How School Leaders can PromoteTeachers’ Professional Development

By Mieke Clement & Roland Vandenberghe

Group Members: Yeung Chui NganKong Ching WahChan Kam YuenLai Ka Wai

1. Introduction & methodology – Chui Ngan2. Results – Kam Yuen3. Case I – Ka Wai4. Case II – Ching Wah

Content

Teachers should be encouraged and supported within the school context to develop professionally in order to deliver high quality education.

Relations between schools leaders and professional development

(Little 1992)

School Leaders

•Principal

•Panel Chairperson

•Teacher-in-charge of a committee, project or task

Professional Development

• is not simply a matter of individual characteristics.

(Kelchtemans & Vandenberghe 1994)

• cannot be disconnected from the context within which it takes place.

Professional Development (con’t)

Huberman (1993)• indicates the working conditions at the school level may favour professional development in different stages.

• If teachers enjoy an harmonious career, they can work in a school context that encourages some experiementation without threat of punishment if one is not successful.

• Teachers have the possibility to take on new tasks without loss of wages.

• Teachers can access to the expertise of colleagues in and outside the schools.

Ways to assess their relations

• Teacher-thinking tradition [Lieberman (1994), Wildman (1989)]

• Workplace conditions [Kirby & Colbert (1992), Louis & Smith (1990), Rosenholtz (1989) & Smylie (1994)]

- structural workplace- cultural workplace

Teacher-thinking tradition

Elements of the school culture contribute to teachers’ professional development.

Lieberman (1994) states that norms of collegiality, trust and openness are important for the development of teachers’ knowledge and beliefs.

The colleagues and the school context are important determinants.

Structural workplace conditions

To foster teachers’ professional development by taking organizational, structural measures

Through teachers’ participation in the decision making process, feelings of control and satisfaction contribute to teachers’ willingness to develop professionally.

Evaluation of teachers fosters development. It should also reward teachers for development, for taking risk and for change.

Cultural workplace conditions

Values of the school with regard to professional behaviour and professional development

Teachers feel safe to experiment with innovations and improvements.

If teachers encounter problems, the whole team reacts. (collective sense of responsibility)

Clear and shared goals create common expectations and foster professional solidarity. (collective goal-setting)

Collegiality is important

Smoothly running collaborative relationships lead to a greater involvement and a stronger sense of responsibility for the quality of education from teachers.

Colleagues function as a source of feedback, support and alternative ideas.

How school leaders can influence teachers’ professional development positively through the creation of workplace conditions?

• How teachers assess the school leader’s

influence on their professional

development?

• Through which specific processes and mechanisms do the workplace conditions contribute to teachers’ professional development?

Methodology

A qualitative research 39 teachers of 11 elementary schools were

interviewed in a semi-structural way. An extensive case study was made of two of

these schools. Five weeks in each of the schools and interviewed 23 teachers and the two school leaders.

Ways to analyze data

Two step strategy• ‘vertical analysis’ (data were coded, then displayed in matrices)

• ‘horizontal analysis’ (comparison among teachers and settings)

Results

How do Teachers Assess the School Leader’s Influence on their Professional Development?

Response in 3 Different Ways

A. Not impressed by the contribution of the school to their professional development– working condition does not support – limited collegial interactions– colleagues seldom collaborate– school leader seems not to be able to change the

situation– teachers feel school leader does not trust them

Response in 3 Different Ways

B. Certain possibilities for professional development in school exist– they can respond to some interesting activities

but there is no pressure to engage– stimulated by their colleagues, they offer new

ideas in a climate of trust and openness– school leader makes an offer that teachers can

freely engaged in and is monitored at a distance

Response in 3 Different Ways

C. convinced that school can stimulate and orientate their professional development– teaching methods and problems are discussed

frequently– teachers feel challenged by their colleagues– school leader is very explicit in what he expects

from the teachers

Teacher’s professional development depends...

teachers’ individual commitment workplace condition teachers’ perception of the way the school

leader functions

The perception resemblance to the principal styles by Hall et al. (1982, 1984)– school leaders of group A show a rather limited

vision of how their school and staff should change in the future responders

– school leaders of group C have clear, decisive, long range polices and goals initiators

Results

Through which Specific Processes and Mechanisms do the Workplace Conditions School Leaders Create Contribute to Teachers’ Professional Development?

2 Different Schools

Both are in suburban Flemish elementary, mixed and middle sized schools

A. Heathlandpool – with 438 pupils, school leader has 12 years

experience B. Writerscourt

– with 280 pupils, school leader has 3 years experience

Heathlandpool

A richly varied collegiality Teachers and school leader tell each other

stories during breaks and in the corridors Teachers can discuss easily on educational

issues with school leader, share their personal experience and beliefs

Collaboration between colleagues, favour autonomous work

Writerscourt

Not label the collegial interactions with school leaders in a positive way

School leader doesn’t encourage collaboration because lack of follow up and to motivate the staff

Very scarce collegial exchanges

Using the Principal change facilitator style-concept

School leader of Heathlandpool an initiator School leader of Writerscourt a responder Case study show 2 important concepts

– creation of learning opportunities (L.O.) and learning space (L.S.)

Good workplace condition

L.O. & L.S. should be incorporate in implement new teaching activities experiment with innovations provide support and feedback to teachers have chances to do something effectively

with opportunities provided

Learning Space

Not only good collegial relationship between teachers and school leader, learning space should be provided to use these learning opportunities

e.g. with accurate organized consultation

2 patterns to be discussed

A. Lack of Attention for the Creation of Learning Opportunities

B. No Support for Learning Opportunities by the Creation of A Learning Space

Lack of Attention for the Creation of Learning Opportunities

E.g. Beginning teacher of Writerscourt– no proper interview in employment– no orientation for new staff– no support and follow up– scarce class visits (no proper discussion)– school leader’s comments are not directed to

teacher’s professional development

No Support for Learning Opportunities by the Creation of A Learning Space

Potential learning opportunities are too inadequately supported by a learning space– not encouraged to reflect critically upon their

own teaching behaviour– lack of open discussion, no starting point for

discussion about his professional functioning– lack of follow up

Local Case Study I

•Band 5 CMI school in Tuen Mun

•Co-ed school founded in 1949

•Computer teacher responsible for IT and SAMS development

Situation of the IT and SAMS group

– Cultural Workplace conditions:• Job rotation: group members have learning

opportunities to try different task. Collaborative cultures that leave room for help, support and feedback among team members (mainly vertically).

• Team member can share new ideas with regard to the school, members will have the autonomy to try. Tips and advice will be given from the team leader.

• Encouragement from colleagues• Shared Leadership (empowering behavior)

Situation of the IT and SAMS group

– Teacher-thinking tradition:• Sense of belongings and satisfaction• The group members appreciate the team leader’s

trust.

Situation of school teaching (Computer)

– Teaching methods and problems are discussed frequently.

– Teachers teaching at the same grade are grouped together regularly to discuss the difficulties and new innovations on teaching

– Cross-subject project work(computer + mathematics)

Situation of school administration

– After-school tea gathering to promote teachers’ socialization.

– Supportive administrative measures encourage teachers’ professional development.

Limitations

Certain extent of competition exists horizontally which may be destructive to the collegiality.

Lacking an effective evaluation system Lacking a system of reward and punishment

from the school authority

Suggestion for Improvement

The school leaders should put forward those good examples in the school.

Consider class visit as an essential and constructive means for teachers’ professional development.

Increase the accountability of teachers:

– Teachers’ promotion should be relevant to their professional development.

– Consider teachers’ appraisal as an important tool for teachers’ reflection on what they have done.

Local Case Study II

•Band 1 EMI school in Kowloon

•A girl school founded in 1936

•Mathematics teacher

Situation of the school

– Cultural Workplace conditions:• Job rotation: There is no job rotation. Once teacher

takes up a particular job s/he is difficult to have any change. (This also apply to subject teaching)

• Teachers seldom share new ideas with regard to the school. When subject heads have meeting with members, they only remind them to do things right in order to meet the minimum requirement and try to avoid complaints. Both opportunity and time do not allow members to have any new idea.

• Teachers teach the same subject of the same form seldom share teaching materials.

Situation of the school

– Teacher-thinking tradition:• Do as told.• Everything is just routine work.• Teachers work independently, no connection with

others.

Situation of school teaching (Maths)

– In the subject meeting, there is only division of jobs and run down of teaching schedule.

– Teachers teaching at the same grade discuss only on the scope of uniform tests and examination paper.

– No discussion and collaboration on teaching strategies.

Situation of school administration

– Three lunch gatherings in every year for all staff are not the willingness of teachers.

– Course provided by the school is only on those prescribed BIT and IIT.

– No matter what course a teacher had attended, it will not bring any advantage on promotion.

– Teachers are too heavily loaded with adminsitrative work.

Limitations

Teachers’ promotion are not relevant to their professional development, thus lacking a motivation for improvements.

No new ideas are implemented. Lacking a system of reward and punishment

from the school authority

Suggestion for Improvement

More technical support to teachers are required.

Encouragement of the sharing of material Provide opportunity and funding for

training that teachers really needed but not preset courses like BIT etc.

Good Workplace Condition:

Case I:

Case II:

Degree of Collaboration:

Case I:

Case II:

The Influence of School Leader:

Case I:

Case II: