of stakeholders will also be imperative in ensuring that the change process goes on as planned. Part B Rationale The reason for the adaptation of this approach is basically because of its practicality and importance in improving English teaching in schools. More so, the new modes of teaching English being proposed in this case has been used and tested elsewhere, the success rates of this mode thus backs the need to adopt this strategy (Geijsel, Sleegers, Leithwood, & Jantzi, 2003). The current teaching modes are not bringing success to the learners, the slow progress in understanding some basic concepts of English necessary for success have failed in the current mode. The stakeholders and other interested groups have thus suffered as a result of the poor results in the English language. The approach adopted is also supported by the stakeholders and hence the reason for its adaptation, in general the stakeholders are satisfied with the mode because of its clear stated objectives which are focused to the desired short and long term goals (Fullan, 2011). I have chosen the steps outlined above because they are practical to implement, they are also relevant to the process and thus the reason for their selection. As compared to a holistic approach of dealing with change, more results will be obtained by focusing on the core/key issues. The steps adopted are not general in nature but rather focused to the desired goals, more so by setting the time frame for achieving both short and long term goals, the chances of success are doubled. A benchmark for comparison in order to establish if the adopted process is successful or not is also an important step because it gives the stakeholders and other involved parties the rate of success which has been implemented. More so, the step which outlines ways in which resistance to change and other barriers to change will be addressed is important. This is because of the need to integrate expected challenges to the process of change (Schmidt, M., & Datnow, 2005). The desire to succeed is an important aspect that supports the reason why this approach will be successful. All the participants and specifically the stakeholders have been frustrated by the current system, the system has failed to deliver success as desired and hence the need for change. The adopted change in my context covers areas of weaknesses, the mode proposes a new approach of teaching English aimed at improving the results of the school and thus benefiting the society as a whole. The government policies also support this form of approach since it does not conflict with the outlined school curriculum; instead, it supplements and even improves the current structure in order to benefit the participants in the process (Schmidt & Datnow, 2005). It is also worth to note that the contemporary society does not have cultures and beliefs that may adequately impair the plan for change, the society is supportive. Another reason why I expect the process to be successful and sustainable is mainly because the laid down plan focuses on key issues as well as accommodating for revisit of the process in order to ensure that it is successful. The vision for both the long term and the short term strategy is also well defined and focus. This thus means that the process is likely to succeed because it is fundamentally focused (Fullan, 2010). The reason for my expectation that the measures taken in order to address issues related to change to be successful is because of the following. The first aspect of the measures taken to address the issues related to change management is the relevance and possibility of encountering such issues, as an example, resistance to change is one aspect (Fullan, 2011). Most people in any society tend to be reluctant to changes, with this in mind; my strategy will ensure to remind all involved people of the importance of the change process, the purpose of the change process. More so, the government policy will be considered in order to avoid any issues related to curriculum. In essence, the plan intends to support government policies and hence the reason for the expected success. The plan is also concerned with the need to keep reminding the involved parties of the importance and purpose of the change process by comparing the results after the implementation of the new mode of teaching to prior the implementation or adaptation of the new mode of teaching (Fisler & Firestone, 2006). The plan also considers the need to involve the participants and stakeholders, by involving these key people in the process; the chances of success are increased and hence generating to the expected success rates. As noted, a progress report will be particularly essential in ensuring the success of the process. Communication is also another important aspect in the process; it will play an important role in ensuring constant connection and room for repair during the implementation of the change process. References Fisler, J. L., & Firestone, W. A. (2006). Teacher learning in a school-university partnership: Exploring the role of social trust and teaching efficacy beliefs. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1155-1185. Fullan, M. (2010). Motion leadership: The skinny on becoming change savvy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Fullan, M. (2011). Choosing the wrong drivers for whole system reform. East Melbourne: Centre for Strategic Education. Geijsel, F., Sleegers, P., Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2003). Transformational leadership effects on teachers’ commitment and effort toward school reform. Journal of Educational Administration, 41(3), 228-256. Schmidt, M., & Datnow, A. (2005). Teachers' sense-making about comprehensive school reform: The influence of emotions. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21(8), 949-965. Read More