A Case Study Inquiry of Four Multi-Campus Colleges in New South Wales
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Charles Kivunja i The structural and cultural dynamics of a multi-campus college A case study inquiry of four multi-campus colleges in New South Wales Charles Kivunja Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Dip. Ed., B.A. (Hons); M.SC. Marketing; M. Agric. Econ.; M.Ed. School of Education University of and Early Childhood Studies Western Sydney © Charles Kivunja March 2006 Charles Kivunja ii Charles Kivunja iii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated firstly, to my wife Georgia, for her love and assuming the responsibility for the daily pressures of the family so that I could concentrate on this project uninterrupted. Her patience and understanding as the wife of a teacher-student over the last thirty four years have been a source of encouragement to my academic pursuits. Secondly, it is dedicated to my daughters, Caroline and Diana, for their love and understanding of my addiction to the completion of this thesis. Charles Kivunja iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am thankful to many people whose support, encouragement and assistance was most helpful in the conduct and completion of this thesis. Among them is my kind friend and colleague, John Pellicano, who proof-read drafts of this thesis during its development. I would also like to thank all the interviewees – principals, teachers, students, parents and DET officials – that gave up their valuable time to provide the information that made this study possible. I owe to the Strategic Research Directorate of the New South Wales Department of Education and Training special debt for allowing me to conduct this research among its schools. I am equally indebted to key decision-makers in the Catholic Education Office, Parramatta Diocese, including Dr. Anne Benjamin and Brother Aengus Kavanagh, for their support and encouragement. Special thanks go to the Hon. John Aquilina, who having been the Minister of Education during the establishment of the multi-campus colleges in New South Wales, had first hand/insider information on the colleges which was very useful to the research. In not only accepting my invitation to be interviewed twice for the study, but also in kindly initiating the contacts with all the principals whose schools were involved in the study, and later making time for me to discuss my findings with him, the Hon. Aquilina was most supportive and helpful. I have benefited enormously from being guided along this journey by my three supervisors – Dr. Ray Livermore, Dr. Anne Power and Dr. Geoff Munns. Both Dr. Livermore and Dr. Munns brought to my project their previous experiences as Principals in Canberra and New South Wales schools respectively, and over 25 years’ individual teaching experience. This gave me the opportunity to tap into a deep wealth of expertise on structural and cultural dynamics in school contexts. As Chairman of the supervisory panel, Dr. Livermore not only provided challenging and inspirational comments which guided the research, but by giving me ready access to his library which included his own publications on the multi-campus college model, provided invaluable assistance and guidance over and above the normal supervisory call of duty. Dr. Power and Dr. Munns provided insightful discussions on the project as it developed and constructively reviewed all drafts of the thesis. By relentlessly and tirelessly pointing out areas of needed analysis and precision, their critiquing of the drafts provided intellectual guidance and encouragement which helped to cultivate rigour upon the findings of this thesis. Charles Kivunja v TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page …………………………………………………………………….. i Certification …………………………………………………………………. ii Dedication …………………………………………………………………… iii Acknowledgements …………………………………………………………. iv Table of Contents …………………………………………………………… v List of Tables ……………………………………………………………….. xiii List of Figures ………………………………………………………………. xiv List of Appendices ………………………………………………………….. xv List of Abbreviations ……………………………………………………….. xvi Abstract ……………………………………………………………………… xvii CHAPTER 1: PURPOSE, NATURE AND SCOPE OF STUDY ……….. 1 1.1 Rationale and importance of the study ……………………………… 1 1.2 Objectives of the study ……………………………………………… 4 1.3 Research questions investigated ………………………………..…… 5 1.4 Definitions …………………………………………………………… 9 1.4.1 Structural and cultural dynamics of a multi-campus college ………… 9 1.4.2 Restructuring of comprehensive schools to establish a multi-campus college ………………………………………………...………………… 11 1.4.3 Multi-campus college organisational structure ……………………… 12 1.4.4 Multi-campus college organisational culture ………………………… 13 1.4.5 Dynamism in a multi-campus college ………………………………… 14 1.4.6 Middle school and senior school in New South Wales multi-campus colleges ……………………………………………………………..… 16 1.4.7 New South Wales Department of Education and Training (DET) …… 16 1.5 Overview and organisation of thesis ………………………………….. 17 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ON ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURAL AND CULTURAL DYNAMICS ……….. 23 2.1 Introduction ………………………………………..…………………… 23 2.2 Literature on the basic concepts which underpin the thesis ….………… 23 2.2.1 The concept of structural change and cultural dynamics ………………. 23 Charles Kivunja vi 2.2.2 The concept of structural-cultural dynamics in different schools of thought ………………………………………………………………. 26 2.2.3 The concept of organisational dynamism ………………………………. 34 2.3 Pace’s organisational dynamics model …………………………….. 38 2.3.1 The Work System element in Pace’s organisational dynamics model..... 40 2.3.2 The Work Perceptions element of Pace’s organisational dynamics model ……………………………………………………………………. 45 2.3.3 The Work Goals element of Pace’s organisational dynamics model …… 48 2.3.4 The Work Dynamism element in Pace’s organisational dynamics model .. 50 2.3.5 The Work Outcomes element of Pace’s organisational dynamics model… 52 2.3.6 The Feedback element of Pace’s organisational dynamics model …….... 53 2.4 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………….. 54 CHAPTER 3: HISTORICAL CONTEXT AND SECONDARY DATA ON THE RESTRUCTURING OF COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS INTO MULTI-CAMPUS COLLEGES …… 58 3.1 Introduction …………………………………………………………..… 58 3.2 New South Wales secondary school system in the pre-Wyndham era …. 59 3.3 The Wyndham, years 7 – 12 comprehensive high school model ……….. 60 3.3.1 The Wyndham recommendations ……………………………………..… 60 3.3.2 New South Wales Comprehensive High School following Wyndham Report ……………………………………………………………….…. 65 3.4 Reasons given in favour of establishing the multi-campus college model …………………………………..………………………………… 69 3.4.1 Reasons advanced by the DET and the Minister of Education ………….. 69 3.4.2 Other data containing reasons for the restructuring of the orthodox comprehensive high school model to establish multi-campus colleges in other parts of Australia …………………..……………………………. 71 3.4.2.1 Reasons for the establishment of the multi-campus college model in Victoria ………………………………………………………………….. 72 3.4.2.2 Reasons in the proposals for the establishment of the multi-campus college model in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory ………………… 74 Charles Kivunja vii 3.5 The introduction of multi-campus colleges in New South Wales.…….... 80 3.5.1 A chronology of multi-campus colleges in New South Wales 1998 – 2004 ……………………………………………………………… 81 3.6 Discussion of the secondary data and link to highlight criteria in Dynamics Paradigm ………………………………………………….. 92 3.6.1 Research question arising out of the secondary data …………………….. 92 3.6.2 The 16 structural-cultural dynamics criteria arising out of the secondary data ……………………………………………………………. 93 3.6.3 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………… 99 CHAPTER 4: THE DYNAMICS PARADIGM FOR ANALYSING THE STRUCTURAL AND CULTURAL DYNAMICS IN AN EDUCATIONAL ORGANISATION ………………… 102 4.1 Introduction: The need for a new paradigm ……………………………… 102 4.2 Overview of the Dynamics Paradigm for reframing an educational organisation …………………………………………………………….. 107 4.3 Designing the new Dynamics Paradigm to focus on data analysis in this thesis ………………………………………………………………. 112 4.3.1 The Human and Physical Infrastructure (Element 1) …………………….. 112 4.3.2 The Human Interactions (Element 2) ……………………………………. 116 4.3.3 The Search for Excellence (Element 3) ………………………………….. 118 4.3.4 The Results of Human Enterprise (Element 4) …………………….. …… 119 4.3.5 The Feedback (Element 5) ………………………………………….. …… 122 4.4 Synthesis of mapping the Dynamics Paradigm to chapters 6-10 of thesis... 123 4.5 Conclusion ………………………………………………………………... 126 CHAPTER 5: RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY OF THESIS 129 5.1 Introduction ……………………………………………………….…….. 129 5.2 Research preparation, ethics and protocols ……………………………… 130 5.2.1 Preparation for this research …………………………………………… 130 5.2.2 Ethical considerations …………………………………………………… 130 5.2.3 Strategies employed to gain entry into each multi-campus college studied 131 Charles Kivunja viii 5.3 Suitability of case study methodology using both qualitative and quantitative research instruments ……………………..………………… 133 5.3.1 Reasons why case study methodology was chosen for this thesis ……..… 134 5.3.2 Rationale for and the use of both qualitative and quantitative instruments 136 5.3.2.1 Rationale for the twin instrumentation approach …………………………. 136 5.3.2.2 The qualitative and quantitative research instruments used ……………… 138 5.4 Epistemology, ontology and criteria applied in the study …………… 143 5.4.1 Epistemological and ontological dimensions of the case study ………….. 143 5.4.2 Criteria applied in the case study of the four multi-campus colleges …… 149 5.4.2.1 Validity considerations in the present case study ……………………….. 150 5.4.2.2 Reliability