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.

Thesis advisor: Andy Hargreaves / After a decade of large-scale educational reform there is now a growing interest in grass-roots self-initiated change (Datnow et al., 2002; Hargreaves, 2009; Hargreaves & Shirley, 2009; Shirley, 2009). Yet, self-initiated change (SIC) remains largely undertheorized in the literature of educational change. Even the advocates of self-initiated change do not clearly specify the underlying mechanisms and the multi-dimensional processes by which SIC occurs. Utilizing a qualitative case study approach and a conceptual framework that draws from incremental institutional change theory and the literature on social movements within institutions, this study explored the following research questions: * What mechanisms do the change agents of SIC employ, How do they implement these mechanisms and why do they employ these mechanisms? * What are the characteristics of the processes of SIC? What is the pacing and sequencing of the change? * How does SIC unfold over time, and why? In answering these three initial questions a fourth research question emerged that summates the other three: *What implications does an investigation of self-initiated change in one school have for understanding existing theories of self-initiated and imposed educational change? Findings from this study revealed that self-initiated change involved a recombination that embodied the ideal of "change without pain" by balancing change and stability (Abrahamson, 2004). The process of self-initiated change turned out to be slow-moving (Pierson, 2004; Thelen & Mahoney, 2010). Mindful juxtaposition (Huy, 2001) and a dialectical perspective (Hargrave & Van de Ven, 2009) were required to address the multiple and contradictory dimensions of change. Based on these analyses, I propose ways of conceptualizing SIC as: "change without pain"; "slow-moving change"; and "dialectical/ cyclical change." / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration and Higher Education.

Politically mandated development projects get attention in reports, assessments, plans and policies. Less attention is given to the small scale, local development-work made by teachers in schools everywhere, every day (Hultman, 2001). The aim of this study is to make, the small-scale changes that teachers make in their daily practice, visible. Also, this study aims to contribute to an increased understanding of teachers’ changed actions and factors that enable or constrain changed actions. Finally, this study aims to try the analytical concept of agency in relation to the changes teachers make in their daily professional practices. The following research questions have been developed: (1), How do teachers describe the changes they make and have made in their professional practice? (2), What possibilities and limitations do teachers experience when changing their professional-practice? (3), What do teachers wish to change and why? (4), What do teachers think are precipitating factors of change in their own professional practice? (5), How can teacher agency be understood in relation to the described changes in professional practice? Eight teachers from different schools have participated in semi-structured interviews, describing their experience of changes they’ve made in their professional practice. The interviews have been analysed in relation to theories of the three elements of agency developed by Emirbayer and Mische (1998) and further developed in connection to teacher practice by Priestley, Biesta and Robinsson (2015). The study found that teachers change their practice to adjust to new or changing contexts. New experiences, knowledge, ideas or policies can also cause changes in teacher practice. Teachers change their practice when they encounter problems or challenges, assess the consequences of different actions and choose an appropriate way to act. They use their knowledge and experience to identify problems and activate agency to solve them. The study indicates that there is a connection between security and change. Furthermore, it seems to be of importance for teachers and school leaders not only to have common goals but also share the interpretation of problems and the analysis of possible action to solve the problems. The study also found that teachers change their practice to be in alignment with their own goals and aspirations. Even though all teachers abide by common laws and regulations, teachers choose to focus on different parts of the regulations when shaping their goals. The teachers´ goals and aspirations, shape their images of the future they want and play a pivotal role in shaping their actions in the present and in activating agency. The teachers in the study constantly changed their practice in relation to the needs they identify in the local context but also from a genuine interest to learn more, change and improve their professional practice.