This course is FREE with an Online Subscription

Course Description

This course equips school leaders with practical, evidence-informed tools to anticipate and respond to resistance, lead challenging conversations with clarity and empathy, and design change processes that embed practice over time. Aligned to the Australian Professional Standard for Principals — Leading Improvement, Innovation and Change, the course supports leaders to implement initiatives that move beyond compliance to genuine adoption while protecting staff capacity and morale.



Audience

School Leaders


Teaching Standards

6.3.4 Lead Level - Engage in professional learning - Engage with colleagues and improve practice: Implement professional dialogue within the school or professional learning network(s) that is informed by feedback, analysis of current research and practice to improve the educational outcomes of students.



FREE with  Online Subscription

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Introduction

    • Welcome

    • Acknowledgement of Country

    • Learning Objectives

    • Teaching Standards

  • 2

    Module 1 - Understanding Resistance in Schools

    • Introduction

    • Resistance is Data, not Defiance

    • Why Resistance is Normal in Schools

    • The SCARF Model

    • The Five SCARF Domains in School Language

    • Three Types of Resistance

    • Quiz

    • Resource: Resistance Mapping Tool

    • Case Study: SCARF in Practice – Pre-Launch Example
  • 3

    Module 2 - Structuring Change: From Announcement to Adoption

    • Introduction

    • Why This Matters

    • Resource: Staged Plan Builder

    • Why School Initiatives Fail (Before We Introduce Frameworks)

    • The De-implementation Principle

    • Framework 1: Kotter’s 8 Steps — Organisational Architecture

    • Case Study – When Launch Replaces Sequencing

    • Kotter’s 8 Steps in Action

    • The Middle Leader Implementation Lens

    • Framework 2: ADKAR — Individual Adoption

    • Case Study- ADKAR in Action

    • Integration: Kotter + ADKAR

    • Resource: Implementation Mapping Toolkit

    • Reflection Question
  • 4

    Module 3 – Leading with Empathy and Authority

    • Introduction

    • Compliance vs Commitment

    • Psychological Safety in Staff Teams

    • Practical Conversation Tools

    • Consultation in the Australian Workplace Context

    • Resource: Change Communication Toolkit

    • Scenario: Leading with Empathy and Authority in Practice

    • Example Response to the Scenario Activity
  • 5

    Module 4 – Sustaining Change and Avoiding Initiative Fatigue

    • Introduction

    • Implementation vs Adoption

    • Recognising Change Fatigue

    • Pacing in Reform-Saturated Environments

    • The Change Health Check Tool

    • Case Study – Drift After Early Success

    • Embedding and Reinforcement

    • The Leadership Credibility Equation

    • Resource: 90-Day Change Leadership Plan

    • Final Reflection

    • Wrap Up

    • Resource: Implementing Change Leadership: Post-Course 30-Minute Collaboration

    • Reference List
  • 6

    Course Feedback

    • Course Feedback

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