Although it is difficult to categorise the philosophical positions of competing theories of educational administration, it can be said that four major forms of theory have been advanced in the field: traditional positivism, subjectivism, critical theory, and an emerging theory, naturalistic coherentism. The major perspectives developed in the field have been influenced largely by theoretical developments in philosophy. This paper aims to examine the different epistemological commitments of the four competing theories of educational administration advanced to date. The paper analyses the main ideas proposed by each of the four major schools of thought and focuses particularly on their philosophical assumptions concerning the nature of science and their approach to theorising about educational administration.

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This paper details the ongoing debate in educational administration between Australian naturalists and some of their principal critics since the publication in 1991 of Evers and Lakomski's seminal book, Knowing Educational Administration. It examines critically the views of critics in five categories. Each of these criticisms is responded to from the point of view of Australian naturalism, largely to the advantage of the naturalists. In the last part of the paper the author identifies and explores further potential weaknesses in Australian naturalism.

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