Teacher collaboration, differing expectations, and emotions in school improvement

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley Weddle ◽  
Marie Lockton ◽  
Amanda Datnow
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
Instructional Improvement ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emotional Process ◽  
Collective Work ◽  
Emotional Geographies ◽  
Emotional Dimensions

Purpose While the benefits of teacher collaboration are well documented, less is known about how emotions intersect with teachers’ collective work. Educational change is an emotional process, as reform efforts often involve shifts in teachers’ daily routines and professional identities. To better understand these complexities, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the emotional dimensions of teachers’ collaborative efforts to improve instruction. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on qualitative data, this longitudinal case study of one teacher team explores how teacher collaboration for instructional improvement intersects with emotional geographies. Data analyzed include three years of meeting observations and annual interviews with teachers and school leaders. Findings An analysis of data reveals how emotions both shaped and were shaped by teachers’ collaboration experiences. Varying beliefs about practice, expectations about collective work and identity (in this case, gender) impacted collaboration and subsequently opportunities for instructional improvement. Practical implications This study demonstrates how attending to the emotional aspects of teacher collaboration could serve as an effective strategy for bolstering capacity-building efforts. Findings highlight the interplay between emotional geographies, suggesting that common ground across one geography could potentially be built upon to close gaps across others. Originality/value This study provides a unique longitudinal exploration of the emotional dimensions of teachers’ collective work. The study also contributes to new knowledge about the ways in which teachers’ emotions and collaborative experiences intersect, including the interplay between emotional geographies.

A Taxonomy of Instructional Learning Opportunities in Teachers’ Workgroup Conversations

2016 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilana Seidel Horn ◽  
Brette Garner ◽  
Britnie Delinger Kane ◽  
Jason Brasel
Keyword(s):  
School Districts ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Urban School Districts ◽  
Sampled Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Collective Work ◽  
Work Supports

Many school-improvement efforts include time for teacher collaboration, with the assumption that teachers’ collective work supports instructional improvement. However, not all collaboration equally supports learning that would support improvement. As a part of a 5-year study in two urban school districts, we collected video records of more than 100 mathematics teacher workgroup meetings in 16 different middle schools, selected as “best cases” of teacher collaboration. Building off of earlier discursive analyses of teachers’ collegial learning, we developed a taxonomy to describe how conversational processes differentially support teachers’ professional learning. We used the taxonomy to code our corpus, with each category signaling different learning opportunities. In this article, we present the taxonomy, illustrate the categories, and report the overall dearth of meetings with rich learning opportunities, even in this purposively sampled data set. This taxonomy provides a coding scheme for other researchers, as well as a map for workgroup facilitators aiming to deepen collaborative conversations.

Teacher Collaboration in School Improvement

Education ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hayley Weddle ◽  
Marie Lockton ◽  
Amanda Datnow
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Collective Work ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Improving Instruction ◽  
Improve Instruction ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Collaborative Efforts

Research on teacher collaboration as a lever for capacity building is vast, spanning international contexts. To facilitate collaboration, many districts and schools have dedicated time for groups of teachers to meet and exchange ideas, with the goal of improving instruction and promoting student learning. Collaboration meetings serve as opportunities for teachers to shape ideas together through sharing perspectives, knowledge, and strategies. The potential benefits of collaboration are well researched and include decreased isolation, the development of supportive relationships, and increased understanding of content knowledge as well as pedagogical approaches. Engagement in formal collaboration is linked to changes in classroom practices, impacting learning environments in potentially transformative ways. Several studies exploring the impact of teachers’ collective work on student learning have found a strong relationship between collaboration and student achievement. Teachers’ collaboration experiences are influenced by a variety of factors, including leadership, interpersonal dynamics, external accountability pressures, and the availability of time and space. Close relationships with colleagues based on trust and respect are also pivotal for teachers navigating collaborative efforts to improve instruction. Such relationships must allow for disagreement and debate, as these characteristics are key to promoting growth and deprivatizing practice. This article explores the features and outcomes of teacher collaboration for instructional improvement and includes an overview of foundational literature shaping current research on teachers’ collective work. While teacher collaboration has the potential to improve both teacher practice and student learning, this review of literature demonstrates that achieving such outcomes is challenging. Given complexities related to policies, relationships, and infrastructure to support collective work, teachers’ collaborative efforts often fall short of espoused goals.

Improving instructional competencies through individualized staff development and teacher collaboration in German schools

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1289-1302
Author(s):  
Anabel Bach ◽  
Anja Böhnke ◽  
Felicitas Thiel
Keyword(s):  
Staff Development ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
Leadership Behavior ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Instructional Competencies

PurposeSchool improvement and effectiveness depend substantially on teachers developing their professional competencies on an ongoing basis. Germany's new approach to school governance combines instruments borrowed from different theoretical concepts: teacher collaboration (in a sense of professional self-regulation with high autonomy) and individualized staff development by principals (in a sense of managerial self-regulation with high within-school accountability). The purpose of the study is to examine whether these instruments are applied at schools in Germany, what factors predict the extent of use, and if the use is associated with the improvement of teachers' instructional competencies.Design/methodology/approachIn order to answer our research questions, we conducted a standardized teacher and principal survey at primary and secondary schools in Germany (658 teachers from 51 schools).FindingsThe analyses indicate that the instruments are not being carried out across the board. The results of a multilevel path analysis furthermore show that teacher self-efficacy, principals' leadership behavior, school size and students' SES are important preconditions for the use of the two instruments. However, the instruments have an impact on the improvement of teachers' instructional competencies but through different pathways.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations concern the cross-sectional design of the study and the focus on measures based on retrospective self-reported data.Originality/valueThis study is the first that examines the implementation and impact of two instruments with differing governance theoretical background in German schools.

School conditions of different forms of teacher collaboration and their effects on instructional development in schools facing challenging circumstances

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja Webs ◽  
Heinz Günter Holtappels
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Instructional Development ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
School Quality ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Central Feature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Conditions ◽  
Teachers Professional Development

Purpose Teacher collaboration is regarded as a central feature of school quality that promotes students’ learning processes, teachers’ professional development, and school improvement. Although the phenomenon is complex, studies often use global constructs and measures. To meet the research demands, the purpose of this paper is to take a differentiated perspective on teacher collaboration, its particular school conditions and effects on instructional development. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through a survey of 1,105 teachers at 36 secondary schools in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany). Using multivariate analysis of variance and structural equation modeling, the occurrence of three different forms of teacher collaboration and their relations to activities of instructional development, structural and cultural working conditions, represented by appropriate scales and indexes, are analyzed. Findings The results show that teachers use less resource-intensive forms of collaboration more often and practice more demanding forms of collaboration less frequently. More demanding forms of collaboration not only depend on the working climate but also on individual self-efficacy, institutionalized teams, collaborative and instructional principal leadership and in turn promote the development of interdisciplinary curricula and concepts for individual support. Originality/value This study provides evidence for the importance of distinguishing different forms of teacher collaboration. Furthermore, by relating different collaborative activities of teachers to certain school conditions and instructional development, this study makes a contribution to research by emphasizing the relativity of teacher collaboration regarding its desired outcomes as well as its necessary requirements.

A systematic review of educational leadership and management research in Turkey

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 731-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehmet Şükrü Bellibaş ◽  
Sedat Gümüş
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Educational Administration ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Recent Effort ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
School Principalship

Purpose While the current knowledge in the field of educational leadership and management (EDLM) has been primarily based on research produced in English-speaking Western societies, there have been significant efforts by other societies to contribute to the knowledge production, especially during the past decade. The purpose of this paper is to identify the contribution of Turkey to the international EDLM literature by investigating the topical focus, conceptual frameworks and research designs of papers published by EDLM scholars from Turkey. Design/methodology/approach Descriptive content analysis method was employed to examine 315 empirical, review, conceptual and commentary papers published by Turkish scholars in core educational administration and Web of Science journals. The time period of the review left open-ended. However, in practical terms, it begins in the year 1994 when the first article from Turkey was published in any of the selected sources and ends at the end of 2018. Information relevant to the research was extracted from each article and was coded to facilitate quantitative analysis. Using Excel software, descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages were provided for each research question. Findings Results show that Turkish EDLM scholars mostly rely on survey based quantitative research approach, employing advanced statistical techniques in the analysis of the data. However, mixed method and qualitative studies are relatively less common. Organizational behavior, school leadership and emotions stand out as most frequently used topics, while Turkish scholars are not interested in analyzing the educational outcomes such as student achievement and school improvement. Consistent with the findings related to topical foci, a large number of those who were interested in correlational studies examined the relationship between leadership roles and organizational behaviors. Research limitations/implications The data set only included journal articles and excluded conference proceedings, books and theses/dissertations. Nevertheless, the authors believe this review adds significantly to previous reviews of local EDLM journals conducted by Turkish scholars. The authors concluded that the Turkish scholars should direct their future research to exploring and better understanding the practices of Turkish principals in schools by: diversifying their research topics; incorporating more qualitative and mixed-method designs; and taking into account specific features of the culture and educational system in Turkey. Practical implications Based on the current higher education context, reducing scholars’ teaching load, diversifying research funding opportunities, and modifying access to tenure tracks seem necessary interventions to support EDLM research with strong ties to practice and to the sociocultural context. In addition, policy changes aiming professionalization of administrative positions and establishing some forms of formal training for school principalship are needed. Such changes can help transfer the knowledge produced by the Turkish EDLM researchers to the practice and provide solutions to problems related to school administration. Originality/value This paper will add to recent effort to identify how a developing nation outside Western perspective approaches the field, and contributes to the global knowledge base.

Is culture change a fad? Driving business results at Penna, ten years on

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-126
Author(s):  
Bev White ◽  
Gary Browning ◽  
Javier Bajer
Keyword(s):  
Culture Change ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Results ◽  
Sustainable Culture ◽  
Systemic Interventions ◽  
Successful Business

Purpose – Ten years ago Penna, the global HR services group, needed a radical business and culture re-invention if it was to survive. This article aims to tell the story behind Penna's journey and describe how a sustainable culture change intervention became the cornerstone of a successful business. Design/methodology/approach – This case study is the result of an initial ethnographical research followed by concrete and systemic interventions. Findings – The case study identifies four elements that sustained the business impact of a culture change program over a significant period of time. Originality/value – This longitudinal case study follows a culture change program in an organizational context over a period of ten years.

Cooperative behaviour and place branding: a longitudinal case study in Italy

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Rinaldi ◽  
Alessio Cavicchi
Keyword(s):  
Geographical Area ◽  
Place Branding ◽  
Cooperative Behaviour ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
As Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to understand the motivations driving cooperative behaviour between heterogeneous stakeholders in place-branding activities, focusing on contract-based and relation-based cooperation constructs. Design/methodology/approach The longitudinal case study method is used to help understanding how the investigated network has evolved over four years from an attempt to build a regional umbrella-brand to a network contract between 13 enterprises. Findings The findings suggest that the relationships of trust and shared values among stakeholders are essential to foster cooperation, but also that contract-based governance complements a relation-based governance, enhancing the performance of the alliance. Research limitations/implications The main limitation is related to the case study methodology, as results are strongly dependent on the specific characteristics of the stakeholders and the geographical area analysed. Social implications The role of stakeholders in building a place brand is increasingly important. When analysing cooperative behaviour drivers, more attention should be paid to such intangible assets as social, human, relational and organisational capital. Originality/value This longitudinal case study emphasises that for success in place-branding activities, contract-based cooperation can be particularly useful at the beginning of a network alliance, while relation-based cooperation ensures the strength and continuity of the partnership but it takes time to develop. Responsible leaders, working as relationship facilitators/enablers, are important to keep network members engaged, by creating trust and favouring mutual beneficial relationships between stakeholders.

Learning during developing and implementing new bank offerings

2005 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Stevens ◽  
Sergios Dimitriadis
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
Informal Development

PurposeKnowledge of the management issues for developing new bank offerings efficiently is limited. Furthermore, recent research suggests that organisational learning can contribute greatly to the success of innovation projects. The aims of this paper are to provide a detailed description of the development process of a new financial product and to identify learning actions that may contribute to its effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachReports findings from a qualitative, longitudinal case study of a well‐known French bank.FindingsThe results revealed an informal development process consisting of a sequence of issues to solve and decisions to make.Research limitations/implicationsThough observations fit with the theoretical model, the findings cannot be generalized due to the use of a qualitative methodology. Thus, selecting a development project that brings variance to the scope and degree of innovativeness could enrich the observed learning mechanisms. Second, as services are very heterogeneous, further research should be done on the development processes of different new services, for example standardised versus customised. Third, mechanisms of adoption or avoidance of learning procedures remain to be explored extensively. Understanding the reasons of choice and adoption of learning strategies according to the environment and nature of the project could lead to further managerial recommendations.Practical implicationsImplications for banks to encourage learning during innovation are discussed and several opportunities for further research are suggested.Originality/valueAn informal development process is revealed, consisting of a sequence of issues to solve and decisions to make. Multiple learning actions and strategies are identified that enhance process effectiveness and efficiency.

Purchasing behaviour and supplier base evolution – a longitudinal case study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Dubois ◽  
Lars-Erik Gadde ◽  
Lars-Gunnar Mattsson
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Supplier Relationships ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Purchasing Behaviour ◽  
Time Periods

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to describe and analyse the evolution of the supplier base of a buying firm and the reasons behind these changes. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a case study of the changes over 52 years in a sub-set of the supplier base of a firm manufacturing fork-lifts. Findings The study shows that some relationships feature substantial longevity. However, the duration of one-third of the total relationships is shorter than five years. There was considerable variation over time in the dynamics of the supplier base in terms of entries and exits of suppliers. Owing to this variation, research findings and conclusions in short-term studies are heavily dependent on the specific conditions at the time of the study. Finally, no less than one-fourth of the terminated supplier relationships were reactivated later. Research limitations/implications The study was designed in a time when purchasing was considered entirely from the perspective of the buying firm. Further studies, therefore, must increasingly emphasise the role of suppliers and the interaction in the buyer–supplier relationships, as well as the embeddedness in networks. Originality/value The findings of the study are unique in two ways. First, they are based on systematic observations over more than 50 years. Second, the study involves the purchases of 11 components representing different technical and economic features. The (few) previous studies are based on much shorter time periods and involves fewer suppliers/components. Moreover, the findings regarding re-activation of terminated relationships represent unique contributions.

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