During this week’s reading, I read about strategies for sustaining improvement on my campus. I learned about several methods that are used to sustain improvement and forecast possible hindrances to the improvement process. In, Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps to improve our schools (Harris 2010), three methods mentioned are Force Field Analysis, Delphi Method, and the Nominal Group Technique.
Force Field Analysis
Force Field Analysis consists of the idea that “in order for change to occur, the driving forces for the change must exceed the resisting forces against the change” (Harris 2010, p.94). I think this concept is very relevant, because too many resistant forces will negate the progress of change. I have seen this happen many times on my campus. I think the Force Field Analysis would answer the questions educators have when it comes to change. Here are two questions I hear often during Staff Development:
1) Why do we have to do this?
2) What is wrong with our current method/program?
In, Examining what we do to improve our schools: 8 steps to improve our schools, seven steps are recommended for the Force Field Analysis (Harris 2010, p. 95). If you want to reduce the resistant forces, then use the following Force Field Analysis steps during the development of your Action Inquiry:
1) Describe the current situation.
2) Describe the proposed change.
3) Identify what will happen if no change occurs.
4) Identify the forced driving the proposed change.
5) Identify the forces resisting the proposed change.
6) Determine whether the change is viable.
7) If the change is viable, what is needed for implementation?
Delphi Method
The Delphi Method is an approach to sustaining improvement through collaboration, surveys, and questionnaires. Stakeholders participate in decision-making and implementation of changes by providing feedback on the identified “action inquiry” topic. The feedback and results are shared with all participants and then revised to form a similar level of consensus on the “action inquiry” topic. The text recommends using these steps to incorporate the Delphi Method:
1) Identify the problem or action inquiry
2) Present the problem or action inquiry to all stakeholders
3) Retrieve feedback/responses from the stakeholders
4) Return all the feedback/responses to participants
5) Participants read all the collected feedback/responses and then have them rank the data
6) Collect everyone’s rankings and compute the average and frequency of the ratings
7) Return the ratings back to participants and continue as needed until a general consensus is reached
I have used the Delphi Method on my campus in the form of surveys and email communication. I also have incorporated it with EInstruction’s Remote Response System.
The Nominal Group Technique
The Nominal Group Technique is an approach to problem identification and resolution involving the stakeholders from start to finish. This technique allows stakeholders to identify perceived problems/issues. It also gives stakeholders ownership in the entire process. This technique is great to identify individual perceived problems/issues. It also allows us to see the shared perceptions of problems/issues. To use the Nominal Group Technique, follow these steps:
1) Individuals silently write down their perceived problems/issues. Do not allow discussions at this time.
2) Each group member presents, but does not discuss, one of the perceived problems/issues on his or her list. The perceived problem/issue is recorded on chart paper. The leader then asks each person for a second idea, and so on, until all ideas are recorded on the chart paper. All ideas are recorded in the order they were presented.
3) The leader reads each idea on the chart paper and asks if there are questions, interpretations, or clarifications.
4) Finally, participants rate each item from no importance (0) to top priority (10). The leader then collects and calculates the ratings and records the cumulative rating for each item.
After calculating the ratings, the campus may want to focus on the perceived problem/issue that had the highest rating. A campus can take the results and form an Action Inquiry on the top identified problems/issues. This method allows for continual ownership amongst all stakeholders.
My campus has used this method before without giving it a name. It was effective for some of our issues, but we still had individuals who felt they were devalued since their individual issue was not a top priority for other stakeholders.
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