Enculturating for Belonging–Social Interest Within Professional Development Schools: The Real Work in Critical Friends Groups

• In Event: Examining the Experiences of Teachers and Teacher Candidates in Professional Development Schools

Abstract

This presentation presents an analytic conceptualization of the work achieved in mature and transformational CFGs in PDS schools through the lens of Enculturating for Belonging-Social Interest (BSI). The theory of enculturating for BSI explains how existing CFG structures and processes empower teachers with the interpersonal skills and psychosocial dispositions conducive for successful collaboration and for building a school culture essential for supporting a school’s improvement agenda. The core index and its three sub core indices: Prescencing, Centering, and Activating, along with their components, are described. CFG concepts such as critical friendship and facilitative leadership are discussed in relation to BSI theory. The theory is modeled by a Bayesian Network. Implications for professional development in PDS schools using CFGs is discussed.

Authors

• Harley Gordon Granville, Georgia State University

• William L. Curlette, Georgia State University

• Robert Hendrick, Georgia State University

• Susan L. Ogletree, Georgia State University

• Gwendolyn T. Benson, Georgia State University