01. Professional Learning and Development
Paper
How the Collaboration Between a Local Municipality and a University Enables Principals’ Professional Learning in a Master Course
Ingela Portfelt1, Anette Forssten Seiser2
1Karlstad University, Sweden; 2Karlstad University, Sweden
Presenting Author: Portfelt, Ingela;
Forssten Seiser, Anette
Principals’ professional learning is an essential practice within the educational complex (Kemmis, 2022). The aims vary depending on situation, time, and context, which also affects how schools’ owners make arrangements for principals’ professional learning. The professional learning we discuss in this presentation is a Master course designed as action research and planned in collaboration between a school superintendent in a Swedish municipality and two researchers (also authors of this text) in a Swedish university.
The school superintendent was the one who took the initiative and contacted the university with a request to arrange a Master course for interested principals in compulsory schools in the municipality. Initially, the superintendent contacted the person who was responsible for the regular Master programme, but for various reasons it turned out to be difficult to find a solution that fitted the needs in the municipality and the superintendent’s expectations. Therefore, the school superintendent took the question further, which finally resulted in contact with two action researchers who are also engaged within the national school leader training programs. In the continuing process, a specific professional learning course is organised especially designed to suit the school superintendent’s ideas and thoughts, and based on the researchers’ knowledge about action research and findings from a previous study on collaboration between school leaders and researchers (Forssten Seiser & Portfelt, 2022). In that previous study, the results reveal the crucial role of the initiation of this kind of collaboration, the prerequisite of co-ownership, and the importance of relations built on trust and respect for each other’s professions, knowledge, and expertise. The study also stresses the importance of setting the arrangements for the collaboration in good time before proceeding to the work.
The present study aims to explore the initiation process of the collaboration between the municipality and the university in the design of the first part of the course, and its influence on the principals’ professional learning in terms of their pedagogical leadership. The research questions are;
- What was the purpose of the course and the collaboration between the partners, and how was it developed in the collaboration practice?
- How was the initiation part of the course developed in collaboration practice throughout the first semester?
- How has the design of the first part of the course influenced principals’ professional learning about their pedagogical leadership and local school improvement so far?
These questions will be considered through the lens of the theory of practices architecture (Kemmis et al. 2014). The theory stresses that practices are human-made and socially established; therefore, it highlights the role of the participant in the practice and in the shaping of the practice (Kaukko & Wilkinson, 2020). According to Kemmis et al. (2014), a practice is constituted by the sayings, doings, and relatings that hang together in the project of a specific practice. These sayings, doings, and relatings are prefigured, but not predetermined, by practice architectures present in or brought into the site. Sayings are prefigured by the cultural-discursive arrangements in a site, doings are prefigured by the material-economic arrangements in a site; and relatings are prefigured by the social-political arrangements in a site.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe study has an action research approach, and is based on qualitative data such as notes carried out by one of the researchers who was the educator in the initiation stage of the course, an audio recording from an individual semistructured interview with the school superintendent (60 min), and individually written assignments produced by 16 participating principals in the course. The participants were fully informed about the research project and their rights in accordance with research ethics, and have given their consent to participate in recordings, analyses, and reports of the findings. The study has been approved by the local university’s ethical committee. The interviews have been transcribed.
Data have been transferred into the qualitative software programme NVivo. First, data were sorted out of relevance for this particular study. Second, data were coded into sayings, doings, and relatings in accordance with the theoretical framework. Third, coded sayings, doings, and relatings were analysed to identify its surrounding arrangements; the cultural-discursive, the material-economic, and the social-political arrangements. In the fourth phase, the interrelations between the arrangements were analysed to reveal the practice architecture of the collaboration practice, how it shaped the principals’ professional learning, and its constraining and enabling traits (Kemmis et al., 2014).
The outcomes are reliable for this specific practice and context only, and are not generalizable.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThe purpose of the course and collaboration
At an early stage of the collaboration, a shared vision of the purpose of the course was formulated; to create an advanced professional training course for principals that corresponds with their needs of developing their pedagogical leadership to meet the challenges on their local schools, and integrate the course with the already existing meeting structures on the local municipality level. The traditional Master course at the university would not have enabled such integration. By setting up the entire course as an action research study, the principals could use the course to explore their practice when attempting to improve their local schools, and to improve their skills to use scientific approaches. The purpose of the collaboration became to enable principals’ professional learning on the Master level, integrated in everyday practice.
The development of the first part of the course
The first part of the course was negotiated by the partners to focus on interview methods and qualitative analysis, to enable the principals to explore the challenges in their local schools, and how they are related to their pedagogical leadership. An overall frame of the course was set in terms of content and scheduled. Time, space, and resources were distributed. Content and time were renegotiated as each step of the course was evaluated, and adjusted along the course to meet the principals on the right level, at the right time. As both partners had experience as school leaders as well as researchers, there was a mutual understanding and respect for each other’s roles and competencies.
The influence on principals’ professional learning
So far, the design of the course seems to have influenced principals’ understanding of the importance of using scientific approaches to address local school challenges, and how their pedagogical leadership is related to other local practices.
ReferencesForssten Seiser, A., & Portfelt, I. (2022). Critical aspects to consider when establishing collaboration between school leaders and researchers: two cases from Sweden. Educational action research, 1-16.
Kaukko, M., & Wilkinson, J. (2020). “Learning how to go on”: Refugee students and informal learning practices. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 24(11), 1175–1193. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2018.1514080
Kemmis, S., J. Wilkinson, C. Edwards-Groves, I. Hardy, P. Grootenboer, and L. Bristol. (2014). Changing practices, changing education. Singapore: Springer.
Kemmis, S. (2022). Transforming Practices: Changing the World with the Theory of Practice Architectures. Springer Singapore.
01. Professional Learning and Development
Paper
Process Guides From OsloMet Working In Partnership With Schools - Exploring Collective Models Of Guidance and Competence to Guide
Lene Kristine Marsby Ramberg
Oslo Metropolitan Univ, Norway
Presenting Author: Ramberg, Lene Kristine Marsby
This paper explores and discusses how process guides from OsloMet and teachers at partnerships schools can collaborate strengthening teachers’ competence to guide and develop collective models of guidance. Exploring collective models of guidance opens a space for teachers and guides from OsloMet to develop new knowledge and new forms of acknowledgements. Understanding how to develop guiding competence demands for teachers to reflect within different forms of knowledge, including knowledge not yet communicated (Grimen, 2008). Connecting theory and practice where subject-didactics, pedagogy, and theoretical understandings of didactics is seen in relation, is also a central goal for teacher training in Norway (Meld.st. 11 2008-2009). Learning more about the tacit knowledge of teachers (Argyris og Schôn, 1978) and by that making it possible to explore more about the competence to guide is thereby central. We seek understanding about how systematic participation in collective arenas of collaboration can contribute also for teachers to develop competence to guide student teachers.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedStudying how to work in partnerships exploring teachers’ competence to guide, action research is central (PAR) (Tiller, 1999). A pragmatic oriented approach (Starrin, 1993) with pedagogic action research is used based on the premise to change practice (Hiim, 2010; McNiff, 2014; Stenhouse, 1975). Recognizing the knowledge and experiences of teachers, as well as for teachers to experience ownership within the process of change are highly valued within this study (Carr & Kemmis, (1986). Wide range of empirical data are used with agendas and notes from meetings, content and reflections from workshops, reflection notes and logs from school leaders, teachers, and process guides from OsloMet.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsPreliminary findings show three areas central for teachers and guides from OsloMet working in partnerships developing an arena for practice collaboration as well as competence to guide. One area is making time and room for collaboration. This includes school leader recognition of teachers’ time to work on areas of development. Another area is building relationships becoming a safe space (third space) for teachers and guides from OsloMet to explore what capacities are needed for guidance. This involves theoretical knowledge as well as competence to guide. Last is working on the emotional dimension overcoming boundaries within oneself in the process of development and change. The tacit knowledge of teachers and teacher’s reflection is overarching all three areas. Notes from the first meeting developing an arena for practice collaboration shows how the relational aspect becomes filtered within all areas of guidance. One teacher reflects specifically about the relationship when guiding student teachers as an endless process of development and change (Meeting 24.10.23).
ReferencesArgyris, C. & Schôn, D. (1978). Organizational Learning: A theory of Action Perspective. Addison-Wesley.
Carr, W & Kemmis, S. (1986). Becoming critical: Education, knowledge, and action research
Grimen, H. (2004). Samfunnsvitenskapelige tenkemåter. Universitetsforlaget.
Hiim, H. (2010) Pedagogisk aksjonsforskning. Gyldendal akademisk.
Kunnskapsdepartementet (2008-2009) Meld.st. 11 (2008-2009) læreren: rollen og utdanningen. St.meld. nr. 11 (2008-2009) - regjeringen.no
McNiff, J. (2014). Writing and doing action research. Sage Publications.
Starrin, B. (1993), Participatory research – att skapa kunnskap tilsammans. I J. Holmer, & Starring, B. (red). Deltagarorienterad forskning. Studentlitteratur.
Stenhouse, L. (1975). An introduction to curriculum research and development. Heinemann
Tiller, T. (1999). Aksjonslæring, Forskende partnerskap i skolen. Høyskoleforlaget.
01. Professional Learning and Development
Paper
Leadership for Learning and Professional Development: Identifying Challenges and Opportunities in the Cypriot context
Myria Pieridou
University of Cyprus, Cyprus
Presenting Author: Pieridou, Myria
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the links between leadership for learning and professional development, through the recognition of the importance of context and the ideas of inter-school collaboration, solidarity, trust and support (Swaffield & Major, 2019). The paper acknowledges the complexities and idiosyncrasies of educational contexts, both in terms of policies and practice, as well as in the ways they enable or hinder leadership for learning within inclusive learning environments. The study is qualitative in nature, and follows the development, implementation, and evaluation of an action plan on professional development at a primary school in Cyprus. Data collection takes place via policy analysis, semi-structured interviews to document the in-depth understanding of participants with the use of case study design, and the researcher’s reflective journal.
The research questions are designed to uncover the challenges and opportunities that teachers encounter, their perceptions of leadership impact, their preferences for professional development, and the potential benefits of engaging in collaborative practice. More particularly, the project aims to: a) identify challenges faced by teachers in relation to leadership and professional development within the current educational context in Cyprus, b) investigate how teachers view the impact of inclusive leadership on their professional development, b) the types of professional development that teachers find most beneficial, and d) the use and effectiveness of collaborative approaches to leadership, learning, and professional development.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThe epistemological principles of this project lie to the interpretivist paradigm, which is aligned with the exploration and understandings of individuals’ experiences and meanings (Guba & Lincoln, 1994); and to the post-modern paradigm, due to the importance of language and the acknowledgement of its enormous power to transmit ideologies, include or exclude (Ballard, 2004). The qualitative nature of the project allows for an in-depth exploration, analysis and understanding of teachers’ experiences and perspectives regarding leadership and professional development in the Cypriot educational context.
To meaningfully address the research questions, this project is realized through a qualitative research design, using data collection from semi-structured interviews, policy analysis, and the researcher’s reflective journal, while analysis is completed through thematic analysis. This method allows for an exploration of patterns in participants’ responses, and a detailed understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to leadership and professional development (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsInitial findings indicate that participants collaborate and mutually engage in learning activities and professional development, especially when these are linked with tangible learning outcomes for themselves and for children. Findings also indicate some challenges faced by participants, such as resistance to change at a personal, school, or regional level, insufficient training and resources, inadequate communication, and accessibility barriers. The study suggests that a holistic approach that includes leadership commitment, inclusive school ethos, and a clear focus on professional development can foster a sense of belonging and meaningful engagement for practitioners.
ReferencesBallard, K. (2004). Children and disability: Special or included? Waikato Journal of Education, 10 (1) 315–326.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77-101.
Swaffield, S. & Major, L. (2019): Inclusive educational leadership to establish a co-operative school cluster trust? Exploring perspectives and making links with leadership for learning, International Journal of Inclusive Education, DOI: 10.1080/13603116.2019.1629164
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of Qualitative Research (pp. 105-117). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
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