Educational change in complexity paradigm

پژوهش نامه مبانی تعلیم و تربیت

Article 7, Volume 3, Issue 2, February 2014, Pages 131-150   

Document Type: پژوهشی

DOI: 10.22067/fe.v3i2.23085

Author

reza mohammadi^*

Abstract

This research is intended to investigate educational change in complexity paradigm. Complexity paradigm provide a new perspective for thinkers to changing the world and it's phenomena and many of theorists present new viewpoints in variant scientific domains according to the main components of this paradigm. For this, the researcher first investigates and criticizes educational change theories and their two main weaknesses (reductionism and ideology of control) with applying “critical philosophical inquiry” method. Then, the theoretical frame of the paper that is educational system as complex adoptive system was explained by referring to “complex adoptive system theory”. After explanation of “knowledge flow” in educational complex system change, then, some implications was provided for educational change process in complexity paradigm with applying “logical inference” method. The findings show that complexity theorists confirm many previous viewpoints about educational change as well as they try to regard to change process from a holistic perspective and premonish researchers from reductionism. They also answer to challenge of control in change projects fulfillment through replacing “distributive control” proposal with dominant “top-down” and “bottom-up” strategies.

Keywords

complexity paradigm; Educational change; complex adaptive systems; knowledge flow