The Quality of Leaders’ Problem-Solving Conversations: Truth-Seeking or Truth-Claiming?

Robinson, Viviane; Meyer, Frauke; Fevre, Deidre Le; Sinnema, Claire

doi:10.1080/15700763.2020.1734627

Cited by 14 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Empirical research on leaders' practice has revealed that there is a need for capability building in problem solving Robinson et al, 2020;Sinnema et al, 2013;Sinnema et al, 2016;Smith, 1997;Spillane et al, 2009;Timperley & Robinson, 1998;Zaccaro et al, 2000). Some studies have compared the capability of leaders with varying experience.…”

Section: Leaders' Capabilities In Problem Solvingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…If leaders are not willing or able to reframe such privately-held beliefs in a more respectful manner, they will avoid addressing problems through fear of provoking negative emotion, and neither party will be able to critique the reasoning that leads to the belief in Fig. 2 Model of effective problem-solving conversations question (Robinson et al, 2020). When that happens, beliefs based on faulty reasoning may prevail, problem solutions may be based only on that which is discussable, and the problem may persist.…”

Section: Leaders' Capabilities In Problem Solvingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Honest and respectful disclosure ensures that all the information that is believed to be relevant to the problem, including that which might trigger an emotional reaction, is shared and available for validity testing (Robinson & Le Fevre, 2011;Robinson et al, 2020;Tjosvold et al, 2005). Respectful disclosure has been linked with follower trust.…”

Section: The Five Validity Testing Behaviorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Educational leaders’ problem-solving for educational improvement: Belief validity testing in conversations

et al. 2021

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Educational leaders’ effectiveness in solving problems is vital to school and system-level efforts to address macrosystem problems of educational inequity and social injustice. Leaders’ problem-solving conversation attempts are typically influenced by three types of beliefs—beliefs about the nature of the problem, about what causes it, and about how to solve it. Effective problem solving demands testing the validity of these beliefs—the focus of our investigation. We analyzed 43 conversations between leaders and staff about equity related problems including teaching effectiveness. We first determined the types of beliefs held and the validity testing behaviors employed drawing on fine-grained coding frameworks. The quantification of these allowed us to use cross tabs and chi-square tests of independence to explore the relationship between leaders’ use of validity testing behaviors (those identified as more routine or more robust, and those relating to both advocacy and inquiry) and belief type. Leaders tended to avoid discussion of problem causes, advocate more than inquire, bypass disagreements, and rarely explore logic between solutions and problem causes. There was a significant relationship between belief type and the likelihood that leaders will test the validity of those beliefs—beliefs about problem causes were the least likely to be tested. The patterns found here are likely to impact whether micro and mesosystem problems, and ultimately exo and macrosystem problems, are solved. Capability building in belief validity testing is vital for leadership professional learning to ensure curriculum, social justice and equity policy aspirations are realized in practice.

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Section: Leaders' Capabilities In Problem Solvingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Leaders' Capabilities In Problem Solvingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Five Validity Testing Behaviorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Educational leaders’ problem-solving for educational improvement: Belief validity testing in conversations

et al. 2021

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“…Robinson and colleagues adopt a behavior-driven approach to studying learning. They examine coaches' and leaders' use of inquiry and assertion , two behaviors hypothesized to promote learning (Le Fevre et al , 2015; Robinson, 2017; Robinson et al , 2020). In a coaching context, using these specific behaviors can promote principals' sustained problem-solving and personal development through informed choice and mutual accountability (see Le Fevre and Robinson, 2015).…”

Section: Conceptual Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opening the black box of leadership coaching: an examination of coaching behaviors

Patrick

Rogers

Goldring

et al. 2021

JEA

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PurposeLeadership coaching is an increasingly popular development tool for school principals. However, specific coaching behaviors are rarely conceptualized or examined in prior research. This study presents a coaching behavior framework and then analyzes actual coaching conversations between principals and coaches to illustrate how specific coaching behaviors create opportunities for principals to reflect and think critically about their leadership.Design/methodology/approachBuilding on theories of interpersonal learning, the authors develop a framework of coaching behaviors to distinguish coaching inquiries and assertions that facilitate critique and reflection and, therefore, activate opportunities for learning. The authors use this framework to code transcripts of 55 principal coaching sessions. The authors analyze the prevalence of certain coaching behaviors and then examine qualitative patterns in how the use of certain behaviors shapes the nature of coaching conversations.FindingsOnly about one-third of coded coaching behaviors in the analytic sample are categorized as coaching inquiries and assertions that activate opportunities for learning. In the qualitative comparisons of extracts from coaching conversations, the authors find coaches' use of these behaviors produced richer, more meaningful dialogue.Originality/valueUnlike much of the past research on leadership coaching, this analysis examines what happens in conversations between coaches and principals. This framework could be applied to a broad range of coaching programs intended to promote professional learning.

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“…Several years later, in the context of educational leadership, Yariv (2006) observed principals' reluctance to provide negative feedback to teachers due to the emotional barriers they perceived in not wanting to upset teachers. And more recently, Robinson et al (2020) analysed conversations of school leaders with a staff member and found that leaders tended to withhold sharing their views and beliefs about problems of practice when they anticipated that sharing them could cause embarrassment or discomfort to themselves or the staff member. Although, this is apparently a tension that has existed in practice for considerable time, there is limited literature available on how to address it.…”

Section: Leadership Tensions In Collective Responsibilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigating the leadership tensions in creating collective responsibility

Fevre

Meyer

Bendikson

2020

JPCC

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PurposeThe purpose of this research is to use a collective responsibility theoretical lens to examine the work of three school principals as they focussed on school-wide goal-setting processes to achieve valued student achievement goals. The tensions principals face in creating collective responsibility are examined so that these might be intentionally navigated.Design/methodology/approachQualitative case studies of three New Zealand schools include data from interviews with principals, middle leaders and teachers. An inductive and deductive thematic analysis approach was employed.FindingsPrincipals face four key tensions: (1) whether to promote self or centrally directed and voluntary or mandatory professional learning; (2) how to balance a top-down versus a middle-up process for accountability; (3) ways to integrate both educator and student voice and (4) the complexity of both challenging teachers' beliefs and providing support. These challenges seemed inherent in the work of developing collective responsibility and leaders tended to move along response continuum.Research limitations/implicationsThis research highlights the importance of being intentional and transparent with staff members about both the nature of these tensions and their navigation, and opens up further questions in relation to leader, and teacher perceptions of tensions in creating collective responsibility for achieving school-improvement goals.Practical implicationsAn understanding of the tensions that need to be navigated can help leaders and other educators to take effective action, scrutinize the reasoning behind decisions, and understand the inherent challenges faced.Originality/valueLeadership tensions in creating collective responsibility are explored and implications for leadership practice and learning considered.

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The Quality of Leaders’ Problem-Solving Conversations: Truth-Seeking or Truth-Claiming?

Cited by 14 publications

References 41 publications

Educational leaders’ problem-solving for educational improvement: Belief validity testing in conversations

Educational leaders’ problem-solving for educational improvement: Belief validity testing in conversations

Opening the black box of leadership coaching: an examination of coaching behaviors

Navigating the leadership tensions in creating collective responsibility

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