Investigating the Potential of M-GTA in School Management Research : Through Interviews with Teachers on Middle-Up-Down Management

Abstract

School management research has recently emphasized the need to recognize the varied phases of the "dynamics of school management". This study investigates those dynamics through exploring the possibilities of Modified Grounded Theory Approach (M-GTA). M-GTA is one of the qualitative research methods derived from Grounded Theory Approach and has been widely used in the study of Nursing, Social Welfare, and so forth. To examine the possibilities of using M-GTA in school management research, this study focuses on how teachers in middle-level positions realize their ideas and negotiate with others through "middle-up-down management"; moreover, demonstrate the process of realizing teacher's ideas in terms of school improvement actions. In this paper, middle-ranking teachers' ideas are defined as initiatives for school improvement. In other words, the effectiveness of the "middle-up-down management" shows that the teachers in middle-level positions attempt to realize their ideas by utilizing their own position, as well as interaction among more senior and junior colleagues. Furthermore, this result reveals the interactional process in schools which consists of three phases "visualizing the status quo", "involvement", and "barriers against the ideas". The process constitutes the "dynamics of school management". Finally, the success of realizing ideas for improvement of schools often depends on the condition in schools and teachers' aspirations to lead the schools in pursuit of improvement. This study both contributes to our understanding of dynamics of school management, and demonstrates the usefulness of M-GTA in analysis of school management.