`This reader is certainly worth a place in any consultant's start-up kit, and offers useful refreshment for all but the most expert' - Education Systems

The articles in this book outline the main principles of reflective practice and consultancy, and relate them to a view of management as concerned with a constant process of reviewing and improving practice. The book explores a number of research strategies including case studies, surveys and action research, and provides a wide range of techniques for planning, data collection, data analysis and presentation, bearing in mind the different audiences and purposes an investigation might serve.

This book is the companion volume to Educational Management in Action: a collection of case studies (edited by Megan Crawford, Lesley Kydd and Susan Parker). It is one of the two course readers for The Open University Course E828 Educational Management in Action.

Introduction - Nigel Bennett
Investigating Educational Management
PART ONE: RESEARCH AND CONSULTANCY FOR CHANGE AND IMPROVEMENT
Change and Leadership - Andrew Leigh
An Analysis of Selected School Improvement Practices - Colin Marsh
Rethinking Professional Development - Karen Osterman and Robert Kottkamp
Consultants, Clients and the Consulting Process - Peter Cockman, Bill Evans and Peter Reynolds
The Philosophy of Research Design - Mark Easterby-Smith, Richard Thorpe and Andy Lowe
Research Ethics. - R M Berger and M A Patchner
PART TWO: APPROACHES TO INVESTIGATION
Evaluation in the Management Cycle - Glyn Rogers and Linda Badham
Auditing as Institutional Research - David M Fetterman
A Qualitative Focus
Surveys - L Cohen and L Manion
Designing Single- and Multiple-Case Studies - Robert K Yin
Action Research for Managing Change - Pamela Lomax
PART THREE: METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION, ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
Planning Small-Scale Research - Daphne Johnson
Diagnosis, Data Collection and Feedback in Consultancy - Philip Hope
Using Success Criteria - Kath Aspinwall et al
Literature Searching - Sally Baker and Joan Carty
Finding, Organizing and Recording Information
Analysing Documents and Records - Colin Robson
Designing and Using Questionnaires - M B Youngman
Conducting and Analysing Interviews - E C Wragg
Telephone Interviewing - Brian Fidler
Exploring Institutional Images through Focus Group Interviews - Trudy H Bers
On Diaries and Diary Keeping - Robert G Burgess
Observing and Recording Meetings - G L Williams
Observation Outside Meetings - L Cohen and L Manion
Analysing and Presenting Quantitative Data - Jason Hardman
Analysing Qualitative Data - Mark Easterby-Smith, Richard Thorpe and Andy Lowe
Using a Computer for Personal Efficiency - Rosalind Levacic
Writing the Report - Judith Bell