Maxwell’s Organizational Change and the Indian Education System

The tipping point in the urban Indian education system will occur within the next 5 years.

Urban India is seeing an overdose of interventions which is exposing the current day teachers to new technology and pedagogy practices. However, the success of these interventions is highly dependent on the attitude of the teachers towards change.

We can see John Maxwell’s 20-50-30 rule of organizational change in action at a systemic level. According to this rule, any organizational change is met by 3 different responses: 20% of the group are the early adopters; 50% are fence sitters who might swing either side; and 30% are the naysayers.

When it comes to technology and newer pedagogical practices, 20% of Indian government school teachers are in the adoption phase. This is mainly led by the younger generation of tech-savvy teachers who have shed their aversion and fear of technology. Usually, they are teachers who saw donated computers locked up in rooms and cupboards – when they themselves were students. The tide is turning. Many of them are dusting these computers and beginning to use them. They are willing to adapt to the evolving technology if given the right kind of support.

The 50% of the teachers who are the fence-sitters are mostly in their thirties and forties. They are being forced to start adoption by two key factors – the rookie teacher in the staff room and their ego. Watching the impact that the early adopters are beginning to have in classrooms within the same schools is one motivating factor for them to reconsider their stance. The other is the private school teachers who are teaching their own children who pose a challenge to their ego. Most urban government school teachers send their children to private schools. Many of these private schools have begun using technology and have publicized it by erecting huge boards outside schools. Children are beginning to use tablets inside and outside classrooms. Again, who are usually the teachers in these schools? Mostly folks who are less qualified than their government school counterparts, in many cases their students parents.

The remaining 30% are the naysayers – the ones who resolutely refuse to be a part of the educational shift.

The secret to ensure fruition, is to isolate the naysayers from the fence sitters, before attempting to convert the fence sitters to adopters.

This isolation can be achieved by adopting an inclusive strategy where teachers are part of the change and are re-established as instructional leaders in their classrooms. Self-learning tools in classrooms only add fodder to the naysayers by helping them slack and meriting their perception of technology replacing teachers. Also key is providing high quality products and interventions in schools. It is time we move away from the “Any intervention is better than no intervention” mindset and focus our attention on quality. Education organizations, NGOs, governments need to adopt quantitative processes to improve the product/service.

Change in the current system is imminent. Let’s ensure it weighs heavily towards the adopters rather than the naysayers.

- Ullas Kumar, VP Operations

Meghshala

This article was first posted on meghshala.wordpress.com on Sep 2, 2015