Strengthening teaching and learning based on the Teaching as Collective Leadership (TACL) framework: The journey of Enseña por Colombia

• In Event: Teaching as Collective Leadership - Research and evidence from the Teach For All network

Proposal

Enseña por Colombia (ExC) is an NGO that is part of the Teach For All network that seeks to contribute to the construction of a more equitable country based on education through the selection and support of professionals who want to dedicate two years of their lives to training in leadership, social justice and pedagogy, being teachers (Ecos) in schools in adverse contexts.

ExC has undergone a process over the last two years to update its mission, vision, and strategic objectives to become the collective leadership movement that the Colombian education system needs. ExC identified social and emotional learning skills as a key barrier for students to fulfill their potential and different stakeholders in Colombia’s education ecosystem also highlighted the need for better training on teaching and learning social and emotional skills.

With the previous in mind, Teach For All and ExC, came together to generate feedback and evidence related to the applicability of the Teaching as Collective Leadership (TACL) framework both in the lenses and strategies of teachers and teacher coaches, as well as in the holistic student outcomes.

The collaboration, which includes Universidad de los Andes in the role of co-investigator, is divided in two phases. A first phase (2022-2023) of “Design and Experiment” for the co-development through an iterative process of adaptations to the training and support processes of ExC under the new framework as well as measurement tools and metrics, and their testing through quick rounds of beta-testing and a structured experimentation. And a second phase (2024-2025) of “Evaluate, Learn, Codify and Disseminate” where the effects of such adaptations on the mentalities, perceptions and behaviors of teachers and academic and socio-emotional skills of students will be studied through a mixed-methods evaluation. The results of this project are expected to generate learnings for ExC, the Teach For All network, as well as for the Colombian and global education agenda. Scalable changes in the programming of ExC and other partners of the Teach For All network are also expected based on the results of this study.
This presentation will focus on the results of the first phase of the study and give an overview of how the adaptations were designed and what they imply in terms of the programmatic decisions of ExC. The adaptations involved (1) the development of a new module for teacher training centered in 4 prioritized social and emotional learning skills (self-leadership, responsible decision making, relationship abilities and purposeful teamwork) and a new format for classroom observation and feedback form for teacher support; and (2) a new well-being strategy for teacher and teacher coaches. Results of different rounds of beta-testing as well as a structured experimentation, where the adaptations were implemented in a small group of teachers and teacher coaches to study their applicability in classrooms, and the strategy to develop and pilot test measurement tools will also be presented.

Finally, an overview of the research strategy of the mixed-method evaluation to be implemented during the second phase of the study will be shared.

Author

• Edwin Cuellar, Enseña por Colombia