Collaborative professional development for distributed teacher leadership towards school change

Abstract

Professional development that aims to build school change capacity requires spaces for collaborative action and reflection. These spaces should promote learning and foster skills for distributed leadership in managing school change.The present study analyses the case of the Seminar for Critical Citizenship (SCC) established by teachers of infant, primary, secondary and higher education to experiment with and share innovative practices. A focus group was formed firstly to identify which factors SCC participants perceived as influencing the development of this leadership for change, and secondly, to verify whether the SCC offers a space where the development of distributed leadership is promoted.We find that while it enables a network for collaboration, egalitarian dialogue and empowerment, certain tensions persist between theory and practice, and in attitudes towards innovation and school culture.

Leadership practices in collaborative innovation: A study among Dutch school principals

“…However, collaboration is not easily fostered in the educational context, since schools are loosely coupled systems (Orton and Weick, 1990): it is common for teachers to mainly focus on their own classroom (practice) and tasks, resulting in their work activities being largely autonomous and isolated (Admiraal et al, 2012). Consequently, innovation in schools is often seen as an isolated activity of one teacher or a minority of teachers who decide to initiate change (Sales et al, 2016). This hinders innovation, since we know that teachers in schools with collaborative structures and cultures tend to learn more from each other as compared to schools without collaboration (Drago-Severson, 2012).…”

School Culture In Slovakia From Perspective Of Innovations Of Educational Processes

“…The values such as innovations, openness, experimentation, as well as the promotion of cooperation, collegiality, participation, co-decision have been marked by teachers as the least appreciated in schools. Many authors emphasize the importance of collaboration in introducing innovations and increasing the efficiency of schools (Angelides, 2010;Butler, & Schnellert, 2012;Crawford, 2012;Jappinen, Leclerc, & Tubin, 2016;Krichesky, & Murillo, 2018;Munoz, 2009;Sales, Moliner, & Amat, 2017). Slovakia was implemented.…”

Untitled

“…Finalmente, es necesario reconocer el liderazgo ejercido por los maestros y las maestras del CRA. Un liderazgo que empieza a situarse dentro de los parámetros que en investigación educativa reconocemos como "liderazgo distribuido" (Sales et al, 2016;Spillane, 2005). Un modelo de liderazgo central en las experiencias de escuelas democráticas y en los modelos de justicia social.…”