The major purposes of this study are twofold. The first purpose is to describe the setting and the context for the program and the methods by which a Government initiated change, a Participation and Equity Program,was introduced into a particular school. The second purpose is to consider the change process which occurred and to analyse the factors involved in the change and the procedures by which the change was managed. The study outlines ways in which change can become an issue on the political agenda and hence become a Government priority which is eventually handed down as policy to be followed by schools. Introduction of change in this manner is regarded as a top-down, or authoritarian, model of change. Such a model of change has the advantage of ensuring same change occurs within a specified time but at the same time there are disadvantages relating to a lack of skill, or expertise, amongst school staff and a possible lack of commitment to change. The study draws attention to problems encountered in the introductory procedures of the program which caused a sense of frustration amongst those attempting to manage the change at the school level. It is shown how the system failed to provide effective support at this level. It is suggested that there is a bureaucratic lack of understanding of the problems of implementing change in a school which is itself considered to be a loosely coupled organization with problems peculiar to itself. In summary the study suggests that progress was made, in this particular example, chiefly through efforts at the school level but the results could have been improved with effective system support. While there has been some success the change has not yet been institutionalized within the school.

The Field Study Report records the establishment of a theoretical model for examining aspects of complex innovations, the application of that model to the Commonwealth Participation and Equity Program in the ACT government sector using an historical perspective, and the drawing of conclusions occasioned by that, application. Based on the literature of the management of change, educational administration and educational politics as well as the history of the program, it is argued that specific groups of factors influencing the delivery and impact of the program may be identified and their effects described, with a view to guiding future delivery of major educational reform programs. The theoretical model for classifying and examining the relative importance of the factors is a synthesis based on the work of the researchers Hoy and Miskel (1982), with a major additional component, prompted by writers in the field of educational politics. The method of application also allows the discussion of two further underlying propositions. These are; (a) That the modes of delivery employed by the ACT Schools Authority for PEP evolved during the course of its implementation; (b) That the program had a discernible impact, in terms of its aims, but this impact, was modified qualitatively and quantitatively by the process of mutual adaptation and by other factors external and internal to the program. In a series of linked steps, the thesis examines the literature, drawing out a grouped collection of factors potentially influencing the program, describes the context, modes of delivery, aims and outcomes of PEP, categorises the identified factors according to their apparent relative influence, and uses these learnings to make predictions and conclusions about PEP and future system-wide reform initiatives. It is concluded that the underlying propositions of the thesis are confirmed. It is also argued that the study has highlighted the predominant influence of political factors, most groups of management factors and factors related to school organisation, whereas other factors are of lesser importance in moulding program delivery strategies and shaping program outcomes. As well, the thesis concludes that the particular framework adopted for the study possesses considerable potential for use in a variety of future research, and that the introduction of the factor-based structure as a means of carrying out historical research helps promote rigour, objectivity and credibility where there is a reliance on the involvement of a participant-observer to provide reflective data. In relation to PEP itself, it is concluded that the process of mutual adaptation and the influence of the multiplicity of factors ensured that the higher-order program outcomes such as institutionalisation of new curriculum definitions, the development of negotiated student, management and teaching/learning strategies and attitudinal changes about, the purposes and ownership of education, were modified even more significantly than the outcomes which could be measured in quantitative terms. A collection of specific suggestions for improved program delivery in the future is provided.