Examining Power Through Practice in Continuous Improvement in Education

Abstract

In this conceptual article, we argue for the need to examine power relations in continuous improvement (CI) in education. Specifically, we contend that examining power in CI requires an examination of practices that constitute the work of CI. Drawing on practice theory, we conceptualize practice and power and use these constructs to examine a CI effort on improving mathematical proficiency in an elementary school. From this case, we draw out three power moves to illustrate how examining power through practice in CI can generate insight into the varied power dynamics in a CI effort. We end by arguing for more examinations into the practice of CI work to understand power relations and the enactment of CI efforts in education broadly.