Exploring the Dispositions of Educational Improvers

• In Event: Moscone Center North Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Collaborative Improvement and Leadership Practices

Abstract

Despite the growing number of research-practice partnerships (RPPs) across the country, we know little about the cognitive and behavioral shifts that may happen among individuals engaged in RPPs. We investigated this topic using semi-structured interviews of 22 educators involved with networked improvement communities, a type of RPP that joins the discipline of improvement science with the capabilities of networks. Respondents reported that improvers had an orientation towards action; learned from failure, saw work as a set of processes; sought others’ perspectives; and used evidence to test their understanding. Results also suggest having authentic opportunities to practice improvement alongside a coach and peers; and working within supportive organizational conditions supported educators’ ability to engage in new practices that shift their dispositions.

Authors

• Manuelito Biag, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching

• David Gilbert Sherer, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching