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Section 9. Education Management
My Giang Son, PhD., in Education, associate professor, Saigon University Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam E-mail: [email protected]
PROPOSED MEASURES FOR MANAGING CHANGES IN SCHOOLS IN HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
Abstract: From the results of the literature reviews and those of the surveys on the reality of change management by pre-school and school principals in Ho Chi Minh City, the author has proposed three groups of measures to manage changes in schools. The first is to forecast and enhance the initiatives to implement the contents of change management in schools. The second is to overcome the limitations of the change management process. The third is to focus on the influential factors and provide the best conditions for principals to successfully manage the changes.
Keywords: measures, management, changes, schools, principals, Ho Chi Minh City.
1. Introduction retical research and the results of the surveys on the
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is a big city - the reality of change management by school principals
center of economy, culture, education, science and in Ho Chi Minh City. technology, where changes have occurred extremely 2. Research content
rapidly and continuously. Since the Eighth Plenum of the Central Committee of the Communist Party ofVietnam (XI) (2013) issued "The resolution on the basic and comprehensive renovation of education and training" and the Prime Minister of Vietnam (2012) issued "Vietnam Education Development Strategy in the period of 2011-2020", together with the whole country, the education of Ho Chi Minh City has carried out the basic and comprehensive renovation. This makes schools in HCM City face urgent and continuous changes in all fields. These changes should be managed in scientific ways by school principals in order to meet the goals of the school development and the requirements of the education renovation. This article presents the proposed measures of change management based on the theo-
2.1. The basis to propose the measures for change management in schools in Ho Chi Minh City
The proposed measures are based on the results of the theoretical research and practical research of Scientific Research Project, coded CS2017-58, by Nguyen Thi Thuy Dung and My Giang Son at Saigon University in 2018.
2.1.1. Theoretical basis
The results of the literature reviews show that change is the general attribute of any certain things and phenomena. Education, in general and schools, in particular, are not the exception of such rules, always facing the urgent and continuous changes by the impacts of the internal and external factors, especially in the current period of the rapid changes of economy, society, science and technology.
- Based on the analysis of the possible changes in the fields of activities in schools, the authors have identified 15 items of contents of change management in four fields of schools: 1) Change management on the resources of schools (human resources, finance, facilities); 2) Change management on the professional activities (objectives, contents, methods, forms, testing and assessment); 3) Change management on students (quantity and quality ofstudents); 4) Change management on school culture (school scenes, classroom layouts, logos, uniforms, etiquette ..., rules, codes of conduct, beliefs, perceptions and emotions which are the basis for the thoughts and actions of school members).
- The researchers have reviewed a number of authors in the world and in Vietnam on their works on the process of change management in organizations, in general and in schools, in particular, such as Kurt Lewin (1947) with the three-step model of change management in organizations; the researchers of Harvard University (2005) with the seven-step model of change management [4, P. 41-58]; Tony Wagner and Robert Kegan (2005) with the three-stage model of change management in schools [8, P. 189-230]; Dang Xuan Hai (2005) with the 11-step process to innovate teaching methods in schools [2, P. 33-37] as well as the seven-step of "management of thematic activities" which has been proposed in the textbooks of management expertise used in training schools for Vietnamese school administrators [7, P. 29-35]. Based on the analysis of the views of many researchers, the authors have proposed the process of change management in schools which includes 11 steps: 1) Analyzing the school situation on the field/problem which needs changing; 2) Making plans for change implementation; 3) Assigning tasks to departments and individuals, identifying relationships between departments and individuals in the implementation process; 4) Improving awareness on the importance of implementing changes so as to get the unanimity and determination to make changes; 5) Improving, training the theories of change implementation; 6) Mobilizing financial resources, facilities and equipment for making
changes; 7) Piloting and drawing experience; 8) Deploying in entire schools; 9) Examining and evaluating the implementation in schools; 10) Concluding; 11) Strengthening, maintaining the achieved results and developing them in the coming time.
- The results of the research on the literature reviews have also determined the factors that influence change management in schools, such as the internal factors (those of school principals, education staffs, the working environment and conditions) and the external factors (those of the contexts of economy,
politics, culture and society, the directions of the
higher authorities, the coordination of students' parents and the coordination of the local authorities).
2.1.2. Practical basis
The field research has been conducted by means of in-depth interviews and questionnaire surveys with the participation of 177 principals and 1829 vice principals, subject-division heads, educational staffs ofpre-schools, primary schools and secondary schools in Ho Chi Minh City. The survey results have shown as follows:
- Of the 15 contents of change management in schools, nine are administered by principals at "Quite Active" level and six managed by principals at "Moderately Active" level. In the 11-step of the change management process in schools, there are 6 steps rated for doing "Good" and 5 steps evaluated for "Fairly Good" performance by the principals.
- The internal factors are judged to be more influential than the external ones. Among the internal factors, the factor ofschool principals is considered to have the highest impact, especially the abilities and prestige of the principals. The personalities and the sense of common of the educational staffs is also the factor that is very influential in managing changes in schools.
2.2. The proposed measures for change management for pre-school and school principals in Ho Chi Minh City
Based on the theoretical and practical basis, the authors have proposed 3 groups of measures to manage changes in schools:
- The group of measures related to the contents of change management: to forecast and enhance the initiatives to implement the contents of change management in schools.
- The group of measures related to the change management process: to overcome the limitations of the change management process, thereby improving the efficiency of the whole process.
- The group of measures related to the factors influencing change management: to focus on the influential factors and provide the best conditions for principals to manage the changes.
2.2.1. The group of measures related to the contents of change management
2.2.1.1. Context analyzing and forecasting the changes taking place in schools
a) The objective of the measure
The measure is to anticipate changes in the fields of activities in schools so as to actively manage changes.
b) The contents of the measure
Context analyzing and forecasting changes in all fields of activities in schools: changes in human resources, finance, facilities; changes in professional activities; changes in students; changes in school culture.
c) How to implement the measure
* Analyzing context: From the information and data obtained by means of various sources such as: documents; conferences, seminars, meetings; training courses; the media; records of the school performance..., principals can analyze the contexts:
Firstly, analyzing the legal documents (issued by the authorities of all levels: the State, the local authorities, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Department of Education and Training.) related to the school management in general and the guidance to implement the renovation in all fields of activities in schools in particular.
Secondly, analyzing the external situation: the situation in the world and in the country, the local situation in politics, economics, society, science and
technology as well as education development; the changes which have taken place in all the fields, especially in the fields of education and schools; the situation of Students' parents' Associations and their coordination, etc.
Thirdly, analyzing of the internal situation: Analyzing all the fields in schools: the situation of human resources (management staffs and educational staffs); the situation of facilities (schools, classrooms, teaching equipment, conditions for teachers' and students' activities.); the financial situation (allocated funding, funding sources, etc.); the situation of professional activities (in-class teaching and learning, extra-curriculum activities); the situation of students (situation of maintaining and developing students' quantity, the quality of students); the situation of school culture (school scenes, classroom layouts, logos, uniforms, etiquette., rules, codes of conduct, beliefs, perceptions, core values and emotions which are the basis for the thoughts and actions of school members .). In each of the above fields, a comprehensive analysis of strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages should be made.
* Forecasting changes: Based on the above comprehensive context analysis, three kinds of changes should be identified:
- Changes which were made: What are the changes? In which field are the changes? What are the changes made for? What are the results? What is the current situation?
- Changes which are being made: What are the changes? In which field are the changes? Why are the changes made? What has been done and what are the results? What is the current situation? What needs to be done next?
- Changes which are to be made: Predicting the inevitable changes that need to be made in schools. It is necessary to analyze: What are the changes? In which field are the changes? What causes (external and internal factors) the necessity of making such changes?
d) Conditions for implementing the measure
In order to efficiently carry out context analysis and predict changes in schools, the following conditions must be met: 1 / Principals have the abilities to synthesize and generalize and the vision of school development; 2 / Principals' assisting staffs (vice principals, subject division heads, office staffs) are well-qualified; 3 / Schools' information system, records and documents are carefully, completely and well organized.
2.2.1.2. Making overall plans to implement the contents of change management
a) The objective of the measure
The measure aims at strengthening the principals' initiatives in managing changes in schools.
b) Contents of the measure
Increasing the activeness in the management of all the contents of changes in all fields of schools' activities: school resources, professional activities, students' quality and quantity, school culture.
c) How to implement the measure
Although the overall plans (which can be called
by many names, such as School Development Strategy, School Innovation Project, etc.) can have different names, they are of the same contents which present the changes schools will implement in a certain period to develop the schools. The overall plans which are made must have the answers for the following key questions: What is the time and stage to implement? What are the changes and in what fields are the changes implemented and what will be achieved? Which order are the changes made (which change is the first, which one is the next, which changes are made simultaneously)? How will the school resources (human, material and financial) be mobilized and used to implement these changes?
It is important to distinguish between the Overall plan for implementing changes in schools and the plan for implementing a specific change. On the basis of the overall plan to implement the changes, a specific change will be planned for implementation, for example: the plan for Innovating Teaching Methods ...; the plan to Innovating the activities of subject
divisions...; the plan for Innovating the Operating periods of Form-teachers, etc.
d) Conditions for implementing the measure
In order to efficiently implement the measure of making the overall plans for change management in schools, it is important to have conditions such as: Principals have a good command of the processes and the techniques for developing the Strategic Plans School development Projects; Management and assisting staffs are expert in the tasks, the processes and the techniques for planning; The legal documents issued by higher authorities are specific and well-guided;
2.2.2. The group of measures related to the change management process
2.2.2.1. Strengthening the "fostering the awareness of the importance of implementing changes"
a) The objective of the measure
The survey results have shown that of the 11 steps ofthe process of managing a specific change, the "Fostering the awareness" step is rated "Fairly Good" with the lowest ranking (ranked 11/11). Therefore, this step should be strengthened for better performance. The measure is the "ideological work" that principals must perform with the goal ofinfluencing thoughts, helping staffs to understand the importance and the indispens-ability of the implementation of renovation and have motivation in order to actively and self-consciously participate as well as successfully make changes;
b) Contents of the measure
When schools change, the principals must increase the awareness of the school staffs on the following contents:
- The indispensability of implementing changes at the certain time (stating the external and internal reasons which lead to the fact that schools must change and cannot avoid these changes);
- The benefits which changes will bring to the school staffs;
- The benefits that changes will bring to the individuals;
- The disadvantages and dislocations can occur to the departments, the school staffs and the individ-
uals (analyzing these things so that the subordinates can have the initiatives to receive changes and cannot be afraid of making changes.)
c) How to implement the measure
- Time for implementation: The fostering the awareness step should be conducted when the plans are made and implemented by the staffs.
- Form of implementation: Integrate the content of fostering the awareness with the content of task implementation in conferences, meetings directly with the staffs; meetings with departments; seminars and personal talks. The content of fostering the awareness can also be expressed in task implementation documents, on schools' websites. In addition, principals should coordinate well with the social and political organizations in schools (the Trade Union, the Youth Association, ...) to propagate and launch the emulation movements of implementing renovation.
d) Conditions for implementing the measure
The measure of fostering the awareness will be
effective when they are implemented in the following four key conditions: First, the principals are fully aware of the importance of implementing changes in schools; Second, the principals have prestige towards the education staffs, which makes the principals' propaganda "encouraging", convincing, inspiring, and motivating; Third, the school staffs are united; the key staffs are good leaders with prestige who can support the principals in making propagandas and persuading the staffs; Fourth, the unions and organizations in schools are active and completely grasp the coordination mechanisms with the principals.
2.2.2.2. Focusing on the theory of implementing changes
a) The objective of the measure
The results of the field survey show that the "fostering the awareness" stage in the change management process is rated "Fairly Good". Therefore, this stage should be focused for better performance. If the objective of the "Fostering the awareness" stage is to form the attitude of support and enthusiasm
for renovation for the school staffs, then that of the "Focusing on the Theory of implementing changes" is to provide the staffs with the knowledge and the skills to make renovation.
b) Contents of the measure
Principals need to foster the theory on the following contents:
- The contents of the advantages and disadvantages of ongoing work (i.e. advantages and disadvantages ofknowledge and skills which are being used);
- The contents of the new knowledge and skills which will be updated to adjust, modify or replace the current knowledge and skills.
- Intensive contents on the new knowledge and how to implement new skills.
c) How to implement the measure
Fostering and training the knowledge and skills
for the key staffs and the educational staffs to implement renovation in a certain field or innovate a problem can be carried out inside or outside the schools:
- Inside the schools: the fostering and training can be carried by means of special subject reports by invited speakers or by school officials; conferences, meetings, school- level and division-level professional activities; attendance and evaluation of teaching periods and issuance of directional and instructional documents, etc.
- Outside the schools: Create conditions for the key staffs and the educational staffs to attend courses organized by educational institutions, seminars, conferences of implementing renovation .held by the Departments and the Ministry of Education and Training.
Fostering the theory can also be integrated with drawing the experience, implementing, evaluating and reviewing the implementation of renovation.
d) Conditions for implementing the measure
In order to efficiently carry out the theory fostering measure for the staffs to successfully implement renovation, the following conditions must be met: 1) Time requirement (schools should plan the time specifically and carefully so that management officers, teachers and staffs can participate fully and ef-
fectively without affecting the activities of students. 2) Conditions on policies and funding to support the fostering activities (the concern and facilitation of the superior authorities, the specific and clearly-stated guidance documents by the superior authorities and the school internal regulations to facilitate the learning and professional activities).
2.2.2.3. Mobilizing financial resources and facilities for changes
a) The objective of the measure
The results of the survey show that the mobilization of financial resources and facilities for implementing changes in schools is rated "Fairly Good". Therefore, this task needs to be strengthened. The objective of the measures is to make favorable conditions for the effective implementation of changes and to motivate departments, staffs and individuals to actively participate in the implementation of changes
b) Contents of the measure
Financial resources and facilities (facilities, equipment, etc.) which can be mobilized include: State-allocated resources; funding from organizations and individuals and other legal sources of schools 'incomes.
c) How to implement the measure
- Timing: The mobilization of financial resources and facilities is outlined in the planning phase, carried out immediately after the implementation and supplemented during the implementation process
- Methods of implementation: It is necessary to thoroughly study the relevant legal documents in order to proactively propose to the superior authorities and strictly follow the formalities and procedures. Principals also need to effectively carry out the propaganda and mobilization in local areas, organizations, and agencies and actively seek funding sources.
d) Conditions for implementing the measure
The mobilization of financial resources and facilities to implement changes in schools should meet the following conditions: the system of legal documents is clearly-stated; the concern and support of
the superior authorities; the coordination of the local authorities and the local social organizations; the coordination of parents; the open, transparent, specific and reasonable schools' internal spending regulations.
2.2.2.4. Investing in the piloting the implementation of changes and drawing experience step
a) The objective of the measure
The results of the field survey show that the piloting the implementation of changes and drawing experience step (before it is deployed on a large-scale) has been assessed by the surveyed subjects at the "Fairly Good" level. Therefore, this step should be better implemented. The objective of the measures is to "experiment" and draw the initial experience in order to minimize the risks on a large scale for the schools.
b) Contents of the measure
Piloting the implementation of new knowledge, new skills, new processes.
c) How to implement the measure
- Selecting the individuals and departments that have appropriate practical conditions, suitable qualities and skills and actively support renovation) to conduct the piloting;
- Training and educating them carefully on the knowledge, skills and procedures for implementing changes;
- Investing the equipment and necessary material conditions for the selected departments and individuals;
- Letting individuals and departments conduct "the samples" (e.g. the lessons, the processes, the profiles, etc.) for the observation;
- Organizing discussions and drawing experience;
- Generating general requirements, general standards for implementation in the entire schools.
d) Conditions for implementing the measure
The piloting and drawing experience step is only
effective when this step is conducted after the staffs have been provided with certain knowledge of new
knowledge and skills (which can be obtained in the fostering and training the theory of implementing changes) so that when witnessing and observing "sample lessons", "sample processes", and "sample profiles", etc., they can make analysis and draw experience. In addition, if the selected individuals and departments for the piloting have prestige towards the staffs, it will be a favorable condition for the implementation of the renovation after the piloting step.
2.2.2.5. Effectively implementing the step of the deployment in the entire schools
a) The objective of the measure
The results of the field survey show that the "deployment in a large scale" step after the piloting implementation has been assessed as "Fairly Good". Therefore, this step should be strengthened. The purpose of the measures is to deploy and implement changes in the entire schools, making obvious changes in a content and field for the schools' development.
b) Contents of the measure
Deploying in the entire schools the requirements, standards (which can be drawn after the piloting step) on the implementation of new knowledge, new skills, new procedures.
c) How to implement the measure
- Indirectly implementing by means of documents;
- Directly implementing by means of meetings with the school staffs and departments;
- Organizing and managing the implementation of the school members with the help of the assisting staffs (vice principals and subject division heads) and other functional departments;
- Reviewing the facilities and equipment to continue the investment to meet the requirements of implementing renovation in the entire schools.
d) Conditions for implementing the measure
The deploying the implementation of changes in
the entire schools must be done with the following conditions: Firstly, after the piloting step, it is necessary to set the common "standard" which is suit-
able for the quality and capacity of the school staffs; Secondly, the "standard" should be disseminated, guided, implemented so that all staff members can understand, master and implement in the directions of the "standard".
2.2.3. The group of measures related to the factors influencing the change management
2.2.3.1. Enhancing the principals' personalities and the management abilities to raise the prestige towards the educational staffs
a) The objective of the measure
The results of the field survey show that the principals' abilities, attitudes, and prestige are the actual factors which influence the change management in schools the most. Therefore, the objective of the measures is to create favorable factors for the principals to successfully manage the changes.
b) Contents of the measure
Principals - the subject to manage changes- are the ones who have the adaptive and receptive attitudes to embrace the new as well as the men of firm stuff who are not afraid of the changes and consider the changes as an inevitable, objective phenomenon that needs to be accepted and controlled and have the perspectives on the importance of the active management of changes in order to control the changes and make the best of them, get the benefits as well as reduce the negatives effects caused by such changes.
Principals also need to train and improve the management competence in general and the change management in particular: Reinforce the instructional documents issued by the superior authorities on the renovations in the fields in schools; have knowledge of the theory of change management; strengthen the capacity of planning, organizing, leading and inspecting.
c) How to implement the measure
- Self-studying, self-improving, self-training by means of practical activities, documents, texts, ...
- Taking part in training courses at domestic and foreign educational institutions;
- Participating in professional activities, seminars, conferences, meetings held by the higher authorities and other educational institutions.
d) Conditions for implementing the measure
Some of the favorable conditions for improving the personalities and abilities of the principals are: the principals' perceptions of the roles of the schools' management subjects and the roles of prestige in the management effectiveness; the system of policies, the working environment and the conditions of support by the States and the higher authorities for the principals to effectively manage the schools.
2.2.3.2. Forming united staffs with high sense of responsibility and sense of common
a) The objective of the measure
The results of the survey show that the "personalities and common sense of the educational staffs" has been actually evaluated as greatly affecting the management of changes. Therefore, the objective of the measures is to create favorable elements for the principals to successfully implement the change management.
b) Contents of the measure
The principals devote time, efforts and intelligence to form the educational staffs of high responsibility, willingness to learn and progress, devotion to the tasks and students, good discipline and good will for the development of the schools.
c) How to implement the measure
- Principals themselves being always exemplary in their work, having high sense of responsibility, willingness to learn and progress, diligence and high consciousness for the development of the schools;
- Selecting qualified and capable key staffs with high prestige towards the educational staffs;
- Being open, transparent and equal in the distribution of the rights and the obligations of the departments and individuals;
- Always attaching the importance of the ideological work when deploying tasks;
- Coordinating well with other organizations in school (the Trade Union, the Youth Association, ...) in order to successfully carry out the ideological work, create a nice emulation atmosphere, the solidarity, the cordial, concerning and sharing atmosphere among staff members.
d) Conditions for implementing the measure
Some conditions for effectively implementing the measures are: wholesome school culture, rules and codes of conduct which are supported by staff members, open and reasonable internal spending regulations and school organizations are active and well coordinated with school leaders.
3. Conclusions
Pre-school and school principals in Ho Chi Minh City should implement the measures to manage changes simultaneously. The first group of measures is related to the management content. The second group of measures relates to the management process, which means the means and methods of implementation. The third group of measures involves influential factors. Whether the management content is effective or not depends on whether the management process is scientific and rational. This effect is also influenced by the factors inside and outside the system, in which the elements belonging to the change management subjects and the executives have the most direct and important influence. Impacting these factors will facilitate the successful implementation of the management content and the management process.
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