Developing Leadership and Learning Through Sharing Across Schools and Countries: Ontario's Experiences of Norway-Canada Partnership

• In Event: 67.032 - Leveraging Teacher Learning and Leadership: Multimodal Narratives and Evidence Connecting Researchers, Policy Makers, and Practitioners

Abstract

Purposes and Perspectives
In the movement to further develop and expand teacher leadership, there is growing attention to the possibilities of teacher networks within and across countries. Conceptions of distributed leadership include attention to how system, school and teacher leaders can collaborate to support educational improvement (Harris & Spillane, 2008). Recently, calls for increased student voice have also indicated the importance of cultivating student leadership to support school and system improvement.

This paper examines the NORCAN (Norway-Canada) networked professional learning partnership between schools in Ontario, Alberta and Norway. NORCAN team members collaborated from 2014 to 2018, with a focus on improving equity in math classes by answering the following question: how can an international network of schools and educators committed to mindful leadership help to identify obstacles to students’ mathematical learning and develop strategies for attaining success?

Methods and Data
Drawing from an international study of teacher identity in seven countries; this case study focuses on the experiences of Ontario schools that were part of NORCAN. The methods involved semi-structured interviews with the principal and four teachers at one school and a focus group with the principal and four teachers at the second school. Document analysis (websites, blogs, videos created by and shared between NORCAN members) and site observations were conducted. An interview was also conducted with the Ontario teacher union leader responsible for NORCAN. Interviews were recorded and thematic coding was used to analyse the qualitative data and identify key findings.

Results and Significance
NORCAN was designed to honor the professional expertise and agency of those involved and to provide the supports needed to harness and build on the learning and sharing already taking place. Important areas of emphasis underpinning the design of the program are: 1) collaboration and trust – program leaders believe in the participants’ autonomy and capacity to lead their own learning; believe in each partner organization; build strong relationships. 2) Importance of evidence – program relies on a strong research component to enable articulation of success. 3) Formalized support structures - events that bring participants together; technology that serves as a central communications and virtual contact mechanism; organizational support at multiple levels.

The Ontario educators that participated in NORCAN explained that their transformative professional learning – involving on-going reflective practice, research-based action, collaboration between students, teachers and leaders within and across borders – demonstrates what is possible when teacher-led professional development is aligned with context-specific student, teacher and school needs. When efforts are fully supported by administrators, district and provincial leaders to support teacher-led classroom, school and district improvement, and when participants are exposed to the varied policy and programming approaches in other jurisdictions, they gain rich perspective on the factors that enable and inhibit teacher’s professional learning and growth. Key findings include the importance of: developing teachers’ professional identity and agency; collaboration and sharing to ignite professional engagement; ensuring student voice and choice are at the forefront of learning; and the need to further enhance teacher and student voice.

Authors

• Sharon Alexander, University of Toronto

• Lindy Amato, Ontario Teachers' Federation