What are the

Functions of Theories
in Educational
Administration?
• Educational administration is the field of study and practice
concerned with the management of educational
institutions. Positions in this field include principal, assistant
principal, dean, program director and curriculum
coordinator. For anyone involved in educational
administration, theories provide an explanation of how
things work, guide research and inform practice.

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•Theories

Most theories applied to educational administration originated

elsewhere—mainly the business world. The most commonly
applied theories come from the field of organizational theory,
which originated with a focus on individuals and groups in an
organization and how to increase their productivity. Later
movements focused on the social and psychological needs of
people in an organization as a way to help an organization meet its
goals. Contemporary organizational theories have been developed
that emphasize the need to balance the organization’s needs for
productivity with the individual’s needs within an organization.
More recent theories also account for the complexity of social
groupings and communication in modern organizations, including
schools and educational institutions.
• Decision Making

Theories can help leaders by giving them the benefit

of different perspectives. Administrators can compare
their observations against theories that have
combined and synthesized the experiences of others.
An educational leader limited by his interpretation of
the facts of a given situation can use knowledge of
theories to overcome this by gaining a broader
perspective and re-examining available information in
this context.
Predicting Behavior

•Theories allow educational leaders to predict the outcome of

their decisions. By examining relevant theories, an
administrator has an idea of what reactions and outcomes to
expect from certain actions or policies. The leader is then able
to make a more informed decision that weighs the anticipated
response or result. For example, a school leader may use the
theory of planned behavior to decide if providing expensive
professional development to a team of struggling teachers in
the English department is likely to be worthwhile. The theory
of planned behavior considers a person’s attitudes and
perceived abilities to determine whether the person has an
intention to engage in a specific behavior. The principal would
consider his observations of the teachers’ attitudes and
evidence of the teachers’ self-efficacy to gauge whether the
Organizational Control
•Using theories as models, educational leaders can
communicate more clearly and maintain a more consistent
focus and message than if they were “playing by ear.” They
can discuss the employees, work systems and objectives of
their organization using unambiguous terminology. When an
administrator refers to all the teachers, students, parents and
community members of a campus as “stakeholders”, for
example, she is using a term from stakeholder theory meant
to also communicate the value the administrator places on
these groups. Educational administrators use theories to mold
their personal leadership and communication styles as well,
benefitting from the expertise of others and affording them a
model against which to continually compare themselves.
Future Functions
•Policy makers use theories to provide succinct
explanation, evidence and solutions for a given
problem. Theories provide ideals or models on
which to base initiatives. Additionally, when a
theory doesn’t exist or is inadequate to address
a question or problem, this serves researchers
in educational administration by revealing
needed areas of research.