The State of the Art of School Administration: a review of facts and theory

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Abstract
Knowledge about the art of school administration and the state of the art will be reported in this article. Reviews reported earlier have not produced a comprehensive analysis of empirical facts, and no one has appreciated theories of school administration. Observational research on what school administrators actually do have resulted in descriptions of the content of administrative work, work characteristics and influence patterns. Theories are discussed, using metaphors: school administration as a role‐system, as organized anarchy, as information processing, as managerial arenas, as street‐level bureaucracy and as patience and prudence. Reflections on research methods and the role of the researcher are raised at the end as well as the need for an increased understanding of the anatomy of administration. Administration and the art of action in the school, which is seen as an organization of different worlds or cultures, are discussed, highlighting the theme of organizational looseness. To understand schooling is to understand administration and then it becomes important to explore further the working conditions for professionals in the school in terms of complexity and ambiguity.

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