Leadership for Caring: Conditions for Teacher Learning and Development in Difficult Context

• In Event: Caring Leadership Amidst the Chaos: Elevating Care as Resistance, Intervention, and Imperative

Abstract

This presentation is the result of a study which sought to identify how educational leaders can foster a culture of care that, in turn, drives teacher learning and professional improvement. The presentation is framed within the conception of care as an essential human value (Tronto, 2020) and a fundamental obligation of the school (Noddings, 2002). The perspective of "leadership for care" is adopted (Smylie et al., 2016), which focuses on practices centered on the well-being of the educational community. This approach is directly linked to Teacher Professional Development (TPD), understood as a reflective and contextualized process (Boeskens et al., 2022), and it is argued that teacher well-being is a key condition for PD to be effective. The study also contextualizes the problem in Chilean reality, recognizing existing public policies (Law 20,903, Framework for Good Management 2015) and the deficiencies in their implementation, according to a PNUD report (2023).

The research followed a qualitative approach and was configured as a case study. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were used for data collection. Data analysis was conducted using grounded theory (Glaser & Strauss, 2017) and open coding to inductively generate analytical categories. Data were obtained from eight educational establishments in the Metropolitan Region of Chile, selected through purposive sampling. In each school, the principal and three teachers with more than five years of experience were interviewed. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using Atlas.ti® software .

The results were organized into four dimensions: 1. Recognition and collaboration: Although principals promote symbolic initiatives, these lack systematicity, generating tensions. Teachers value peer recognition but perceive a lack of formality and equity from management teams. 2. Assessment and mentoring: Practices are inconsistent. When systematic and training-focused, they strengthen professionalism. A key challenge is teacher resistance, which perceives mentoring as control. Peer mentoring emerges as a promising alternative. 3. Identification of training needs: Strategies vary, but principals recognize the value of articulating needs with strategic plans and local contexts. 4. Structural conditions: Large disparities are evident. The lack of protected non-teaching hours for PD and budgetary constraints are cross-cutting obstacles.

In conclusion, the study confirms that caring leadership is crucial for teacher well-being and PD. However, care practices in Chilean schools are incipient, unsystematic, and depend on individual rather than institutional initiative, which weakens their impact. The results offer empirical evidence on the practices that generate or hinder teacher well-being, providing valuable information for the design of policies and continuing education programs that are more effective and responsive to educators' real needs.

Author

• Andrea Carrasco Saez, Universidad de Chile