A learning ecologies approach on school leaders' professional development
Abstract
School leaders are usually provided with administration-led, fully structured programmes for professional development. The research literature identifies some common attributes for leadership that such programmes try to convey. Although this is and will be an important part of school leaders’ professional development, the vast amount of digital open content and open courses available and the accessibility of specialised networks and virtual communities expand opportunities for self-learning and self-development. In this context, the learning ecologies analysis framework proves useful in extending knowledge on what school leaders do for professional development, what they consider the most useful means for continuous updating and what the components of their individual learning ecologies are. This paper presents the more common strategies for professional development that school leaders are used in Catalonia (Spain), their balance between organised professional development activities and self-development, and how they assess the role digital technologies play in their learning ecologies. A survey with 48 questions was conducted with the aim of gathering information on school leaders’ continuing professional development in Catalan schools. Two hundred twelve school leaders answered the survey. The results focus on learning ecologies, with special emphasis on strategies demonstrating informal learning, forms of privileged training, ICT use and participation in professional networks and communities, and demonstrate that almost half the responders to the survey consider their usual professional development strategy to be self-learning. Results also show that school leaders who stay up to date through self-learning strategies, prefer online learning (resources, activities, courses) and use technology more intensively. Learning ecologies proved to be a useful framework for the analysis of the professional development strategies of school leaders.
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