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"There are many reasons why Viviane Robinson is one of my favorite researchers in the field of educational leadership. Her depth of knowledge and understanding of school improvement makes her a stand out in the profession. Reduce Change to Increase Improvement is a book all leaders should read because it will help them understand what improvement looks like and how to avoid the pitfalls that too many leaders fall into."
"Viviane Robinson’s brilliant new masterpiece is provocatively entitled Reduce Change to Increase Improvement. It is a stunning achievement. Every sentence bristles with penetrating insights and practical recommendations in the hands of Robinson’s sparkling prose. The sections on engaging respectfully with teachers’ theories of action should be required reading for every school principal or superintendent. Best of all, this expertly crafted book is a pleasure to read and re-read. It will be cited frequently around the world for years to come."
“Finally, a serious, evidence-proven book about educational change that takes a different tact – beginning with the impact on the learner. “Reduce Change to Increase Improvement” is a treasure-trove of concrete information for educational leaders wanting to move away from the frequently-used, ineffective Bypass Theory leading to no change in student outcomes to the rarely-used, highly effective Engagement Theory that gets at the heart of leading school improvement.
"This is a ‘must read’ for anyone who is serious about achieving meaningful improvement and understanding more about the potential of engaging with theories of action. With her forensic eye for detail, Viviane Robinson unpicks why current practice is sustained and shows how deep and respectful coaching dialogue can produce mutual commitment and powerful professional learning. It’s a book with many applications."
"Never was a book more welcome than one that addresses why so much change leads to so little impact. Viviane’s work gets right to the heart of the beliefs, values and conditions that lie at the heart of our willingness to either embrace change or resist it.
"I have worked with principals in graduate programs and professional learning series in six countries over the last two decades. Each and every one of these leaders would benefit from reading this new book. Viviane Robinson combines her research findings, powerful insights into how to re-design thinking about principal wellbeing, and invaluable examples from practice. The writing has voice and is highly engaging to read. The sooner this book is published, the better. These theoretically powerful and practical insights are needed and overdue."
"My colleague Dr. Judy Halbert and I have worked with principals in graduate programs and in professional learning series in six countries over the last two decades. Each and every one of these leaders would benefit from reading this new book by Professor Robinson. She combines her research findings, a logic train that is important and highly useable, a powerful insight into how to re-design thinking about principal well-being and work load and examples from practice that are invaluable. Her writing has voice and is highly engaging to read.
"The challenge in our current understanding of school improvement is not knowing what schools ought to do, but knowing how school leaders can get those things done. Leaders’ ability to engage and involve teachers in improvement processes is a missing resource in many schools. Reading this book will absolutely help school leaders redefine how they should act and behave in order to implement improvements to benefit not only their students’ learning but also teachers’ professional development.
"This book is remarkable. It combines a deep understanding of how and why theories of action influence the success or failure of improvement efforts in schools, with a range of intensely practical strategies and examples that illustrate how leaders can work to enhance their approaches to change. Robinson draws on more than 10 years of research and development work with leaders, often based on detailed observation and analysis of coaching conversations and real situations in schools, to identify and make explicit the values, beliefs, actions and consequences that drive behavior a
"Reduce Change to Increase Improvement is logically developed from foundation principles to take the reader through the thinking, understanding, planning, professional learning, action, and evaluative processes. The use of general and personal theories of action is appropriate and effective. The work is supported well by illustrations and extracts from actual cases of aspects of change. I think its greatest strength is the emphasis throughout on working with and through other people and the interpersonal and cognitive work this requires.
