Brokering school improvement through a school–university partnership: A longitudinal social network analysis of middle leadership development

Brokering school improvement through a school–university partnership: A longitudinal social network analysis of middle leadership development

• Bryant, Darren A. Curtin University
• Ho, Chun Sing Maxwell The Education University of Hong Kong
• Lu, Jiafang The Education University of Hong Kong
• Wong, Yiu Lun Leo The Education University of Hong Kong

Journal of Educational Administration, 2024

Emerald Publishing Limited

2024

• S School Environment & Facilities, Organization
  • SI School Effectiveness & Improvement
• R Educational Policy & Administration
  • RF School Supervision, Accountability & Inspection: Education Indicators, Privatization of School

School Improvement Middle Leader Development School–university Partnership Social Network Analysis

• Hong Kong

• 1997.7 onwards

• Post-Secondary Education

Purpose: This study addresses a gap in the knowledge on how longitudinal engagement in a school improvement initiative influences change in middle leaders’ (MLs') interactions and assesses how school–university partnerships around school improvement can support teachers with formal leadership roles (i.e. MLs’) leadership development. Design/methodology/approach: Using a two-year longitudinal research design, university staff facilitated middle leadership training in a school-defined improvement initiative on lesson study. Results from a pre-test followed by two post-tests administered at one-year intervals were collected on social networks. Analyses examined changes in indegree and brokerage patterns among groupings of senior leaders (SL), subject leaders, cross-school specialists and teachers. Findings: Accounting for staffing changes, 27 of 67 staff members participated in each survey, yielding 1,623 distinct ties connecting school members. Over the first year, advice-seeking increased by 225%. SLs’ initial propensity to consult peers shifted towards MLs and teachers. Subject leaders advising other leaders and teachers increased tenfold. Teachers’ peer-to-peer consultation increased by 2,000%. Specialists with school-wide responsibilities became the dominant group for advising other leaders, such as SLs and subject leaders. These shifts were sustained over the second year. Originality/value: The study demonstrates that engagement in the school–university partnership support and the corresponding structural changes stimulated robust cross-school dialogue among teachers and various leaders. Brokerage patterns indicated an enhanced role for MLs in driving the school-defined improvement initiative which corresponded to university-designed development activities. Copyright © 2024 Emerald Publishing Limited.

• English

Journal Articles

• 09578234

• 10.1108/JEA-10-2023-0244

https://bibliography.lib.eduhk.hk/bibs/e7ef2843

2025-03-07