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Educational Leadership and Change: The Application and


Interpretation of Complexity Theory
Abstract
Complexity theory connects with chaos theory and further steps across chaos, bringing
the whole system to the boundary between chaos and order edge of chaos, where stability
and creativity coexists, and therefore is filled with maximum potential and hope. On the other
hand, the context of educational leadership and change is considered a place where harmony
and conflict as well as chaos and order reconcile with each other. This paper is then aiming to
compare the two kinds of complexity related to complexity theory as well as educational
leadership and change, and further investigate the common implications between two sides.
Key words: complexity theory, educational leadership, educational change

Fullan (1999)

(p. ix) Normore (2004)

(p. 72)

(complexity)

(complexity theory)

(Morrison,
2003)

(chaos)

(edge of chaos, EOC)

(Waldrop 2001 7)

(Lewis, 1994)
Prigogine Stengers (1984, 1996)
(far-from-equilibrium conditions, FFE )
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(bifurcation point)
Hock (2000)
(Birth of the Chaoridic Age)
(chaoridic system)(chaos) (order)

(Cameron, 1986)Harvey (1989)

(p. 20)Cindy Adams Bill Adams (1997) (two


sides of the same coin)

(less is more, dying is living)(p. 19)Vince Broussine


(1996)

(apparent contradiction) (p. 4)

(either or) (both and )


(situation of paradox, SOP) (Keene, 2000)

()

Kauffman (1993, 1995)

(self-organization)
(autogenesis)
(self-organized criticality,
SOC)
(critical
state) (Grobman, 2005)
5


1 (power law)

1 10
1 10 1/10

x 1/x (Kauffman, 1995)

(normal
distribution)

(SOC) (Grobman, 2005)

(complex adaptive system, CAS)PlsekLindberg


Zimmerman ( Grobman, 2005 )
Holland (1995)

(schema)

(Cameron, 1986)
(webs of nonlinear feedback
loops)
(Fullan, 2000, p. 4-5; Stacey, 1996, p. 349)

(Holland, 1995)

(power law),
, . , ,
, , . Self organized
criticality(http://www.isoc.org/inet2000/cdproceedings/2a/2a_2.htm)

(co-evaluation, COE)

(
2004 725)Kauffman (1993)

(Darwin) (the survival of the fittest)


2 (fitness landscapes)
(Lewis, 1993)

(emerging strategy)
Kauffman (1995) (game theory)
(prisoners dilemma) (strategic interaction)

(competitive partner)
(cooperative rivalry)
(reciprocity)
(tit for tat)
(2007)
(EOC)
(SOP) (SOC) (CAS)
(COE)
(SSECC) ( 1)

(going from peak to peak) (2007)

SOP

COE

EOC

CAS

SOC

1 (SSECC)
EOC
SOPSOCCASCOE :

SSECC

Stacey (1996)
(all organizations are
paradoxes) (p. 349) (1995)

( 105)
Shelton Darling (2004) (quantum
thinking)

(win-win)
Quinn (1988)

Cindy Adams Bill Adams (1997)


(team)
8

(group think)
(scapegoat)

(SOC) (CAS) (COE)

Watkins Marsick (1996)

(Maw, 1995)
Verlander (1992)
Sydanmaanlakka

(2002, 19)SengeRobertsRossSmith
Kleiner (1994)

(jazz improvision)

(Jashapara, 1993; Rowden, 2001)

(born to adapt complexity)

(Senge, 1990)
SOCCASCOE Stacy (1996)
CAS
SOC COE (suprasystem)
9


SOC
CASCOE

(Stacey,1996)

(Lewis , 1994)Fukuyama (2000)

Fukuyama

Putnam (1995)

(SOC)
(CAS) (COE)

(Kauffman,1995)

(social capital platform)

(SOP) (SOC)
(CAS) (COE)
(SSECC)
SOP

SOCCASCOE SOP

10


(2000)Dee Hock

(1995)

(2002)Pentti Sydanmaanlakka

(2007)

3(3)197-218

(2004) E-Learning

21(6)715-732

(2001)Waldrop

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