The purpose of this study is to understand how political dimensions of program planning are embedded in the planning process. After discussing the conceptual framework for this study, this paper presents a case of a planning professional development program in a higher educational setting in the United States to illustrate how political dimensions really work at the planning table in which significant planning tasks such as needs-assessment, deciding program objectives, instructional design and implementation, administration, and program evaluation are negotiated. Based on the findings of this study, it was evident that things such as the procedural tasks that are traditionally perceived as "technical works" are political, because people with different interests use their unequal level of power to construct educational programs for every task. Additionally, people's political objectives are as much a matter of concern as their educational objectives.
I. Introduction
II. Conceptual Framework
1. The Traditions of Classical and Naturalistic Viewpoint
2. The Cervero and Wilson Planning Theory
III. Methodology and Case Description
IV. Findings
1. The Program's Needs-Assessment and Educational as well as Political Objectives
2. The Program's Instructional Design and Administrative Operation
3. The Program's Evaluation
V. Discussion
References
(0)
(0)