Ties with Potential: Social Network Structure and Innovative Climate in Dutch Schools

Autor/inn/en	Moolenaar, Nienke M.; Daly, Alan J.; Sleegers, Peter J. C.
Titel	Ties with Potential: Social Network Structure and Innovative Climate in Dutch Schools
Quelle	In: Teachers College Record, 113 (2011) 9, S.1983-2017 (35 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1467-9620
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Social Networks; Educational Innovation; Likert Scales; School Culture; Multiple Regression Analysis; Participative Decision Making; Teacher Participation; Elementary School Teachers; Teaching Conditions; Educational Practices; Network Analysis; Statistical Analysis; Teacher Surveys; Correlation; Netherlands; United States + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Social network; Soziales Netzwerk; Instructional innovation; Bildungsinnovation; Likert-Skala; Schulkultur; Schulleben; Elementary school; Teacher; Teachers; Grundschule; Volksschule; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Lehrbedingungen; Unterrichtsbedingungen; Bildungspraxis; Netzplantechnik; Statistische Analyse; Korrelation; Niederlande; USA
Abstract	Background/Context: Similar to the United States, government efforts to improve education in the Netherlands are focused on innovation and the development of collaborative structures to support the generation of new knowledge. However, empirical evidence of the relationship between social linkages and innovation in education is scarce. Objective: The aim of the study was to examine the impact of social network structure on schools' innovative climate, as mediated by teachers' involvement in decision-making. Setting: This article reports on a study among 775 educators in 53 elementary schools in a large educational system in the Netherlands. Research Design: A quantitative survey using Likert-type scales and social network questions on work-related and personal advice was analyzed using social network analysis and multiple regression analyses. Conclusions/Recommendations: Findings indicated that the more densely connected teachers were in regard to work-related and personal advice, the more they perceived their schools' climate to be supportive of innovation. Highly dense work-related network structures also typified teams that perceived strong teacher involvement in decision-making. Moreover, results suggested that the positive relationship between density of work-related advice networks and innovation-supportive school climate could be partially explained by increased shared decision-making. Implications of the study for teachers, organizations, leadership, and policy are discussed. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Teachers College, Columbia University. P.O. Box 103, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027. Tel: 212-678-3774; Fax: 212-678-6619; e-mail: tcr@tc.edu; Web site: http://www.tcrecord.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10