Leading technology innovation : when seeing is believing

Abstract

The literature on the professional development of primary and secondary teachers suggests that isolated initiatives are not effective in bringing about changes in teachers’ practices and beliefs. Research argues that changes in belief result from changes to practice that are perceived to improve student learning.

This study examines the influence of an extended, work-integrated professional development initiative on primary and secondary teacher leadership practice. As an example, a leadership course, which is part of the Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice (Digital and Collaborative Learning) for primary and secondary in-service teachers, will be examined. The research question guiding the investigation is: How does successful completion of leadership-focused professional development influence teachers’ practices and beliefs in leading innovations in their work environments? As a framework for analysis, we (the authors) have adopted the seven-pillared definition of school-based digital leadership proposed by Sheninger (2014): communication, public relations, branding, student engagement and learning, professional growth and development, re-envisioning learning spaces and environments, and opportunity. We have adapted Sheninger’s concept into a set of themes, sub-themes and key questions for investigation.

The methodology is based on a series of interviews conducted with randomly-selected primary and secondary teachers who have completed the leadership course during the preceding twelve months. The findings identify common changes in leadership practices and beliefs, and evaluate these against Sheninger’s seven pillars of digital leadership. This exploratory study informs a greater large-scale evaluation that may provide valuable insight into the design of teacher leadership courses.