Evaluation of professional learning communities in TVET: Implications for leadership development and teacher motivation in Ecuador
(2018) Comparative and International Education Society Annual Conference — Location: Mexico (29.March.2018)
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- Abstract
- Making the education professions more appealing is a challenge in many countries across northern and southern contexts. In Ecuador the Ministry of Education has introduced a career structure which widens the progression opportunities available to teachers, while at the same time supporting their professional growth. This policy shows promise because, according to motivation theories, greater recognition and perspectives for growth are likely to increase motivation and job satisfaction. One of several available pathways is to become a head teacher. Opportunities for continuous professional development are being put in place in support of such mobility. In Ecuador the notion of learning within professional learning communities (PLCs) has gained strength as an opportunity to support meaningful and sustainable professional development for head teachers, specifically those in technical and vocational education and training (TVET). PLCs are here defined as “collaborative teams whose members work interdependently to achieve common goals linked to the purpose of student learning” (DuFour et al., 2006, p.3). By bringing together school leaders in a systematic way, PLCs aim to further develop the capacity of these education professionals by creating a collaborative environment and collective responsibility among them. Until recently, research is lacking on how PLCs can be an effective way to professionalize head teachers in TVET and how it can build sustainable change within TVET-schools. The research interest of this study is to understand the impact of PLCs on head teachers’ professional development, their leadership practices, and – subsequently – on teacher motivation. The following concepts are informative to our work: Network modes of learning: Current research on professional development models have indicated that learning is a dynamic, situated, and dialogic process (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2001; Bridwell-Mitchell, 2016; Little, 2005). In particular, collaborative knowledge development and knowledge exchange have been identified as being important for effective professional development and leadership development in particular (Coburn et al., 2012; Rincón-Gallardo & Fullan, 2016). Leadership practices: The term ‘practices’ is defined in the literature as a coherent set of activities performed by a person or group of people in a specific context with the aim to achieve shared goals. In this study, we will make use of the distinction of Spillane, Halverson and Diamond (2001) between ‘espoused theory of practice’ and ‘theories in use’. The espoused theory is what individuals say they would do in a particular situation. The theory in use is how people actually behave in the school. Teacher motivation: Deci and Ryan (2000) proposed a framework regarding teacher motivation where the amount of motivation is not the key factor, but the quality of the motivation, characterized by the type of reasons underlying teacher motivation. Are the reasons why they try new things in their job internalized? If teachers are supporting their directives, do they do this because they believe in the vision of the school and the changes that are proposed or because of feelings of fear or guilt? With the organization of PLCs for school leaders, the aim is to stimulate leaders to have a positive effect on the quality of teacher motivation. Drawing on these, we will evaluate 1) the implementation process of collaborative learning in PLCs, 2) the way it has an impact on leadership knowledge and behavior, and 3) the transfer to local school practices. A multiple case study design will be conducted following 3 PLCs for head teachers (TVET) in Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas from October 2017 to September 2019. Each PLC includes seven schools, and a duo of two school leaders per school (i.e. 14 school leaders per PLC). Data will be collected through PLC meeting observations and in-depth interviews with educational counselors, internal PLC coordinators, and a sample of head teachers. In order to measure the impact of PLCs on teacher motivation, a survey will be conducted in 21 schools in November 2017 and May 2019, measuring the difference in motivation at the end of the two years of PLC. We will identity the necessary working conditions for a PLC and present a clear conceptualization of the process of collaborative learning within a PLC. More specifically, we will focus on: 1) key themes explicitly related to network configuration and the structural characteristics of PLCs (content and depth of interactions, etc.); 2) key themes related to the characteristics of the school leaders involved in the PLC (expertise, position, etc.). Thirdly, a detailed analysis will be presented regarding the manner in which participation in a PLC has contributed to leadership development, shifted leadership practices and led to an increase in teacher motivation.
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März, V., Lauwers, I., Moreno, O., Patiño, I., & Frenay, M. (2018). Evaluation of professional learning communities in TVET: Implications for leadership development and teacher motivation in Ecuador. Comparative and International Education Society Annual Conference, Mexico. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/226923