Conference Agenda

High quality teaching requires educators to engage in acts of continuous, collegial learning and to use this learning to improve their practice; with students benefitting as a result (Wagner, 2014). If such learning is to be truly effective, however, educators should be able to utilize and augment the social capital that exists within networks and communities. A challenge for school leaders, therefore, is understanding how best to realise the potential of the the social capital resource present in education networks so as to improve the teaching quality in their schools. Our practice question, therefore, is how school leaders can be supported to do this?

With this symposium, we consider the inter-school social capital network (i.e. Professional Learning Networks) opportunities available to schools, the impact such networks have for improving school, teaching and students’ learning outcomes, as well as identify those individuals best able to harness inter-school social capital on behalf of their own ‘community of practice’ (Wenger, 1998).

The symposium will present case studies of key networks and syntheses of research in this area. Our discussant will conclude by detailing the implications of our findings for school and school system leaders if high quality teaching is to be achieved.

Objectives: Previous research suggests that teachers’ access to a wide pool of inter-school social capital can lead to beneficial teacher outcomes: both in terms of aiding teachers’ learning as well as that of their students (Demir, 2021). Yet, despite the benefits and increased focus on inter-school networks for enabling change, there is little unified understanding of how school leaders can capitalise on the potential benefits offered by inter-school social capital opportunities. This is both in terms of identifying which inter-school networks might yield the most gain for their school; as well as how school leaders can ensure that teacher involvement in inter-school networks leads to in new sources of social capital being successfully harnessed. Given this context, with this paper, we explore the following three research questions:

1. What inter-school social capital network opportunities are available to teachers in primary and secondary schools internationally?

2. What network and community features and activities are present within inter-school social capital development networks?

3. What evidence is there of the impact of the inter-school social capital network approaches for improving school, teaching and students’ learning outcomes? Which of type of inter-school network opportunities (RQ1)/what features of inter-school networks (RQ2) appear most impactful?

Methods: To address our research questions, we employed a systematic review methodology, i.e.: “a review of research literature using systematic and explicit, accountable methods” Gough et al., (2013: 2). Our review comprised five stages (1) defining inclusion criteria; 2) searching for outputs; 3) screening outputs; 4) assessing quality; and 5) synthesising findings; and we utilised the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalyses: PRISMA, 2021) protocol, to guide the review process.

Data Source: Our review initially identified of 1,221 outputs and our screening process resulted in a final sample of 110. Of this final set of 110 outputs, we note that 93 were peer reviewed articles, 15 were book chapters or books and 2 were national or local government reviews. The methodological design of these studies includes: 1 survey, 60 case studies, 11 theoretical or instrumental reports, 15 experimental designs to test hypotheses, 4 analysis of publicly available data, 3 reviews of literature and 6 mixed methods studies.

Results: Findings from the review indicate that a number of inter-school social capital network opportunities are available to educators. Further a myriad of key features can be found present in inter-school social capital development networks. These can be corralled under the substantive headings of a) who participates; b) activities undertaken within the network; c) mode of enactment; d) frequency of the network; and e) duration of the network. Our review also found, however, that there is little in the way high quality rigorous evidence that can link impact of the inter-school social capital network approaches for improving school, teaching and students’ learning outcomes. Correspondingly, we conclude that if school leaders wish to engage in inter-school social capital networks to improve teacher quality, at this stage extant research can only offer promising ideas on which might make the most network opportunities.

Policy focus: NSW is currently undertaking a reform of its curriculum. It is the first comprehensive reform of the NSW school curriculum in 3 decades. The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is leading the reform and has developed an innovative approach to engaging teachers, the Teacher Expert Network (TENs) program. This paper will discuss the program.

Focus of Inquiry: Professor Geoff Masters was engaged to write an independent report to inform the scope of works for the reform. In his Final Report Masters (2020) identified drivers of success including engaging stakeholders, particularly teachers, in curriculum reform. In response, NESA developed the TENs; a model connecting policymakers with teachers to develop and implement the new curriculum and to ensure the new curriculum connects with practice and works well in the classroom.

Context: The TENs is a state-wide network consisting of over 200 Kindergarten to Year Twelve teachers representing a) the 3 education sectors of NSW (Catholic, Government and Independent); b) all regions of NSW (metropolitan, rural, and regional) and c) teachers teaching Aboriginal students, students with disability, students learning English as an additional language or dialect and gifted and talented students.

Approach: This model takes into account the a) original (now re-sequenced) 4 year timeline; b) need for rapid iteration, pilot testing and collection of feedback; c) need for teachers to become highly skilled in providing feedback in an evidence-based manner, and high performing knowledge-brokers; and d) need for the model to be engaging for teachers and their school communities.

Evidence: Since its commencement in 2021 the TENs has provided feedback on 15 syllabuses, engaged in user-testing for 5 syllabuses, provided over 260 user-testing and extended the reach of teacher feedback threefold. Monitoring of the TENs program includes quantitative and qualitative self-reporting surveys.

Learning: Findings show that the TENs program is delivering on its objectives. Further teachers are reporting a) it is keeping them in teaching and a highlight of their career; b) cross-sector collaboration is highly valued and c) alignment between their TENs work and the higher levels of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, seeing many pursue highly accomplished or lead accreditation.

Educational importance of this approach for policy and practice: The TENs program is showing how policymakers and teachers can work together to rapidly implement change at scale, and in a positive manner. The experience of the TENs may prove useful in informing how state, territory and federal governments can meet some of the challenges facing the Australian education system including:

• Working better with the teaching profession to better understand its needs and address the challenge of retaining teachers (NSW Teachers Federation, 2023)

• Strengthening communities of practices clustered by similar contexts within or across States and territories to strengthen teaching by examining barriers teachers face (OECD, 2023)

• Strengthen key stakeholder participation mechanisms to better identify and address measures that could influence impactful change at ground level and better engage those in key reform processes (OECD, 2023).

Connection to conference theme: Leading improvement collaboratively and sustainably.

Policy focus: This paper draws on and discusses several networks with clear policy links in Alberta, Canada; Canada-wide; the US Pacific NW, and the UK, over a 15-year period.

Focus of Inquiry: The UK network consisted of 300 underperforming secondary schools, seeking to improve and transform learning by being networked together and with higher-performing peers in a quasi-government led initiative; the Alberta network was a 14 year-long program involving 95% of the province’s schools in partnership between the Alberta Teachers’ Association and the provincial government to design, develop and share innovations to develop new practices and increase teacher engagement; the US network involved 35 rural schools in 5 states over 7 years as part of a Federally funded initiative to narrow achievement gaps and increase student engagement as they affected poor rural communities; and the Canada-wide network, funded by the LEGO Foundation, involves 41 schools in 7 provinces, linked to but not controlled by provincial leadership, to improve student engagement and well-being among minoritized groups in the wake of COVID-19.

Context: Policy and professional contexts of self-designed innovation networks in 3 countries.

Approach: This model draws on Hargreaves’ theory of sustainable innovation and change, and his experience of developing and inquiring into four different networks to establish and inquire into issues surrounding their sustainability and non-sustainability. The theory is developed in partnership with a school district leader who has co-created this sustainability tool with Hargreaves in relation to one of the networks.

Evidence: Evaluation reports and articles of which Hargreaves is co-author of the Alberta, US and UK networks, plus observation and interview evidence from 12 of the 41 network schools in the current Canadian Playful Schools Network.

Learning: The key sustainability issue in professional networks is not to sustain the network. It is to sustain what the network stands for. Sustainability may be evident in the persistence or not of the network itself, in new practices that network members have started and claim they will not relinquish, in new mindsets that will persist beyond the specific networks, and in new relationships with certain schools that have been encountered during the network’s existence.

Educational importance of this approach for policy and practice: This presentation gives a hard-headed assessment of the potential and limitations of educational networks as a change strategy operating within and not outside of or aside from policy systems to some degree. The sustainability tool will provide a valuable tool for anyone establishing or designing a new network and thinking creatively and expansively about sustainability issues from the start.