Middle leaders as catalysts for improving teacher practice: knowledge exchange and evaluation data

Evaluation and Knowledge Exchange data collected as part of the project Our approach was to use workshops and intersessional activity to support the participants in: exchanging research and practitioner knowledge; using this knowledge to develop tools that could enhance both their practice and the practice of colleagues. Methods to evaluate the impact of our approach include reviewing literature, telephone interviews and knowledge exchange data gathered during the project. This applied research project represented a partnership between Challenge Partners and the London Centre for Leadership in Learning, Institute of Education. The aim of the project was to collaborate with a group of influential middle leaders, supporting them to discover and then share knowledge across their schools about excellent middle leadership practice that has an impact develop effective ways to share this knowledge with their Challenge Partner colleagues, and middle leaders beyond their immediate network co-develop evidence-based tools to track ways in which they changed and enhanced their own and teachers’ practice as a result of this knowledge exchange find ways to promote sustainable norms of between-school knowledge exchange. </p