Of Teams and Ties: Examining the Relationship between Formal and Informal Instructional Support Networks

Autor/inn/en	Woodland, Rebecca H.; Mazur, Rebecca
Titel	Of Teams and Ties: Examining the Relationship between Formal and Informal Instructional Support Networks
Quelle	In: Educational Administration Quarterly, 55 (2019) 1, S.42-72 (31 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Zusatzinformation	ORCID (Woodland, Rebecca H.)
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0013-161X
DOI	10.1177/0013161X18785868
Schlagwörter	Urban Schools; School Districts; Educational Innovation; Social Support Groups; Teamwork; Educational Administration; Change Strategies; Teacher Collaboration; Help Seeking; Teacher Behavior; Peer Influence; Social Networks; Social Capital; Faculty Development; Elementary Secondary Education; Work Environment + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Urban area; Urban areas; School; Schools; Stadtregion; Stadt; Schule; School district; Schulbezirk; Instructional innovation; Bildungsinnovation; Social support; Soziale Unterstützung; Bildungsverwaltung; Schuladministration; Schulverwaltung; Lösungsstrategie; Lehrerkooperation; Help-seeking behavior; Help-seeking behaviour; Hilfe suchendes Verhalten; Teacher behaviour; Lehrerverhalten; Social network; Soziales Netzwerk; Sozialkapital; Arbeitsmilieu
Abstract	Purpose: This study examined an urban district's capacity to diffuse instructional innovations. Social network analysis (SNA) was used to examine the relationship between "informal" teacher support networks and "formal" teacher support networks engineered by administrators through required membership on a team. This study also sought to uncover how school leaders considered study findings in light of their district's theory of change to improve teacher collaboration. Method: About 1,100 employees responded to a sociometric survey that queried for demographics, team membership, and advice-seeking behavior. SNA methods were used to examine network cohesion (i.e., size, density, isolates, ties) and degree centrality. Statistical analyses (chi-square and multinomial logistic regressions) were performed to examine how team membership were associated with teachers' advice-seeking behaviors. Visual inspection of sociograms was used to communicate and make meaning of findings with district personnel. Findings: The majority of teachers' informal instructional support ties were concomitant with shared membership on an administrator created formal team. The majority of teachers who reported that at least one colleague had a strong, positive influence on their practice, also participated in at least one formal team, and believed their team's collaboration positively affected their instructional practice. Implications: School leaders affect quality of instructional support networks through organizational design. The extent to which teachers are able to access social capital and instructional support is influenced by the choices administrators make about how to structure teacher collaboration. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01