Effects of school organizational capacity on teacher professional learning in China

• In Event: Teaching in diversity

Proposal

Introduction: In the era of global education reform, schools are faced with challenges and pressures to promote educational quality continuously (Darling-Hammond, 2015). With teacher professional qualities explaining almost the largest part of the variances in school instructional quality, it has become imperative to build school capacity that enables, supports and sustains teacher professional learning to improve teaching and learning sustainably (Liu et al., 2018). In the existing literature, much contributions have been made in the western societies to examine the effects of school capacity on such school performance indicators as students’ academic performance (Stoll, 2009), teacher professional qualities (Hallinger & Lu, 2014), and school organizational improvement (Mitchell & Sackney, 2011). However, little research has been conducted to probe into the relationship between school capacity and teacher professional learning, and even much less research conducted in Asian context, especially in China. The present study, with a specific focus on organizational-level school capacity, examines the effects of school organizational capacity on teacher professional learning in China. Theoretical framework: In order to conceptualize and examine the relationship between school organizational capacity and teacher professional learning, we employed the framework developed by Thoonena et al. (2012) in which teachers’ professional performances was a function of school capacity components in personal and organizational level. Guided by this framework, we proposed that teacher professional learning, embedded in schools’ organizational contexts, would be significantly impacted by school organizational capacity. Research method: Convenience sampling was used to conducted questionnaire investigation to teachers in schools located in east China，with over 300 valid copies identified. The School Organizational Capacity Scale（SOCS）, consisting of three subscales of supportive leadership, organizational conditions, and organizational barriers, and Teacher Professional Learning Scale (TPLS) developed with sound reliability and construct validity were employed as instruments. Structural equation model (SEM) was constructed to examine the relationship between three components of school organizational capacity and teacher professional learning. Results: The results of SEM showed that the three components of school organizational capacity together explained 87% of the variances in teacher professional learning. Supportive leadership had significant and positive effects on teacher professional learning (β = .54, P < .01). Organizational conditions significant and positively impacted teacher professional learning (β = .33, P < .01). Organizational barriers significantly and negatively predicted teacher professional learning (β = -.07, P < .05). Implication and conclusion: School organizational capacity (i.e., supportive leadership and organizational conditions) should be built to foster teacher professional learning, while the organizational barriers in China’s specific contexts should be dealt with to avoid the hinderance of teacher learning.
References:
Darling-Hammond, L. (2015). The flat world and education: How America's commitment to equity will determine our future. Teachers College Press.
Hallinger, P., & Lu, J. (2014). Modelling the effects of principal leadership and school capacity on teacher professional learning in hong kong primary schools. School Leadership & Management, 34(5), 481-501.
Liu, S., & Hallinger, P. (2018). Principal instructional leadership, teacher self-efficacy, and teacher professional learning in china: testing a mediated-effects model. Educational Administration Quarterly 54 (4)：501-528.
Stoll, L. (2009). Capacity building for school improvement or creating capacity for learning? A changing landscape. Journal of Educational Change 10 (2-3): 115-127.
Thoonen, E. E., Sleegers, P. J., Oort, F. J., & Peetsma, T. T. (2012). Building school-wide capacity for improvement: The role of leadership, school organizational conditions, and teacher factors. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 23, 441-460.

Author

• Liang Huang, Southeast University