The Fourth Way: The Inspiring Future for Educational Change

by Andy Hargreaves

This book analyzes three previous major change efforts, outlines their strengths and limitations, and offers a successful and sustainable fourth way to integrate teacher professionalism, community engagement, government policy, and accountability.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

143 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2009

About the author

Andy Hargreaves is Research Professor at Boston College, Visiting Professor at the University of Ottawa, Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hong Kong University, Professor II at the University of Stavanger, and Honorary Professor at Swansea University. He is Past President of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, Adviser in Education to the First Minister of Scotland and from 2016-2018 to the Premier of Ontario. Andy is founder of the Atlantic Rim Collaboratory (ARC): a group of 9 nations committed to broadly defined excellence, equity, wellbeing, inclusion, democracy and human rights.
Andy has consulted with the OECD, the World Bank, governments, universities and professional associations worldwide. He has given keynote addresses in 50 countries, 47 US states and all Australian states and Canadian provinces. Andy’s more than 30 books have attracted multiple Outstanding Writing Awards. Andy is ranked in the top 20 scholars with most influence on US education policy debate. In 2015, Boston College gave him its Excellence in Teaching with Technology Award. He holds Honorary Doctorates from the Education University of Hong Kong and the University of Uppsala in Sweden.

Reviews

[Gaby Richard-harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave one view of how we got where we are in public education. I liked the ideas about how to move toward this "forth way," but I want another whole book that begins where this one ends!

[Nurlan Imangaliyev · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Fourth Way: The Inspiring Future For Educational Change combines deep research into past educational reforms as well as research-based ideas and suggestions for potential future changes in education.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hargreaves and Shirley provide synopses of the "three prior Ways of change since World War II," with a focus on how those change strategies have played out in education. They then present "foundational principles" for a "new Fourth Way of change," with evidence of its emergence.

"The Fourth Way ... is a democratic and professional path to improvement that builds from the bottom, steers from the top, and provides support and pressure from the sides."

While I most appreciated their framework, metaphors, and resources included in the Notes, I suspect what resonated most for me was how closely aligned their vision and theory of change is to my own.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

so, this book was on a previous syllabus for a class i'm teaching this summer on creativity, collaboration, and educational change. it is a concise, easy to read summary of various "ways" of school reform (although i think the word "wave" might have been more appropriate). their proposition in "the fourth way" encompasses many ideas i agree with, particularly meaningful community engagement/democratic education. however, the book is a bit too list-y and metaphor heavy (the authors LOVE some alliteration in their list titles). basing your theory of action for educational change on lists of key principles, etc., can over simplify otherwise complex issues.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 actually....the authors have the right idea. We need to let responsibilities to education supersede accountability. There is no "one size fits all" approach to fixing our schools. We need to embrace our diversity. This can not be done through standardized teaching and testing. Every stakeholder needs to share the responsibility and take an active role in their community schools. The community should be held accountable for our students, not just the teachers.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Description pretty much sums it up. Great for giving some historical perspective to where we are, and where we are going - or at least where we should go. Good insights but very little that a building leader can implement.

[Assel · Rating 3 out of 5]

CHronologically presented ideas on the evolution of education and inspring ideas on the future for educational change. However, do these ideas serve as buzz words or they provide genuine thinking to drive and implement a new educational change?

[Jamie Cain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Lots of hemming, hawing, and cheerleading here. Already outdated, given the starry-eyed optimism about President O's education "plan".

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good historical account of education...that's all

[Spacek Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book on education reform.

[Melanie]

My fellow teachers all need to read this. Especially the ones in the United States.