Mapping distributed leadership using social network analysis: accompaniment in Québec

ABSTRACT

School leaders have the potential to contribute to the collective efficacy of teachers by brokering knowledge and beliefs; however, they are not always supported or accompanied in this role. By examining the characteristics and network positions of key actors who broker knowledge and beliefs, this study explores opportunities for all educators to be accompanied. Using social network analysis to measure the centrality of educators, key actors were identified. The data were collected in schools across the province of Québec, Canada and revealed a dynamic form of distributed leadership that was not dependent on a single leader, but rather on the type of knowledge or beliefs being brokered. The findings suggest the importance of accompaniment for teachers and leaders of all experience levels and positions to foster collective teacher efficacy.

KEYWORDS:

• Social network analysis
• collective efficacy
• distributed leadership
• accompaniment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Response rate for School 1 = 9/9, School 2 = 10/11, School 3 = 22/23, and School 4 = 13/15.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hannah Chestnutt

Dr. Hannah Chestnutt is a Director of Teacher Education Programs in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill University (Faculty of Education). Hannah completed her PhD in Education at the University of Glasgow after teaching high school and elementary school in Scotland, New Jersey, and Canada. Dr. Chestnutt teaches courses in classroom assessment, mathematics pedagogy and practice, and the graduate professional practice project. Her research uses social network analysis to examine collaboration, brokering, and knowledge co-production in educational contexts. Past research projects have also investigated inequities in education including her PhD which focused on inequities in schools in Scotland.

Trista Hollweck

Dr. Trista Hollweck is a pracademic who integrates the worlds of research, policy, and practice. She is a former teacher, vice-principal, and school district consultant. She is Director of the ARC Education Program that brings together Ministers and professional leaders from 7 countries to advance equitable, inclusive and humanitarian goals in education, and co-Principal Investigator of the Canadian Playful Schools Network funded by the LEGO Foundation in the University of Ottawa. Her research has examined teacher induction, mentoring and coaching programmes and their systemic change implications at the school board level. She has also researched, published and consulted about restorative justice, professional learning and development, teacher evaluation, and educational change. Trista received her doctorate from the University of Ottawa. She is a proud mom of three and is committed to supporting schools and systems to improve education for all students within and across educational systems globally.

Nilou Baradaran

Nilou Baradaran is an educational anthropologist. Specifically a PhD candidate in Learning Sciences at McGill University in the PRACTIS team. She investigates how to facilitate lesson study procedures to improve maths teaching and learning. She is also curious about Québec's curriculum related to Sex Education.

María Jiménez

Maria Jimenez is an Educational Technology graduate student at Concordia University and a team member in the Digital Literacies Project. Previously she completed a Bachelor in Computer Sciences at University EAFIT, Colombia. She also holds a Certificate of Translation English / Spanish from the University of Toronto. Maria’s current research and thesis focus on evaluating the effectiveness of Critical Online Resources Evaluation (CORE) interventions in high schools in Québec.