Tools for change in education

Tool No.1. – Soft System Methodology

Target group: Any agent of change in education

„National Adaptation Plans” (NAP) foresee change in education, while presenting recommendations to several stakeholders in an education system to deepen social inclusion in their respective contexts. According to Viennet and Pont (2017), agents of change must realise that any change in education occurs within a system. So, we believe that to be able of thinking systematically while considering change in education is necessary. And Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) has been adopted to manage change since the 1970s. Being a well-tested methodology, it is not able to solve all the problems, no one is, but we believe it may be successfully appliable along the endeavours ahead.

SSM proposes to follow a set of stages in a way of securing commitment and considering a variety of interests always involved in a change process within a system. Along that way, namely in stage 1, Tools 2 and 3 will be used; in stage 2 and 3, Tool 3 is still used. So, for applying SSM, read carefully the „Detailed description of the tool and required material, attachments” bellow and follow the steps.

Tool No.2. – Communication Plan

Target group: Change leaders

This tool orients change leaders to draw a „Communication Plan” for the „National Adaption Plan” (NAP) be presented to policy makers, professionals, and stakeholders who either must carry change out or support it. For that purpose, change leaders should follow two main steps:

  1. To read carefully the „Detailed description of the tool and required material, attachments”
  2. To fill in the provided templates, by the order they are mentioned below, bearing in mind the principles, key points and essential blocks referred. It is important not to neglect and/or miss any point.

Tool No.3. – Empathy Map

Target group: People to be involved in the implementation of change

  1. In SSM stage 1, leaders of the change process shall provide EMs to the NAP’s implementers to fill in
  2. Content analyses of the EMs filled in
  3. Proceed with stage 2 of the SSM

Tool No.4. – Policy Feasibility

Target group: Policy makers envisaged in the NAPs

This tool is a check list provided by Viennet and Pont (2017) for agents of change in education to help them to develop a coherent strategy in the implementation of educational policy. To use the respective template, do first read throughly the detailed description below.

Tool No.5. – Project Plan

Target group: School leaders and Project plan work team

This tool is intended to recall the steps of a Project plan to school leaders and the work team assigned to draw and manage the project.

Tool No.6. – Readiness for Change assessment

Target group: Change leaders and managers, stakeholders, and professionals/practitioners

Having the change leaders and the work team a Project plan drawn, the next step should be applying the “Change Readiness Assessment”. This tool will allow change leaders and managers to assess the readiness of each team(s) member and/or stakeholder(s) for the envisaged change. This assessment will be useful to design and manage the next step “Behaviour Change”.

Tool No.7. – Behaviour change plan

Target group: Change leaders and managers

To Plan Change Behaviour, leaders and managers of change should get the answers to the questions listed below and go through the „Detailed description of the tool and required material, attachments”, follow the steps indicated, using the template provided (Behaviour Change Plan Template).

Tool No.8. – Manage personal transitions

Target group: Change leaders and managers

To manage personal transitions, leaders should use all the tools and templates provided in this tool.

Tool No.9. – Feedback strategy

Target group: Change Leaders and Managers

For leading and managing change, it is very important to get and provide feedback. Several strategies are herein provided to be chosen at each phase of that process. Change Leaders and managers just have to analyse those provided on the template below and choose the best appliable to the phase of change they are planning or undertaking.

Tool No.10. – Success metrics

Target group: Change leaders and managers

This tool allows change leaders to take the pulse to the change process. The „Detailed description of the tool and required material, attachments” must be read and the template below filled in to initiate the process of assessing change success.

References