Understanding Decision-Making in Educational Contexts: A Case Study Approach

Understanding Decision-Making in Educational Contexts presents ’problem cases’ confronting school leaders in real settings, and illustrates the multiple approaches that school leaders draw upon to navigate complex and challenging decision-making contexts. Although school leaders draw upon knowledge and instruments that are available to them, the approach used for this volume is decidedly Popperian in nature.
In this collection, each chapter presents a case study problem, a discussion of the salient concepts and principles of the case, an exploration of problem formulation, and concludes with a decision analysis using a Popperian approach to problem solving. Each chapter concludes with lessons learned and the expected decision-making skills acquired from the critical analysis of each educational challenge using the Objective Knowledge Growth Framework, a Popperian decision-making approach.
This book is essential reading for anyone who aspires to take on a leadership role in a school setting, or is curious to develop their understanding of leadership problems.

Stephanie Chitpin is a Full Professor of Leadership at the Faculty of Education, University of Ottawa, Canada. She is the recipient of the 2020 Research Excellence Award. She is also the Series Editor of Transforming Education Through Critical Leadership, Policy and Practice.