Epistemological Underpinnings of Theory Developments in Educational Administration

Abstract

Although it is difficult to categorise the philosophical positions of competing theories of educational administration, it can be said that four major forms of theory have been advanced in the field: traditional positivism, subjectivism, critical theory, and an emerging theory, naturalistic coherentism. The major perspectives developed in the field have been influenced largely by theoretical developments in philosophy. This paper aims to examine the different epistemological commitments of the four competing theories of educational administration advanced to date. The paper analyses the main ideas proposed by each of the four major schools of thought and focuses particularly on their philosophical assumptions concerning the nature of science and their approach to theorising about educational administration.