What is Invitational Education?
Invitational Education theory serves as a theoretical model of an educative process and focuses on the
nature of people and their potential (Purkey & Novak, 1988). It also serves as a concrete and
practical method for relating and communicating with others in both a personal and professional
manner (Purkey, 1992).
According to Purkey and Novak (1988), “Invitational Education offers a comprehensive approach
by which people are cordially, creatively, and consistently summoned to realize their full
potential.” The goal of Invitational Education is to create a context where individuals are
intentionally invited to succeed and develop intellectually, socially, physically, psychologically, and
spiritually (Purkey & Novak, 1988).
Invitational Education focuses on five areas that exist in practically every environment and that
contribute to the success or failure of each individual. The five areas are known as the “five P’s” and
they involve the people, places, policies, programs and processes that individuals continuously
interact with each other.
Invitational Education especially emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive and caring
environment for students. The model provides a framework for inviting students to think, learn and
accomplish goals in a positive and collaborative manner. Five qualities: respect, trust, care,
optimism, and intentionality were identified by Purkey to signify an “invitational stance” in
education (Division of Learning Resources, 2011).
According to Purkey and Novak (1996), there are four categories that indicate the invitational level of
a person. This has been traditionally used in the area of teaching (Wong, H. & Wong, R., 2004). The
four levels include:

Intentionally Disinviting: This is the most negative and toxic level of human interaction.
Individuals deliberately demean, dissuade, discourage, defeat and destroy others.

Unintentionally Disinviting: Individuals who function at this level are viewed as
uncaring, condescending, patronizing, racist, or just plain thoughtless in their words and
actions. They do not intend to be hurtful or harmful, but because they lack consistency in
direction and purpose, they act in disinviting ways.

Unintentionally Inviting: People who function at this level have stumbled
serendipitously into ways of functioning that are often effective. However, they have
difficulty explaining why they are successful. They cannot describe in detail what they
did or why they functioned in an invitational manner. Individuals at this level lack a
coherent and consistent invitational stance.

Intentionally Inviting: When individuals function at the intentionally inviting level, they
seek to consistently exhibit invitational beliefs, statements, and actions. They strive to
continually develop and exhibit positive potential in themselves and intentionally
encourage the same positive potential in others.
(Purkey & Novak, 1996)
INVITATIONAL LEARNING FOR COUNSELING AND DEVELOPMENT
http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9219/heart.htm
The Invitational Learning concept, developed by William W. Purkey, offers a blueprint of what
counselors, teachers, principals, supervisors, superintendents, and others can do to enrich the
physical and psychological environments of institutions and encourage the development of the
people who live and work there.
Invitational Learning is based on four value-based assumptions regarding the nature of people
and their potential and the nature of professional helping:
*Respect: People are able, valuable, and responsible and should be treated accordingly;
*Trust: Education should be a collaborative, cooperative activity where process is as important
as product;
*Optimism: People possess untapped potential in all areas of human endeavor; and
*Intentionality: Human potential can best be realized by places, policies, programs, and
processes that are specifically designed to invite development, and by people who are
intentionally inviting with themselves and others, personally and professionally.
In a school or any other organization, everything is connected to everything else. And so, in
applying Invitational Learning, everything counts in creating an environment that invites
individuals to reach their potential:
*Places. Creating an attractive and inviting physical setting is the easiest way to begin the
process of incorporating the Invitational Learning concept into a school or other organization.
*Policies. Professional counselors can assist schools in developing policies that encourage
student responsibility and participation rather than those that create pervasive anxiety, mistrust,
and mindless conformity.
*Programs. Programs that incorporate the assumptions of Invitational Learning include
incentive programs such as peer counseling for dropout prevention, faculty mentoring, and other
collaborative programs where students, teachers, and counselors all gain by helping and
encouraging one another.
*Processes. How we teach or counsel and how we act while doing these things are far more
important in the long run than what students or clients learn. Educators and counselors in
successful schools establish behavioral norms of collegiality, professional development, mutual
assistance, and ongoing discussion of instruction and curricular improvements among
themselves, and they cultivate attitudes of respect for all students and attention to their needs in
all of their interactions.
*People. The daily interaction between teachers and students, counselors and clients, and
professionals amongst themselves, ultimately determines the success or failure of Invitational
Learning. Counselors and teachers who wish to employ Invitational Learning therefore need a
sound knowledge of human development.
The goal of Invitational Learning is thus to provide an optimally inviting total environment, both
for professional helpers themselves and for those with whom they work. In this respect, it is fully
compatible with both the Comprehensive Guidance Program Model and the Teacher Advisor
Program. All three approaches affirm the centrality of developmental guidance to the educational
process, and all are predicated on mutual respect and human dignity--for counselors, teachers,
and students alike.
Invitational Advising-Preliminary Review of Literature
Academic advisors across the globe are facing elevated stress due to increasing financial cuts and
staff reductions (Nutt, 2010). This has caused some academic advisors who are pressured to do more
with less in the areas of teaching, research and service, to push academic advising to the back burner
(Harrison, 2009, Sprague, 2008). A major concern is the issue that academic advising is usually
recognized in the areas of service and/ or teaching, and rarely rewarded commensurately with
scholarly productivity (Donnelly, 2009, Harrison, 2009).
University officials are slow to recognize and reward faculty members for their work in advising
students (Council on Family & Work, 2002, Donnelly, 2009, Harrison, 2009), even though several
studies indicate having a strong academic advising program strengthens student recruitment and
retention efforts (ACT, 2004, Astin, 1977, 1993, Cuseo, 2003, 2008, Habley & Morales, 1998,
Metzner, 1989, Noel, Levitz, & Saluri, 1985, Nutt, 2006, Tinto, 1987, 1993, 2001).
One response to the concerns mentioned above is the use of a more invitational manner of advising
students. The framework for this study is based on applying invitational education strategies to
academic advising. Invitational Education is a model created by William Purkey (Purkey & Novak,
1984, 1988; Purkey & Schmidt, 1987, 1990; Purkey & Stanley, 1991). Dr. Purkey originally
established Invitational Education for teachers & school administrators. However, his framework and
principles have been increasingly applied to other areas such as counseling, business, and medical
fields (Coats, 2010, Finger & Pape, 2002, Paxton, 1993, Purkey & Novak, 1984, 1988, Purkey &
Schmidt, 1987, 1990, Purkey & Siegel, 2003).
Invitational Education theory serves as a theoretical model of an educative process and focuses on the
nature of people and their potential (Purkey & Novak, 1988). It also serves as a concrete and
practical method for relating and communicating with others in both a personal and professional
manner (Purkey, 1992). On the home page of the International Alliance for Invitational Education,
Purkey (2011) explains the conceptual and philosophical underpinnings of his theory:
Invitational Education is a way of thinking about positive and negative signal systems that exist in all
human interactions. It is a self-correcting theory of practice based on John Dewey’s “democratic
ethos,” Carl Roger’s “client-centered psychotherapy,” Sidney Jourard’s “self-disclosure,” Albert
Bandura’s “self-efficacy” and Martin Seligman’s “learned optimism.”
According to Purkey and Novak (1988), “Invitational Education offers a comprehensive approach by
which people are cordially, creatively, and consistently summoned to realize their full potential.” The
goal of Invitational Education is to create a context where individuals are intentionally invited to
succeed and develop intellectually, socially, physically, psychologically, and spiritually (Purkey &
Novak, 1988).
Invitational Education focuses on five areas that exist in practically every environment and that
contribute to the success or failure of each individual. The five areas are known as the “five P’s” and
they involve the people, places, policies, programs and processes that individuals continuously
interact with each other.
Invitational Education especially emphasizes the importance of creating a supportive and caring
environment for students. The model provides a framework for inviting students to think, learn and
accomplish goals in a positive and collaborative manner. Five qualities: respect, trust, care,
optimism, and intentionality were identified by Purkey to signify an “invitational stance” in education
(Division of Learning Resources, 2011).
According to Purkey and Novak (1996), there are four categories that indicate the invitational level of
a person. This has been traditionally used in the area of teaching (Wong, H. & Wong, R., 2004). The
four levels include:

Intentionally Disinviting: This is the most negative and toxic level of human interaction.
Individuals deliberately demean, dissuade, discourage, defeat and destroy others.

Unintentionally Disinviting: Individuals who function at this level are viewed as
uncaring, condescending, patronizing, racist, or just plain thoughtless in their words and
actions. They do not intend to be hurtful or harmful, but because they lack consistency in
direction and purpose, they act in disinviting ways.

Unintentionally Inviting: People who function at this level have stumbled serendipitously
into ways of functioning that are often effective. However, they have difficulty
explaining why they are successful. They cannot describe in detail what they did or why
they functioned in an invitational manner. Individuals at this level lack a coherent and
consistent invitational stance.

Intentionally Inviting: When individuals function at the intentionally inviting level, they
seek to consistently exhibit invitational beliefs, statements, and actions. They strive to
continually develop and exhibit positive potential in themselves and intentionally
encourage the same positive potential in others.
(Purkey & Novak, 1996)
References
ACT (2004). National survey on advising. Iowa City: American College Test Program.
Astin, A.W. (1977). Four critical years: Effect of college on beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
Astin, A.W. (1993). What Matters in College?: Four Critical Years Revisited. (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: JosseyBass.
Coats, K. (May, 2010). Invitational leadership: A model for the future. Retrieved 6-22-11 from
http://keithcoats.com/2010/05/invitational-leadership-a-model-for-the-future/
Council on Family and Work. (2002). Quality of Life Survey: Findings of the Faculty Survey Conducted in October
2001. Report of the Council on Family and Work. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 6-26-11 from
http://web.mit.edu/faculty/reports/fqol.pdf
Cuseo, J. (2003). Academic Advisement and student retention: empirical connections & systemic interventions .
Policy Center on the First Year of College. Retrieved 6-27-11 from
http://www.ccsse.org/publications/cuseoretention.pdf
Cuseo, J. (2008) Academic advisement and student retention: Empirical connections and systemic interventions.
Edumorphology. Retrieved 6-27-11 from http://www.edumorphology.com/2008/10/academic-advising-and-studentretention-summary-of-two-papers-by-joe-cuseo/
Division of Learning Resources, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. (n.d.). Instructor orientation
An introduction to Invitational Education. Retrieved 6-24-11 from
abtech.edu/isol/NIO_Documents/NIOInvitational%20Education.doc
Donnelly, J. (2009). Is Academic Advising a Form of Teaching? Retrieved 6-24-11 from
http://web.mit.edu/faculty/reports/fqol.pdf
Finger, S. & Pape, T. (2002). Invitation theory and perioperative nursing preceptorships. Aorn Journal. 76(4), 630,
633-642.
Habley, W. & Morales, R. (1998) Advising Models: Goal achievement and program effectiveness. NACADA
Journal, 18(1), 35-41.
Habley, W. R. and Morales, R. H. (eds.) (1998) Current Practices in Academic Advising: Final Report on ACT's
Fifth National Survey of Academic Advising. National Academic Advising Association Monograph Series, no. 6.
Manhattan, KS: NACADA.
Harrison, E. (2009). Faculty perceptions of academic advising: “I don’t get no respect”. Nursing Education
Perspectives. 48(7) 361-6
Metzner, B. (1989). Perceived quality of academic advising: The effect on freshman attrition. American Educational
Research Journal, 26(3), 422-442.
Noel, L., & Levitz, R., & Saluri, D. (Eds.) (1985). Increasing student retention: New challenges and potential. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Nutt, C. (2010). Your Professional Development: The Key to Your Students’ Success. Academic Advising Today.
33(1).
Paxton, P. (1993). Total Quality Management and Invitational Theory: Common Ground. Journal of Invitational
Theory and Practice. 2(1).
Purkey, W. (1978). Inviting school success: A self-concept approach to teaching and learning. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth.
Purkey, W. W. (1992). An introduction to invitational theory. Journal of Invitational Theory and Practice, 1, 5-15.
Purkey, W. (1999). Creating safe schools through invitational education. ERIC Digest. Greensboro, NC: ERIC
Counseling and Student Services Clearinghouse, University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Purkey,W. (2010). What is Invitational Education? Retrieved from IAIE Web Site on 6-22-11 from
http://invitationaleducation.net/ie/ie2.shtml
Purkey, W. & Novak, J. (1984). Inviting school success: A self-concept approach to teaching and learning. (2nd ed.).
Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Purkey, W. & Novak, J. (1988). Education: By invitation only (Fastback #268). Bloomington, IN: Phi Delta Kappa.
Purkey, W. & Novak, J. (1996). Inviting school success: A self-concept approach to teaching, learning and
democratic practice. (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
Purkey, W. & Schmidt, J. (1987). The inviting relationship: An expanded perspective for professional counseling.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Purkey, W. W., & Schmidt, J. J. (1990). Invitational learning for counseling and development. Ann Arbor, MI:
ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse, University of Michigan.
Purkey, W., Schmidt, J. & Novak, J. (2010). From Conflict to Conciliation: How to defuse difficult situations.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Purkey, & Siegel, B. (2003). Becoming an invitational leader: A new approach to professional and personal
success. Atlanta, GA: Humantics Trade Group Publications. Check it out!
Purkey, W. & Stanley, P. (1991). Invitational teaching, learning and living. Washington, DC: National Education
Association.
Purkey, W. & Stanley, H. (1989). Connecting with the disconnected student: An invitational approach. Greensboro,
NC: Smith Reynold's Foundation Research Demonstration Project, University of North Carolina.
Sprague, R. (2008). Doing It All: Adding Advising into Faculty Workloads. Academic Advising Today. 31(1).
Tinto, V. (1987 and 1993). Leaving College: Rethinking the Causes and Cures of Student Attrition. Chicago, IL:
University of Chicago Press.
Tinto, V. (2001). Taking Student Retention Seriously. Annual Recruitment and Retention Conference, Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board. Austin, Texas. Retrieved June 27, 2010 from
http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/fsd/c2006/docs/takingretentionseriously.pdf
Wong, H. & Wong, R. (2004). First Days of School: How To Be An Effective Teacher. (4th ed.). Mountain View,
CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.
Compiled by Dr. Jane Ziebarth-Bovill, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Teacher Education Department
COE B-163
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney, NE 68849
(308) 865-8815
[email protected]
Harry & Rosemary Wong
The First Days of School
Invitational vs. Disinvitational Examples
Invitational
Disinvitational
Verbal Comments
-Good morning
-Welcome!
-Congratulations!
-Keep out!
-It won’t work
Personal Behaviors
-Smiling
-Listening
-Looking at your watch
-Yawning
Physical Environment
-New materials
-Living plants
-Dark classrooms
-No materials or old materials
Thoughts (Self-Talk)
-I can do this!
-Making mistakes is
part of the learning
process
-I could learn to do
that
-Why am I so stupid?
-I could never do that!
Resources
Teachers.net. Harry and Rosemary Wong: Effective Teaching. Available from
http://www.teachers.net/wong/NOV05/; accessed November 2005.
Wong, Harry K. & Rosemary T. (2009). The First Days of School. (4th Ed.). Harry K.
Famous Quotes by William Purkey
“Human potential, though not always apparent, is there waiting to be discovered and invited
forth.”
“Students who experience repeated success in school are likely to develop positive feelings
about their abilities, while those who encounter failure tend to develop negative views of
themselves.”
“The beautiful compensation of developing favorable self-concepts in students is that the
teacher cannot build positive self-concepts in students without building his/her own.”
“No act of kindness is wasted.”
Pukey often closes his speeches with the following poem and it has now made it into the public
domain:
“You’ve “gotta” dance like there’s nobody watching,
Love like you’ll never be hurt,
Sing like there’s nobody listening,
And live like it’s heaven on earth,
(And speak from the heart to be heard.)”
~William W. Purkey
Note: Although Purkey is the source of this quotation, it has been attributed to many others. Lines from it were
included in the song, “Come from the Heart” written by Susannah Clark and Richard Leigh in 1987.
Beliefs and Attitudes can be Chosen
Which message do you choose to send to everyone who visits your office?
Daniel E. Shaw, Ph.D.
(Please see; BLUE SUNSHINE, ORANGE SMOG)
Invitational Education-William Purkey