How to Embed the Whole School Approach (WSA): The Challenge of Implementation

Anne Sofie Samuelsen and Sigrun K. Ertesvåg

“VISTA School Bullying and Violence: Taking Action” project

Bulgarian

English

training, module, violence, school, approach

training module

Policy Makers, Teachers, Young People, School Directors.

21 - 100 pages

The contents of this unit are as follows:
- Description of the objectives of the document, which are to: consider strategies for implementing the WSA; enable to develop the process of change and support staff involved in it; familiarize with possible (and most likely) resistance and barriers met in an implementation process.
- Presentation of the facilitation skills to be developed through this unit, which are (1) knowledge and understanding of: the context of change; how to respond to challenges during the implementation of change; possible barriers to the process of change; resistance to the process of change; (2) personal qualities and attributes include: being able to act as a leader; being able to motivate co-workers; being an effective communicator; having empathy for co-workers, even when they disagree with you.
- Pre-unit reading.
- Summary of current thinking and knowledge about how to embed the WSA.
- A sequence of activities to be implemented: Activity 1 Introductory lecture Innovation in a knowledge society; Activity 2 Reflection in pairs; Activity 3 Lecture Part 2: Aspects of implementation; Activity 4 Individual reflection and discussion in pairs; Activity 5 Lecture Part 3: Resistance and barriers in innovations; Activity 6 Individual reflection and group discussions.
- Resources and references for further reading materials.

Implementing a whole school approach, in order to deal with school violence, requires an active learning process on the part of the school as an organization, a process that occurs within quite a wide context. The authors of this material promote the idea of the contemporary complex knowledge-society, which requires educated citizens who can learn continuously, and who can work with diversity. Rapidly occurring, unpredictable, non-linear change in our organizations and our world are not easy to control and different ways of thinking about change are therefore required. The authors consider that consequently, schools must become learning organizations if they want to survive as organizations creating knowledge. The unit in focus presents participants with strategies for implementing a program or an idea that will support them in arriving at a clear rationale for leading a change process in preventing and reducing violence in schools. The aim of the material is to assist participants in the process of change and to support staff involved in its development. Participants will become familiar with possible barriers and resistances they are likely to meet during an implementation process and learn about ways for overcoming these.
The material represents a well substantiated lecture, which is supported by a power point presentation, available in English, Bulgarian and Dutch.
The material itself is prepared in several languages, including English, which can be downloaded from here: http://www.vista-europe.org/downloads/English/B2f.pdf.
The pdf, which is uploaded here, contains a joint file of the material and the power point presentation.

http://www.vista-europe.org/downloads/Bulgarian/B2f.pdf

Binder how to emply the WSA.pdf

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