Obedience, Sabotage, Autonomy: Power Games within the Educational System

Abstract

The authors' aim in this article is to use a critical approach to analyse the modernisation process of the pedagogic supervision system in Poland, looking at change not as critics but (co)authors. Their aim is not to exploit the strengths of critical sociology when applied to the processes of innovation, but to use these strengths reflexively to arrive at a better understanding of change, and of the reactions and the behaviour of all the participants in the process, including their own role in the system and its possible dangers. The authors believe that for a sociologist involved in the change process, the reflexive approach is crucial so as to comply with ethical requirements, and that it enables an active, needs-oriented involvement when making decisions about introducing change.In this article, we take a closer look at the various consequences of the involvement of scientific expertise in the educational change process and then move on to discuss some possible scenarios. It should be noted that this involvement is our own involvement as academics responsible for the development of a new system.We adopt a constructivist paradigm. Constructivism assumes the plurality of interpretations and knowledge. The social constructivism described by Thomas Kuhn emphasises diachronic change in knowledge (Sady, 2000;Kuhn, 2001), but the process of change we are concerned with is understood synchronically. This means that discussion about the mutual positions of the subjects involved in this epistemological process should not be seen as the meeting of different, independent perspectives. In our opinion, this approach leads to the self-reflectivity that helps to reduce prejudices (Weinsheimer, 1988;Gadamer, 1993Gadamer, , 2004. Architects and Inhabitants: the pedagogic supervision modernisation projectFor a sociologist immersed in the critical literature, the words 'modernisation' and 'supervision' sound rather false. Modernisation (modernizacja in Polish) refers to the neo-liberal ideology of constant growth, criticised widely in both sociological (Dahrendorf, 1993; Wallerstein, 2004) and economic literature (Mishan, 1986). The requirement of primary accumulation, which is the basis of capitalism, is shown as a mechanism which, in order to function properly, needs constantly to accumulate new resources (Wallerstein, 2007). 'Modernisation' as a term is criticised on many levels -as an expression of cultural imperialism; as a correlate of neo-liberal ideology; as a mask of voracious capitalism. It is also presented, on the self-reflective level of sociological studies, in opposition to the paradigms after the linguistic turn, as a mainstream, naturalistic and positivistic epistemology.

Assessment of the innovative potential of Moscow schools: limitations and development resources

“…The current situation is seen by parents as the result of a low pedagogical control in respect of innovations, which is considered one of the key functions of educational institutions [3]. This circumstance requires the inclusion of a new key participant in the innovation control system i.e.…”

“…European countries highly appreciate educational innovations. Innovations are seen as the factor of the pedagogical system modernization [3].…”

Bütünleştirilmiş Öğretim Yaklaşımı

“…Eğitim sisteminin temelindeki bu bastırılmış güç, otorite tarafından, varlığını hissettirebilmek için kullandığı bir araçtır. Bu araca karşı eğitmenlerin nasıl bir duruş sergileyeceği ise bu noktada büyük önem arz etmektedir (Mazurkiewicz & Walczak, 2012). Eğitimin kalitesini de hiç kuşkusuz bu duruş ciddi ölçüde etkileyecektir.…”