How Can School Leaders Maximize the Impact of Professional Learning Networks? A Case Study From England

• In Event: 61.043 - Structured Poster Session: The Role of School Leadership for Sustainable Professional Learning Networks

Abstract

Objectives
To generate change, PLNs require effective support from school leaders (Poortman & Brown, 2018). Such support should be directed at ensuring PLN participants can engage in network learning activity; also that this activity can be meaningfully mobilized within participant's schools. What is less well understood however are the actions school leaders might engage in to provide this support. To address this knowledge gap, this paper presents a case study of how senior leaders attempted to maximize the effectiveness of participating in PLNs for one learning network: the New Forest Research Learning Network (RLN) - a specific type of PLN designed to facilitate research-informed change at scale.

Perspectives, methods and data sources
In-depth semi structured interviews with RLN participants, as well as quantitative impact data and policy documents, were used to ascertain the types of leadership practices employed and their nature (i.e. transformative or instructional). Also presented is an assessment of the perceived efficacy of these practices and suggestions for the type of leadership activity that appear to maximize the effectiveness of schools engaging in professional learning networks more generally.

Results
In particular the poster will examine effective ways in which school leaders are able to: maintain a focus on PLN activity once back in school; provide resource to support engagement; and engage in whole school knowledge brokerage.

Scientific or scholarly significance

This paper provides in-depth insight into the types of leadership activity maximizing the effectiveness of schools engaging in professional learning networks.

Authors

• Chris Brown, University of Portsmouth

• Jane Flood, University of Portsmouth

• Annemarie Neeleman, Maastricht University