Fostering sustained teacher learning:A longitudinal assessment of the influence of vision building and goal interdependence on information sharing

To support school improvement, understanding the mechanisms that enhance teachers’ engagement in professional learning activities within schools over time is paramount. The purpose of this three-wave longitudinal study is to examine the role of workplace conditions (school leaders’ vision building and teams’ shared goals), in supporting teachers’ engagement in information sharing over time. To test the directionality of the relationships between the concepts, we analyzed survey data from 655 vocational education and training teachers in the Netherlands using a cross-lagged panel model. Results suggest that teachers’ engagement in information sharing remains stable over time, and the results are indicative of reciprocity between goal interdependence and vision building. Mostly, the results hint at the complexity of the time-based relations involved in teacher learning in support of school improvement. Recommendations for future designs and methodologies to understand this complexity are discussed

The measurement of collaborative culture in secondary schools: An informal subgroup approach

Research on teacher collaboration underlines the importance of a collaborative culture for teachers’ functioning. However, while scholars usually regard collaborative culture as a school team characteristic, this study argues that subgroups may be more meaningful units of analysis to conceptualize and assess teachers’ perceptions of collaborative culture. Based on the assumption that collaborative culture is developed, expressed, and maintained in frequent work-related interactions, this study hypothesizes that collaborative culture is not homogenously spread over the school but rather varies between informal subgroups. Data from 760 Flemish teachers were examined using social network analysis and consensus analyses. The results provided evidence that perceptions on collaborative culture are more homogeneous within informal subgroups that are characterized by frequent interactions than the entire school team. This finding stresses the importance of assessing the meaningful unit of analysis for collective-level and socially-constructed concepts, such as collaborative culture. Moreover, the benefits and potential of a social network approach to identify (socially stable) subunits within the school team are illustrated

A social network perspective on teacher collaboration in schools: Theory, methodology, and applications

An emerging trend in educational research is the use of social network theory and methodology to understand how teacher collaboration can support or constrain teaching, learning, and educational change. This article provides a critical synthesis of educational literature on school social networks among educators to advance our understanding of the embeddedness of teachers in the social context of schools. It focuses on how researchers currently use a social network perspective as a theoretical lens and methodology to frame studies on teacher collaboration in schools. Building on exemplary findings of recent studies, it shows that the pattern of social relationships among teachers may significantly enhance our understanding of the ways in which teacher collaboration takes place and contributes to student learning, teachers’ instructional practice, and the implementation of reform. Finally, limitations and future directions in the conceptualization, measurement, and analysis of school social networks are indicated

The networked principal : Examining principals' social relationships and transformational leadership in school and district networks

Purpose: While in everyday practice, school leaders are often involved in social relationships with a variety of stakeholders both within and outside their own schools, studies on school leaders' networks often focus either on networks within or outside schools. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which principals occupy similar positions in their school's network and the larger district network. In addition, the authors examined whether principals' centrality in both networks can be attributed to demographic characteristics and transformational leadership (TL). Design/methodology/approach: Using social network analysis, correlational and regression analysis, and an advanced social network technique, namely p2 modeling, the authors analyzed data collected among 708 educators in 46 Dutch elementary schools. The authors also offer a visualization of the district social network to explore principals' relationships with other principals in the district. Findings: Results suggest that principals who occupy a central position in their school's advice network are also more likely to occupy a central position in their district's collaborative leadership network. Moreover, TL was found to affect the extent to which principals are central in both networks. Originality/value: The study is unique as it simultaneously explores principals' social relationships in schools and the larger district. Moreover, the authors advance the knowledge of TL as a possible mechanism thatmay shape the pattern of these relationships, thereby connecting two streams of literature that were until now largely disconnected. Limitations to the study warrant further qualitative and longitudinal research on principals' social relationships in schools, districts, and the larger community