Inclusive and exclusive educational change: Emotional responses of teachers and implications for leadership

Abstract

This article reports research results concerning one of the most important areas of leadership theory and practice, educational change and its impact upon teachers. Drawing on individual interviews with 50 varied teachers in 15 Canadian elementary and secondary schools, as well as supplementary focus groups, the article analyses teacher's emotional responses to educational change. The paper finds that while teachers report having largely positive emotional experiences of self-initiated change and predominantly negative ones concerning mandated change, almost half the examples of self-initiated change that are cited actually have a legislated, mandated origin. More important for the experience and management of change, therefore, is not so much whether change is external or internal in its source, but whether it is inclusive or exclusive in its design and conduct. Implications of this analysis are drawn for edcucational leadership at the school and system levels.