scholarly journals Using A Tiered Approach for Implementing Networked Learning Communities: A Case Study on Developing the Capacity of Leaders to Implement Systemwide Innovations within International Training and Development Programs

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-14
Author(s):  
James Anderson II ◽  
Eric Kaufman ◽  
Jama Coartney ◽  
Shreya Mitra ◽  
Caro l Cash
Keyword(s):  
Learning Communities ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Shared Leadership ◽  
Diffusion Of Innovations ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Networked Learning ◽  
International Training ◽  
Tiered Approach ◽  
The Impact

This case study demonstrates how change agents can utilize networked learning communities (NLCs) with shared leadership to provide the structural supports for learning and influence the implementation of innovations within a social system. Our focus is the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), a large school system operating 164 accredited schools domestically and internationally. As part of their systemic priority of implementing innovations for educational improvement, DoDEA worked with extension specialists to create NLCs for instructional leaders using the Engelbart’s Organizational Learning and Improvement Schema. The schema is a three-tiered approach to non-formal learning that facilitates leader capacity building at the individual, team, and systemwide levels. To support these learning communities, DoDEA also created regional support teams or opinion leaders to assist with the implementation of systemwide educational technologies through non-formal professional learning. Focus group discussions provided insights on the impact of this model as a mechanism for diffusing educational innovations throughout the system. Findings suggest that implementation of this approach in other international training and development settings can yield positive impacts on the innovation-decision process. Keywords: Shared leadership; international training & development; social learning; systemic change; Diffusion of Innovations

Identifying coaching approaches that enable teachers' moral learning in professional learning communities

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 375-392
Author(s):  
Helma De Keijzer ◽  
Gaby Jacobs ◽  
Jacqueline Van Swet ◽  
Wiel Veugelers
Keyword(s):  
Professional Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Safe Environment ◽  
Moral Learning ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis study sought to identify those approaches used by coaches that enable teachers' moral learning in professional learning communities (PLCs). Coaches who support moral learning focus on questioning values, beliefs and bias, which is in contrast with learning only (new) knowledge or skills.Design/methodology/approachThis was an exploratory case study. Eleven meetings of three PLCs were observed; each PLC consisted of four teachers and one teacher–coach. Semi-structured interviews with the coaches were conducted to gain information about their approaches. Data were analysed using supportive coaching approaches derived from educational literature.FindingsIn total, 14 specific approaches regarding the support given by coaches for teachers' moral learning were identified. Four characteristics of coaches' attitudes that guided their approaches and seemed valuable in supporting moral learning were also identified. The findings showed the tensions the coaches encountered – for example, when balancing between offering a safe environment and encouraging critical reflection.Practical implicationsWith coaches' support, teachers can develop a more thoughtful understanding of the meaning of values, beliefs and bias for their actions in teaching practice.Social implicationsMaking explicit, and exploring precisely, what coaches do to support teachers' moral learning are useful for designing and improving professional development programmes that promote moral learning.Originality/valueThe research reported in this paper outlines how coaches can encourage teachers' awareness of the impact of their actions on pupils, which, in turn, helps teachers to meet the complex moral challenges of their practice.

Gedeeld leiderschap en proactiviteit in Het Nieuwe Werken

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martine J.H. Coun ◽  
Cees J. Gelderman ◽  
José Pérez-Arendsen
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Styles ◽  
Significant Relationship ◽  
Shared Leadership ◽  
Insurance Company ◽  
New Ways Of Working ◽  
Feedback Culture ◽  
Indirect Impact ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Shared leadership and proactivity in the New Ways of Working Shared leadership and proactivity in the New Ways of Working Increasingly, employees are experiencing so-called New Ways of Working (NWW), facilitated by advanced ICT. They must deal with more autonomy and responsibilities in combination with flexibility in time and location of work. It has been argued that NWW combine well with novel leadership styles, such as shared leadership, although this relationship has not been studied before. Similarly, the expected consequences of NWW on proactivity of employees and teams requires academic investigation. This paper reports on a study on the impact of NWW implementation on shared leadership and the proactivity within SNS REAAL (a large banking and insurance company in the Netherlands). The case study is particularly interesting since NWW employees (N = 51) are compared with non-NWW employees (N = 77). The results confirm that NWW have a positive, significant relationship with team proactivity behaviour. In addition, the implementation of NWW can have an indirect impact on the individual proactivity of employees, which is only effective if team proactivity is promoted. Merely implementing NWW will not result in shared leadership. The findings suggest that NWW characteristics, such as an open feedback culture, more autonomy, and internal entrepreneurship, are most effective in the pursuit of proactivity and shared leadership.

Validation and Living Learning Communities: An Evaluation Case Study

2020 ◽  
pp. 152102512097093
Author(s):  
Sophia Gehlhausen Anderson ◽  
Bob Blankenberger
Keyword(s):  
Learning Communities ◽  
Low Income ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Student Assessment ◽  
Evaluation Study ◽  
Matched Pair ◽  
Living Learning Communities ◽  
Validation Score ◽  
The Impact

In this program evaluation study, we analyzed the impact of interpersonal validation and participation in living-learning communities (LLC) on retention and GPA via regression and propensity score matching. The LLCs were designed to improve outcomes for underrepresented, low-income and first-generation students at a Midwestern regional public university. Employing data from the widely used Mid-Year Student Assessment™, we created a validation score. This student validation score was significantly associated with retention in semester three, and third semester and sixth semester GPA. In the matched pair analyses, we found mixed results with significantly improved retention for participants in just one LLC compared to their matched peers, and significantly improved GPA for a combined group of LLC participants.

scholarly journals Interconnecting networks of practice for professional learning

2011 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Mackey ◽  
Terry Evans
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Networked Learning ◽  
Online Learning Communities ◽  
Online Pedagogies ◽  
Teachers Perspectives ◽  
Networks Of Practice

The article explores the complementary connections between communities of practice and the ways in which individuals orchestrate their engagement with others to further their professional learning. It does so by reporting on part of a research project conducted in New Zealand on teachers’ online professional learning in a university graduate diploma program on ICT education. Evolving from social constructivist pedagogy for online professional development, the research describes how teachers create their own networks of practice as they blend online and offline interactions with fellow learners and workplace colleagues. Teachers’ perspectives of their professional learning activities challenge the way universities design formal online learning communities and highlight the potential for networked learning in the zones and intersections between professional practice and study. The article extends the concepts of Lave and Wenger’s (1991) communities of practice social theory of learning by considering the role participants play in determining their engagement and connections in and across boundaries between online learning communities and professional practice. It provides insights into the applicability of connectivist concepts for developing online pedagogies to promote socially networked learning and emphasising the role of the learner in defining their learning pathways.

School culture and leadership of professional learning communities

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 682-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
School Culture ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Professional Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Shared Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policies And Procedures

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore supportive and shared leadership structures at schools as a function of school culture policies and procedures. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study was conducted at three secondary schools in the Midwestern USA. Administrators and teachers were interviewed, professional learning communities observed and artifacts collected to explore school culture policies, procedures and leadership in the implementation of professional learning community practice. Findings – This study concludes that school leaders must provide supportive and shared leadership structures for teachers in order to ensure a positive school culture and effective professional learning communities that impact school improvement. Leaders in schools must work directly with teachers to create policies and procedures that provide teachers the leadership structure to directly impact school improvement through professional learning community collaborative efforts. Originality/value – This study builds on the school culture and professional learning communities literature by exploring existent policies and practices in schools as unique cases. Much of the literature calls for specific case studies to identify issues in the implementation of effective practice. This study is important to the community as specific cases that may inform educational leaders on mechanisms that may be leveraged to ensure successful implementation of policies and procedures outline in school culture and professional learning community literature.

scholarly journals The (physically) wounded healer: The impact of a physical disability on training and development as a counselling psychologist: A case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-46
Author(s):  
Esther Ingham
Keyword(s):  
Physical Disability ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Helping Professions ◽  
Wounded Healer ◽  
Physically Disabled ◽  
Reflexive Practice ◽  
Level Of Understanding ◽  
Specific Disability ◽  
The Impact

This case study investigates how physical disability might impact on the therapeutic training and development of a counselling psychologist. Discourse analysis of extracts and quotations from the author’s own reflexive journal reveals some potential implications of a subtly discriminatory environment that perpetuates societal negativity towards the physically disabled. A limited level of understanding of the experience of physical disability amongst peers/colleagues is seen as a potential issue for the profession to address as an ethical obligation for ambassadors of social justice, possibly through specific disability training and reflexive practice. The archetype of the ‘wounded healer’ in the helping professions is an affirmative perspective by which to view physical disability in training. The physically disabled trainee is encouraged to commit to personal reflexive work to develop his/her understanding of the various possible implications of their physicality on relationships, be they personal or professional. This can ultimately prove the experience of physical disability to be a useful tool which, when used skillfully, has the capacity to increase relational depth in therapeutic relationships.

scholarly journals Coworking spaces and virtual learning communities in Social Networks: Case Study of #ElClaustroDeIG on Instagram

Aula Abierta ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 453-464
Author(s):  
Raquel Gómez-Martínez ◽  
Luis M. Romero-Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Preschool Education ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Ideal Space ◽  
Good Practices ◽  
Patterns Of Use ◽  
The Impact

Social networks are consolidated as spaces for the exchange of valuable content. It is not surprising to find spaces for the exchange of good teaching practices in virtual learning communities, so the objective of this study is to analyze, through the case study of #ElClaustrodeIG on Instagram, the educational content focused on teaching that is shared for the Ibero-American community in Spanish, as well as the analysis of the users who share their experiences and good practices in this social network. In order to do this, content analysis is first carried out, through an analysis sheet to 300 posts and a questionnaire is applied to 130 users of this hashtag on Instagram in order to analyze their patterns of use, their interests and motivations, their training in ICT and social networks, as well as the impact that the use of this social network has on their professional development and the gratification they expect. The results show that most of the publications are about good practices for primary and preschool education while most of the users think that Instagram is an ideal space for non-formal learning, applying in the classrooms many of the good practices shared in this coworking space. 

scholarly journals Taking a Step to Identify How to Create Professional Learning Communities—Report of a Case Study of a Korean Public High School on How to Create and Sustain a School-based Teacher Professional Learning Community

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joonkil Ahn
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Professional Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Teacher Professional Learning ◽  
Public High School ◽  
School Based ◽  
Teacher Professional

This study intends to identify some key factors in creating and sustaining school-based teacher professional learning communities (PLCs) through a case study of a South Korean public high school. To achieve this, the study identified some essential infrastructure, preparation, and necessary social organization for creating PLCs. The ideal unit and the encouraging/discouraging factors in the implementation process were also investigated. Data were gathered via classroom observations and by analysis of interview transcripts, questionnaire responses, and minutes from PLC meetings. Nineteen participants, including 16 teachers, a principal, an assistant principal, and a facilitator from a city department of education, who assisted the school reform process, completed the questionnaires. Three of the teachers who took the reform initiative participated in the in-depth interview. The study provides a detailed description of the school context before the PLC implementation, challenges that faced the teachers, and two main characteristics of their PLC initiative. The study indicates that participants perceived prepared teacher leaders, building trust and respect among faculty, and securing time for classroom observation and PLC meetings as the most necessary preparation in creating and implementing their PLC. Empowering grade level chairs, increasing teacher proximity, and employing additional administrative assistants were identified as effective administrative support. Participants recognized that each grade level had more advantage in implementing PLCs and thought positive changes of disruptive students and their own instructional practices were the most encouraging factors in overcoming implementation problems. Authoritative leadership of school administration and a city DOE that forcefully mandates PLCs were perceived as discouraging factors in PLC implementation.

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