Environmental scanning in educational organizations: uses, approaches, sources and methodologies

Suggests that, in today’s world of uncertainty, it is of vital importance for an individual or an educational institution to stay abreast of environmental changes which may affect their future. Presents up‐to‐date information on environmental scanning and how it can be used to benefit educational organizations. For modern educational institutions, it is necessary to establish a systematic method of collecting information regarding external influences on educational institutions. However, it is quite difficult for any individual to be knowledgeable about all occurrences that may affect an institution, and it often requires special expertise to realize how an event or trend might affect an institution in the future. An institution must tailor specific sources of external information, devise a method to collect the information, and use the information effectively in the planning process and in building the future. Argues that environmental scanning has proved to be successful for school systems and should be accorded the importance it deserves. Furthermore, scanning provides all individuals with the opportunity to contribute to the strategic planning process which is of vital importance for the survival of an organization.