Representing the role of educational administrators in expanding teacher learning communities

Document Type : Original Research

Authors

1 PhD student in educational management, department of educational management and human resources development, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Administration and Human Resource Development, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Given that professional learning communities provide a framework and process for teachers' continuous learning and professional growth, and on the other hand, the important role of school administrators in the formation of teachers' professional learning communities is not hidden from anyone, the aim of the present study is to represent the role of educational administrators in the development of teachers' professional learning communities.
The approach of this study was qualitative and the method used was phenomenological. The participants in this study were educational administrators as well as elementary school teachers in Mashhad who participated in professional learning communities and were willing to express their experiences in relation to the phenomenon under study, who were selected using purposive sampling and criterion-based method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 teachers and 8 educational administrators, and in order to analyze the data, coding was carried out in two stages: open coding and axial coding. In order to ensure the accuracy of qualitative data, four criteria of Lincoln and Guba were used.
The findings of this study show that the roles of the educational administrator in developing teachers' professional learning communities include three general categories: individual roles (efforts towards their own professional development, influencing teachers, responsibility and concern, having a positive view of professional learning communities), interpersonal roles (effective communication and conflict management, networking, cooperation and participation), and executive roles (planning and organizing activities, developing a culture of thinking and research, motivating teachers, and evaluating and developing teachers' professional skills).

Keywords

Main Subjects

Theory and Practice in Teachers Education
Volume 11, Issue 19
May 2025
Pages 225-240

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics