The Reflections of Postmodernizm in Educational Administration in Light of Fenwick English

This paper focuses on the reflections of postmodernism according to Fenwick W. English’s views on education and educational administration. English (b.1939) is known for his contradictory and postmodern views in the field of educational administration. Although he has been working in this field since 1970, he and his ideas are not well known in Turkey. English focuses mainly on leadership and believes that an educational leader should imagine, make his dreams real, be revolutionary and take risks. He has suggested many important and stimulating ideas about different aspects of education. According to him, the aim of education, the function of school, the role of teachers and curriculum are important topics to be studied. He criticizes modern education insisting that it has lost its function and it does not prepare children for the future. Therefore, he justifies postmodernism and focuses on educational implications that are not based on only one theory and method. This paper describes English’s ideas on educational administration in the light of postmodernism. In this sense, the paper begins with the introduction of modernism and postmodernism and continues with their impacts on education. Lastly, it presents the life of English and his views on education.