Is distributed leadership an effective approach for mobilising professional capital across professional learning networks? Exploring a case from England

Abstract

PurposeThere is currently a focus on using networks to drive school and school system improvement. To achieve such benefits, however, requires school leaders actively support the mobilisation of networked-driven innovations. One promising yet under-researched approach to mobilisation is enabling distributed leadership to flourish. To provide further insight in this area, this paper explores how the leaders involved in one professional learning network (the Hampshire Research Learning Network) employed a distributed approach to mobilise networked learning activity in order to build professional capital.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods approach was used to develop a case study of the Hampshire RLN . Fieldwork commenced with in-depth semi-structured interviews with all school leaders of schools participating in the network and other key participating teachers (12 interviews in total). A bespoke social network survey was then administered to schools (41 responses). The purpose of the survey was to explore types of RLN-related interaction undertaken by teachers and how teachers were using the innovations emerging from the RLN within their practice.FindingsData indicate that models of distributed leadership that actively involves staff in decisions about what innovations to adopt and how to adopt them are more successful in ensuring teachers across networks: (1) engage with innovations; (2) explore how new practices can be used to improve teaching and learning and (3) continue to use/refine practices in an ongoing way.Originality/valueCorrespondingly we argue these findings point to a promising approach to system improvement and add valuable insight to a relatively understudied area.

Educational constellations: a systematic review of macro-networks in education

“…Regarding the quantitative approach, only different types of surveys are observed. Finally, articles using the mixed method predominantly include case studies in which questionnaires, semi-structured interviews and observations are combined (Raza et al ., 2021; Brown et al. , 2021; Hernández and Navarro, 2018; Pino-Yancovic and Ahumada, 2020; Coenen et al ., 2021), or in which both student achievement level data and interviews are used (Eddy-Spicer, 2017; Chapman and Muijs, 2013).…”

The relationship between distributed leadership and teacher innovativeness: Mediating roles of teacher autonomy and professional collaboration

“…Certain styles of leadership and school climate were found to favorably affect the innovative behavior of teaching staff ( Sagnak, 2012 ). Studies suggested that distributed leadership of school leaders played a crucial role in fostering innovative processes and guiding these initiatives ( Brown et al, 2020 ). It enables teachers to utilize their knowledge, passion, and imagination, which is vital to the success of educational improvements ( Fullan, 2007 ; Seashore Louis and Lee, 2016 ; Buske, 2018 ).…”

“…As a result, teachers are engaged in decisions on which innovations to embrace and how to implement them, such as analyzing how new practices may be utilized to improve teaching and how to continue to use/refine teaching techniques over time ( Hallinger and Heck, 2010 ; Bush and Glover, 2014 ). For example, a case study in England revealed that if principals hold distributed leadership approaches, teacher professional learning network’s innovation would be positively supported ( Brown et al, 2020 ). Therefore, it can be hypothesized that principals’ distributed leadership may have a direct effect on teacher innovativeness.…”

“…Over recent decades, a significant amount of educational studies have examined the impacts of distributed leadership on educational procedures and achievements ( Brown et al, 2020 ). Notably, great emphasis has been made on distributed leadership’s influence on school effectiveness, teaching capacities, and success ( Cerit, 2010 ), as well as its influence on teachers’ attitudes, expertise, and behaviors, including on teachers’ innovativeness ( Buske, 2018 ).…”

“…Innovation in education is essential for generating beneficial changes for school improvement and long-term sustainability ( Serdyukov, 2017 ). Unquestionably, teacher inventiveness, which is conceptualized as teacher responsiveness, openness, and readiness to adopt reform and change ( McGeown, 1980 ; Amels et al, 2020 ), is crucial to the implementation of educational innovations in classrooms and schools ( Kern and Graber, 2018 ; Brown et al, 2020 ). It is viewed not only as a process of producing, advocating, and achieving change but also as teachers’ capacity to integrate these innovations into personal and communal practices.…”