Wullschleger, Andrea
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Teaching quality in kindergarten. professional development and quality of adaptive learning support enhances mathematical competency
AbstractAdaptive learning support provided by kindergarten teachers before and after (macro-adaptive learning support) as well as during mathematical learning activities (micro-adaptive learning support) is a cross-cutting concept of teaching quality. Effective adaptive learning support enhances children’s learning. However, providing it is challenging and teachers need professional development (PD) to improve the quality of their support. This study investigates the mediating role of teaching quality between PD programs for kindergarten teachers and the development of children’s mathematical competency. 122 kindergarten teachers and their 825 pupils participated in the study. The teachers were randomly assigned to three groups. Two groups attended PD sessions designed to foster either macro- or micro-adaptive learning support. The third was the materials-only control group. The data was analyzed using a self-developed rating instrument focusing on generic and domain-specific elements of teaching quality related to macro- and micro-adaptive learning support. The multilevel latent change model analysis revealed that the PD programs had positive and significant effects on the teaching quality of kindergarten teachers. A significant positive relationship was also found between micro-adaptive learning support and changes in children’s mathematical competency. However, an indirect effect of teaching quality could not be detected, and the PD programs did not have a total effect on children’s mathematical competency. The study reinforces the importance of PD that specifically targets macro- and micro-adaptive learning support for kindergarten teachers. The mediation between PD and mathematical competency development requires further investigation.
Teachers involved in school improvement. Analyzing mediating mechanisms of teachers’ boundary-crossing activities between leadership perception and teacher involvement
Teachers are drivers for change in school improvement. However, not all teachers participate in further developing schools' educational practice. This study aimed to understand conditional factors in teachers' involvement. To this end, we analyzed teachers' leadership perception and boundary-crossing activities aimed at increasing professional capital. Structural equation modeling analyses based on a sample of N ¼ 1232 teachers at N ¼ 59 schools indicated partial mediations of cognitive and social boundarycrossing activities on the relationship between leadership perception and involvement. This study contributes to the literature by illuminating the potential of teachers’ activities to enhance professional capital for school improvement.
Dynamic pathways. Investigating the relationship between the changing landscape of educational leaders’ interaction routines and innovative climate
Bridging gaps: a systematic literature review of brokerage in educational change
Bridging gaps between educational stakeholders at the classroom, school, and system levels is essential to achieve sustainable change in primary and secondary education. However, transferring knowledge or building capacity within this network of loosely coupled stakeholders is demanding. The concept holds promise for studying these complex patterns of interaction, as it refers to how specific actors link loosely coupled or disconnected individuals. However, different research traditions, in terms of theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches, and various stakeholders examined in their role as bridge builders make understanding the role of brokers, brokering, and brokerage in changing educational practice challenging. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the current literature on these concepts in educational change research. In a systematic literature review based on 42 studies, we analyzed each study’s theoretical assumptions, methodological approach, scope in terms of stakeholders involved, and empirical findings. First, the literature review revealed that research on educational change refers to four different theoretical frameworks when focusing on brokers, brokering, or brokerage. Second, our results indicate that predominantly qualitative approaches have been applied. Third, using content network graphs, we identified teachers and principals as among the most frequently analyzed brokers. Fourth, four relevant aspects of the empirical findings are presented: brokers’ personal characteristics, conditions that enable brokering, successful brokering strategies, and outcomes of brokerage. Finally, we outline a future research agenda based on the empirical evidence base and shortcomings.
Qualität von Schulsystemen. Theoretische Grundlagen und empirische Befunde
In diesem Kapitel geht es um den Beitrag der ‚Makroebene‘ des Schulsystems zur Qualität schulischer Prozesse und Ergebnisse. Nach einem Überblick über die Entwicklung des Forschungsbereiches werden im zweiten Abschnitt grundlegende Begriffe geklärt: Wie ist die Makroebene Schulsystem strukturiert und an welchen Merkmalen könnte ihre Qualität abgelesen werden? Danach wird der empirische Forschungsstand an drei Beispielen, der Erforschung von Schulstrukturen, des internationalen Vergleichs von Schüler:innenleistungen sowie der Untersuchung von Governance-Reformen diskutiert.
How effective is a high amount of teacher collaboration that is perceived as useful?
Improving teaching, teamwork, and school organization. Collaboration networks in school teams
Whereas previous studies on teacher collaboration have focused almost exclusively on improving teaching, this paper investigates collaboration in three highly important school improvement areas. Data for three collaboration networks were collected in four secondary schools in Switzerland in 2018 on teachers exploring new ideas on teaching (teaching improvement), teamwork (team improvement), and school organization (organizational improvement). Using social network analysis, we examined to what extent the collaboration networks overlap, how network structures differ, and what factors explain these differences. The results revealed substantial differences between collaboration in the three areas. This suggests that future research should examine collaboration from a multidimensional network perspective.