Conference Agenda

Research-Practice Partnerships have recently emerged as one of the promising strategies to address equity in learning and bridging the widening gap between research and practice (Coburn et al., 2013). Furthermore, as in many developing country contexts (Gomez et al., 2020), education systems leaders are under pressure to improve learning outcomes and address other multiple demands on schools (Fleisch, 2018). Politicians increasingly demand that senior and mid-level system leaders deliver tangible and measurable change. To address these challenges, governments at various levels are entering both formal and informal partnerships with universities to help them navigate the new complex environment.

This roundtable discussion is drawn from the two research-practice partnerships that seek to collaboratively address the problem of improving teaching and learning improvement South Africa. The first case reports on the factors essential to forming university district partnerships for school improvement that seeks to build knowledge collaboratively with a rural education district in one province in South Africa in partnership with university researchers in Johannesburg and California. The collaborative network model is grounded in research and experience leading effective leadership networks of district leaders (Bryk, 2010; Fullan, 2021).

From the practice side, district leaders shared that engaging collaboratively with the university has facilitated valuable discussions around how the education system can improve; what supports might be needed, and what shared practices and norms would help build professional capacity for system improvement. Notably, one participant shared that the collaborative session "helped me to think deeply about aspects that should be introduced to improve working together with school [leaders] and my colleagues at the district level," while another expressed an interest in opportunities for district leadership an opportunity to "talk about their practice and challenges they come across in the process of implementing it".

From the universities’ side, we are finding that researchers need to be mindful of ensuring that practitioners become equal partners in the partnership. Practitioners’ perspectives are invaluable to determining leverage points for improvement. For instance, developing and agreeing on norms in initial meetings helps the group begin to work collaboratively together. This includes coming up with notes collectively to make progress in subsequent meetings. Can we agree on the ways that we should work together? This could be done by collectively negotiating all players' norms and roles. Also, developing trust seems vital for both parties. How improvement is discussed is important and impacts whether partners take on defensive postures relative to discussions of improvement efforts.

The other partnership focuses on the long-term informal relationship between university academic and senior system leaders in South Africa. Drawn from the experience of an insider/outsider, this case study documents the evolving university/government relationship from 2010 to 2023. Over time, the relationship centered around sharing and contextualization of new international research evidence on new system-wide improvement approaches and specific assistance in systemic-level improvement planning. From the university side, the relationship provided unique and direct access to schools and teachers and provided an upfront opportunity to understand the dynamics of large-scale change.

Teachers enter the education profession with high levels of intrinsic motivation, and without careful attentiveness, intrinsic motivation is not sustained or decreases. Teachers are motivated to grow, and their wellbeing is supported when their psychological needs of autonomy, competence and relatedness are satisfied. Coaching that meets the teachers’ psychological needs enhances intrinsic motivation. My research explored the environment for and the implementation of coaching programs in three diverse schools in New South Wales. This qualitative, multiple-site case study encompassed thematically coded interviews and corresponding coaching documentation, exploring coaching programs and learning environments to increase the learning and wellbeing of early career teachers. With limited coaching theories, the motivational theory of Self-Determination and the Four-Capital Framework for developing and retaining teachers structured this study, linking and extending contemporary coaching theories and knowledge.

This study indicated that the early career teachers' (ECTs) primary motivation for professional growth stemmed from a positive learning environment that facilitated coaching, which principals, coaches, and ECTs perceived as effective professional learning that supported wellbeing. The principals across all three schools had solid beliefs and a strong commitment in specific areas, creating a positive learning environment. Initially, all schools evaluated the current issues and needs and continually reviewed their context after implementing coaching. School-embedded coaching required strategic planning and resourcing that increased together with the program’s effectiveness. Coaching requires effective communication, a clear purpose, aligned policies, procedures, and defined roles and responsibilities. Examining the benefits and barriers of the applied coaching program determines whether the purpose, program or practice needs modification or expansion. So, should schools create a conducive learning environment before implementing coaching, or does coaching create the learning environment?