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In this paper, contemporary literature on strategy in education is examined in an integrative and analytical manner. To achieve this, an empirical investigation on strategy in education was undertaken. As the goal is to understand and propose specific research directions, the findings are both descriptive and analytical. Initially, peer reviewed journal articles that had been published relating to strategy in education were identified. Such a list provides a valuable insight into contributions to this area of research and serves as the foundation for the paper's other purposes. The second purpose was to analyse strategy in education publications over time (1980-2005), to see how the topic has evolved. Third, an integrative analysis of works on strategy in education allowed an identification of needs for future research. The over-riding purpose of this paper was to ensure that there was an understanding of the contributions and their limitations, so that research on strategy in education can progress with an appreciation of the past. (Contains 2 figures and 5 tables.)

Since the seduction of business rhetoric into the field of education, dating back to at least to Taylorism in the early 1900s, school leaders have shaped themselves as organisational managers and leaders. Terms such as 'strategic' have been introduced to add misleading rhetorical weight to activities. But what do we mean by 'strategic'? Scholarship on strategy in schools and strategic leadership by principals has tended to spike following the enactment of polices such as the Education Reform Act in the UK. This has led to a narrow perception of what it means to be strategic, and legitimised modernistic thinking entwined with Romantic ideals. In this paper, I argue the case for a new conceptualisation of strategy. Strategy as leadership puts social practice back into educational leadership. This paper was written, as is arguably the case of a special issue, to serve as the stimulus for further discussion and debate in the quest of advancing our understanding of what it means to be strategic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]