Research on Bureaucracy in Schools: The Unfolding of a Strategy

Abstract

A distinction may be drawn between classical and modern approaches to theory building in the social sciences. The modern approach is more tentative in that a dynamic interaction between theoretical frameworks and empirical data is viewed as a regular part of the inquiry process. Theories are seen as modifiable on the basis of evidence rather than being “rejected” or “accepted” as in the classic, mechanistic tradition. Research on the bureaucratic structure of schools illustrates a gradual evolution from the use of fixed theoretical positions (in the classic mode) to a more fluid interchange between the data and the explanatory frameworks. Factor analytic treatment of measures exemplifies just one increasingly useful method of achieving flexibility in programmatic research.

Citation

MACKAY, D.A. (1969), "Research on Bureaucracy in Schools: The Unfolding of a Strategy", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 37-44. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb009630