In this blog post, I want to talk about the need for integration as we evolve the conversations around education.

Education is messy because its not a simple enterprise. Education is complex and schools are complex. (For more insight into this, please see Gilbride, James and Carr, 2023) Often, what schools do everyday is a combination of necessity, government policy, trust/LEA policy, the needs of their community and the individual autonomy of schools/ school leaders. In all of this, we all need make decisions and it is likely these decisions will be hugely influential. As such, the question becomes – how do we help all those involved in education to make decisions when their task is complex and so is their organisations?  

Much debate in education is polarised – progressive vs traditionalist,  knowledge Vs skills, recruitment Vs retention, core vs broad, academic Vs technical. And so forth and so forth along a series on reductionist binaries which only serve to rob us of the strengths that can be gained by an integrated vision for education, teaching, learning and leadership.  

Lets look at supporting decision making of school leaders. First, to make a decision, you do need knowledge. The knowledge we have retained shapes what and how we think – exposing and developing the expertise and knowledge base of school leaders is going to be a vital component to how we help school leaders make complex decisions.  

In addition, there are components of training and thinking which are less about the specific educational and organisational knowledge a leader needs, but how a leader comprehends, enacts and works with their environment. For example, how they work with others how to work with the ambiguity of a complex organisation and the trials that can come with this and to problem solve around complex or ‘wicked’ problems (For more on wicked problems, see Gilbride, James and Carr, 2021).  

None of these are in conflict. And yet, these two narratives are often put in opposition to one another. Some argue that the focus on developing the knowledge or mental model comes at the cost of developing wider leadership capacities to influence and shape the organisation. Equally, it might also be said that the development of wider leadership capacities prevents the leader developing the nuanced and specific knowledge that educators need to understand to make an informed decision. 

Leadership affords us an important example – it’s not about either/or, it’s about the integration of different perspectives. Leaders need knowledge of education – and we should respect the complexity of education and the expansive array of theory and practices within education by recognising that the development of knowledge is something we should aspire for all leaders to develop throughout their career. Furthermore, this is likely to be a core foundation of practice. Equally, how this knowledge is brought to life in how they conceptualise their organisations, how they work with others and how they comprehend and respond to complex problems and beyond, is vital for school leaders to work with their organisations and the people within them. All of these factors will shape how the school leader will ultimately make decisions and, therefore, should be considered as part of the development of a school leadership and the school leader. The argument should not be which one, but how we integrate different ideas, synchronise them together and then work together to build concepts and ideas that harness the whole, rather than push division.

The future of education  is not to pick a side, but to seek integration. Education is messy and complex and no single narrative will be able to carry the weight on its own. We should seek to integrate different narratives so that we evolve ideas . This will mean;  

• Recognising what has worked, regardless of political, ideological or personal persuasion. Recognising the difference between solid and robust evidence vs evidence that persuades us personally – these are not synonyms.  
• Actively bringing a range of different perspectives around the table – integrating multiple perspectives to form a whole means working as a community of thinkers and leaders to pull narratives together. Especially  if these ideas seem contradictory. This is not about a compromise, neither is it about a solution which just adds different ideas together akin to lego bricks, but that together they form a whole.  
• Holding the whole – education is complex and making decisions is a multifaceted process that pulls on many different parts of our psychological architecture. We should be prepared to consider different disciplines – from cognitive science, adult developmental theory and beyond. In this, there will be tensions and disagreements and ambiguity. Holding this ambiguity is what we ask school leaders and teachers to do on a daily basis. We should therefore seek to model how we hold ambiguity and multiple -perspectives in these debates and when we consider strategy.  
• Calling out that integration is not simple exercise –  adults struggle to integrate multiple perspectives, especially when they seem either contradictory or at risk of stand at opposite ends of a spectrum (Gilbride, James and Carr, 2023).  As such, we need to recognise the inherent complexity of this ask in how we create the space for these conversations and developmental work to happen.  

In the evolving narratives in education – whether it is curriculum, pedagogy, the purpose of schooling and so forth, we should seek to integrate rather than divide.  This is where the hard work lies. 

In this blog post, I have discussed the following. The future of education lies in integration. This means acknowledging the value across differing perspectives, and recognizing the importance of diverse perspectives. By integrating these aspects, we can create a “whole” approach that prepares future leaders and teachers for the complex realities of the education sector. This includes respecting existing knowledge, critically evaluating evidence, and embracing ambiguity – a skill crucial for navigating the complexities of education. By working together as a community of thinkers and leaders, we can evolve conversations in education and ensure that future leaders, teachers and the system as a whole is well-equipped to make informed decisions and shape the educational landscape. 

Further Reading  

Gilbride, N., James, C., & Carr, S. (2021). School principals at different stages of adult ego development: Their sense-making capabilities and how others experience them. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49(2): 234-250. 

Gilbride, N., James, C., & Carr, S. (2023). The ways school headteachers/principals in England at different stages of adult ego development work with organisational complexity. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, DOI :17411432231170581.