Mystics, Neats and Scruffies: Informing Professional Practice in Educational Administration

One′s mindscape of educational administration as a field of study and practice determines the kind and worth of knowledge that emerges and its use in practice. Mindscapes of the “Neats” and the“Scruffies” are contrasted and evaluated for goodness of fit to the realities of practice. Concluding that the mindscape of the Scruffies fits better, implications are drawn for preparing school administrators and for enhancing critical reflection. Four levels of reflective practice are identified for attention and a model for informing professional practice comprising antecedents, theories of practice and professional practice episodes is presented.