Leading school-based networked systems supporting teachers' professional learning

A key determinant of the quality of student learning is the quality of the ongoing professional development of their teachers. The effective development of school-based, networked programs enabling teacher professional learning continues to remain for many schools in an ambiguous area caught between exhortations from educational researchers, organisational theorists and educational policy makers to develop more strategically aligned, career-stage professional development programs on the one hand, and the seemingly chaotic tapestries of learning that characterise the ways teachers actually learn professionally on the other. There are also other calls: for effective succession planning; to respond to generational differences among teachers; for evidence-based practice; for compliance with jurisdictional policies; for standards referenced professional learning…

While much has been learnt about how teachers learn individually, and about adult learning in general, less is known in contrast about how teacher professional learning can be effectively orchestrated, organised and networked both within and beyond the school to develop truly effective, school-based learning communities. Examples of good, whole-school practice in this area remain relatively rare in the literature as a consequence. Questions arise as to why this is so and what might be done to assist school-based educational leaders lead better horizontally and vertically networked systems of professional learning within the school and beyond.