The Transformative Power Of Collaborative Inquiry

Foster reflective teacher leadership and make real change happen! Teachers are powerful change agents in the on-going process of school improvement. This insightful, must-read companion guide to Donohoo’s best-selling Collaborative Inquiry for Educators helps school leaders develop a sustainable professional learning culture. Practical suggestions and in-depth research shed light on your path as you explore the benefits and challenges of adopting authentic teacher collaboration across schools and districts. Learn valuable lessons from leaders in the field and discover: A rationale and framework for engaging in inquiry The vital conditions needed to ensure systemwide collaboration Common pitfalls and the four stages of school improvement

Your step-by-step guide to making collaboration work Collaborating for improved student outcomes makes sense. But beyond theory, do you know where to begin? Aligned to current Learning Forward standards and based on the latest research, this book deconstructs the collaborative inquiry process. This step-by-step guide gives facilitators tools to move teams toward purposeful, productive collaborative work with: A clear and concise four-stage model that provides a structure for facilitating successful collaborative inquiry Real-world examples from collaborative teams that model components of each stage Clear, direct, and practitioner-focused tone with an emphasis on action over theory

Your step-by-step guide to making collaboration work Collaborating for improved student outcomes makes sense. But beyond theory, do you know where to begin? Aligned to current Learning Forward standards and based on the latest research, this book deconstructs the collaborative inquiry process. This step-by-step guide gives facilitators tools to move teams toward purposeful, productive collaborative work with: A clear and concise four-stage model that provides a structure for facilitating successful collaborative inquiry Real-world examples from collaborative teams that model components of each stage Clear, direct, and practitioner-focused tone with an emphasis on action over theory

Harness the power of collective efficacy to achieve quality implementation! Designed to overcome the biggest barriers to quality implementation and, thus, school improvement and student achievement, this book unpacks the powerful force of collective efficacy. The authors examine how this shared belief that the combined efforts of faculty members can positively influence student outcomes, is instrumental to establishing evidence-based practices for lasting change. In addition to a helpful conceptual framework to visualize key components, readers will discover: • Ways to create environments that tap into mastery as the number one source of collective efficacy • Methods to strengthen vicarious experiences through observational learning • Examination of social persuasion and affective states as additional sources of collective efficacy

Improve student outcomes with collective teacher efficacy. If educators’ realities are filtered through the belief that they can do very little to influence student achievement, then it is likely these beliefs will manifest in their practice. The solution? Collective efficacy (CE)—the belief that, through collective actions, educators can influence student outcomes and increase achievement. Educators with high efficacy show greater effort and persistence, willingness to try new teaching approaches, and attend more closely to struggling students’ needs. This book presents practical strategies and tools for increasing student achievement by sharing: Rationale and sources for establishing CE Conditions and leadership practices for CE to flourish Professional learning structures/protocols

Inspiration and Guidance to Develop Collective Teacher Efficacy Collective efficacy, or a shared belief that through collective action educators can positively influence student outcomes, has remained at the top of a list of influences on student achievement in John Hattie’s Visible Learning research. Collective efficacy has been embodied by many educators, though collaboration tends to be focused on building community and relationships, which alone are not enough to move the needle on student achievement. This book contains stories of collective efficacy in schools where it has been actualized in practice, and includes: • Real-world case studies of teams who have fostered and sustained collective efficacy • Practical guidance for building collective efficacy through professional learning designs • Tools that can be adapted for specific needs or local contexts Through these accounts, readers will gain a better understanding of ways to capitalize on the reciprocal relationship between student achievement and collective efficacy by having a clear understanding of what collective efficacy looks like and how it can be accomplished.

Discover how psychological safety, constructive conflict, and actionable learning creates a powerful triple helix to transform teams! In this ground-breaking resource, three experts in the field of education and teamwork each present one of three strands that, when woven together, support teamwork and forge collaborative interactions into a transformative way of working. Drawing on research and practical experience the authors identify strategies and tools that show how to: Build psychological safety, where teams work towards resilient interpersonal relationships Use constructive conflict as a powerful catalyst for team learning and transformation Inquire into problems of practice to transform capabilities and produce actionable learning

Principles and Methods of Transformative Action Research delves into both general principles and specific methods for basic steps in the action research process—asking questions, gathering and analyzing data, communicating findings, and pursuing action. The role of collaboration is emphasized, with strategies of value to experts and engaged citizens in doing participatory research and community-based knowledge-building. Detailed attention is given to specific strategies of interviewing, participant observation, and judging and weighing evidence. The book draws on creative and critically minded elements of scientific traditions, such as transparency in telling the "story" of one’s inquiry, identifying data that are "exceptions to the rule," and the value of non-formulaic, improvisational designs. Quite distinctively, the book addresses how to write in one’s own voice, how to integrate action-and-inquiry into one’s everyday life, issues of ethics and social responsibility, and how to consider both immediate, practical needs and "bigger picture," systemic challenges. This book can serve as an undergraduate or graduate social sciences text on research methods. It is also a guidebook for action-oriented research by academics, professionals, and lay people, alike in community agencies, schools, and grassroots organizations, and for socially relevant academic research concerned with social justice, multiculturalism, and inclusiveness.