How to Improve Teaching Practices

Problem. Today’s educational environment requires teachers who understand teaching and learning, have strong content knowledge, and can make connections between life experiences and the curriculum. Teachers are expected to be continually learning to improve their practice. Professional learning is essential in this process. Research on professional development practices in various school contexts shows how teachers can improve and develop better instructional practices through a variety of learning experiences. Sadly, very little research exists on professional development practices of private Christian school teachers. This study explored professional development practices of Christian school teachers in nine evangelical Christian schools in the Detroit, Michigan, area. Method. This study explored Christian school teachers’ professional development experiences using a mixed-method multi-case study approach. I used the National Staff Development Council’s (NSDC) Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI), which focused on 12 professional development standards: (a) learning communities, (b) leadership, (c) resources, (d) data-driven, (e) evaluation, (f) research-based, (g) design, (h) learning, (i) collaboration, (j) equity, (k) quality teaching, and (l) family involvement. I also collected qualitative data from teacher focus-group interviews and written reflections to discover themes and patterns in their professional processes, growth, and learning. I surveyed nine evangelical Christian schools and 171 teachers participated. Results. Three of the 12 standards that emerged with the highest means were equity, leadership, and family involvement. The three standards that were ranked the lowest were evaluation of professional practice, data-driven professional learning practices, and professional learning communities. In focus groups and written reflections, teachers reported many sources of professional learning, ranging from parental, school, and college influences as children and youth, to faith development aspects, to personal experiences, including parents, travel, dialogue, and reading. They reported their Christian “walk” was a sustaining force in their own professional development. They sought teacher networks, graduate education, and training via the Internet as places for growth. They also reported utilizing more traditional learning methods (e.g., generalized book discussions and workshops) and informal, individual professional means (e.g., daily experiences and faculty conversations) of learning. Teachers believed their educational leaders had strong beliefs about the importance of teacher professional learning and articulated a shared commitment to professional growth, but often designed broad professional learning activities, while most teachers preferred content specific professional learning tied to effective teaching strategies. Teachers reported strong leadership was lacking and wanted their leaders to be better role models of professional growth and learning. Together, the survey and qualitative data indicated many positive learning elements were present as listed above (supportive leadership, family involvement, personal experiences, etc.). Some elements, however, were missing. There was not a culture where teachers observed and gave feedback to each other, nor was there regular data collecting and sharing nor data-driven decisions and shared assessments. One area uniquely present but not always indicated in the general professional development literature was the role of teachers’ Christian faith in guiding and inspiring personal and professional learning. These teachers considered themselves “called” to nurture their students’ faith and learning. This commitment to God and his children motivated them to become the best teachers possible. Conclusions and Recommendations. The Christian school teachers developed professionally: (a) through traditional professional development practices, (b) by daily, job-embedded classroom and professional experiences, and (c) informal professional learning experiences, but needed more, well-planned, professional development opportunities that were content specific and allowed them to collaborate or network with other teachers, particularly from other Christian schools. They also received support to attend conferences and workshops and complete advanced degrees, and extra time during the school day to use student data to make collaborative decisions. School leaders should (a) create professional development funding in their budgets, (b) plan quality professional learning activities in cooperation with teachers who have content-rich and relevant strategies, (c) share current literature on quality and effective professional practices, (d) model life-long, professional learning, and (e) encourage informal, teacher-directed learning that includes experimentation and reflection. More research could explore the quality and effectiveness of professional learning experiences, especially the role of informal, teacher-directed learning, and the role and professional learning of school leaders in the development of professional learning communities at Christian schools.

Aim: While integrated leadership has received significant scholarly attention in the past decade, most existing research in this vein has focused on its impact on student achievement and often dismissed how it might be related to instructional practices, which are at the center of many school reforms. In this research, we examined the relationship between integrated leadership and teacher professional learning and teacher practices in Turkey, where educational policy makers have recently introduced several school reform initiatives. More specifically, we aimed to examine the moderating function of transformational leadership in the relationship between instructional leadership and teacher practices, with an emphasis on the mediating role of teacher professional learning. Research Design: We conducted this study with a cross-sectional design and moderated mediation model. Data collected from 616 teachers working in a mix of primary and secondary schools in Turkey were analyzed using structural equation modeling and bootstrapping tests. Findings: We found evidence that transformational leadership acted as a moderator of the indirect effect of principal instructional leadership on teachers' instructional practices through teacher professional learning. Implications: This study adds to the accumulated body of knowledge on the effects of school leadership by concluding that the effect of instructional leadership on teacher learning and practice is contingent upon the extent to which principals enact transformational leadership. School principals who adopt a more comprehensive leadership approach that combines instructional leadership and transformational leadership practices can maximize their effects on student achievement through teacher learning, and better address the ever-growing demands of educational reforms.

Transformational leadership has been widely recognised as an effective leadership approach in educational settings, particularly in fostering teacher motivation, organisational commitment, and school improvement. In Malaysia, primary school headmasters are expected to navigate increasing administrative demands, accountability pressures, and concerns related to teacher well-being and retention. Despite the relevance of transformational leadership in this context, empirical evidence examining headmasters’ leadership practices from teachers’ perspectives remains limited, especially at the primary school level. This study aims to empirically examine teachers’ perceptions of headmasters’ transformational leadership practices in Malaysian primary schools using the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI). A quantitative survey design was employed, involving 103 primary school teachers from both urban and rural schools in Malaysia. Data were collected using a Malay version questionnaire adapted for the primary school context. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the level and distribution of transformational leadership practices, while Pearson correlation analysis explored relationships among the five LPI dimensions. Independent-samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA were conducted to examine differences in teachers’ perceptions based on gender, school location, and years of teaching experience. The findings indicated that headmasters’ transformational leadership practices were perceived to be at a moderate to high level overall. Model the Way and Enable Others to Act emerged as the most prominently enacted leadership practices, whereas Encourage the Heart was perceived as the least dominant. Strong and positive correlations were observed among all five leadership practices and between each dimension and the overall leadership score, supporting the internal coherence of the LPI framework. Inferential analyses revealed no statistically significant differences in perceptions based on gender, school location, or teaching experience. The study provides preliminary empirical evidence on leadership practices in Malaysian primary schools and highlights important implications for leadership development, teacher support, and future research.

In this study we examined the relative importance of teachers' psychological states, school organizational conditions (teacher collaboration and participative decision making), and the leadership practices (vision, individual consideration, and intellectual stimulation) of principals at their schools in explaining variation in teachers' professional learning. We examined teachers' learning by focusing on their participation in the following professional learning activities: keeping up to date (or collecting new knowledge and information), experimentation, reflective practice, and innovation. The data we used came from the Dutch School Improvement Questionnaire consisting of 54 items administered to teachers from 18 Dutch primary schools (grades 1-8). To test our theoretical model, data from 328 teachers were analyzed using structural equation modeling. As expected, results showed that psychological factors (teachers' sense of self-efficacy and internalization of school goals into personal goals) had strong effects on teachers' participation in the professional learning activities. Furthermore, differential effects of leadership practices and organizational conditions on the 2 psychological factors and the professional learning activities were found. To better understand change mechanisms in schools and based on our findings, we stress the need to conduct research using models that contain factors at both the school and teacher levels.

One of the focuses of Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2025) is continuous professional learning to enhance the quality of the teaching profession. With this intention, the school principal needs to carry out their role as a learning leader to provide focus on learning and ensure teachers and students receive new knowledge and skills in line with the education of today. Professional learning for teachers is activities that are essential to enhance knowledge, skills, and values to improve the teachers’ teaching and learning practices. This research attempted to determine the correlation between the school principals’ role as professional learning leaders, teachers’sense of self-efficacy, and the teachers’ professional learning at South Malaysia’s boarding schools. Additionally, this research identifies the teacher’s self-efficacy as a mediator between the school principals’ role as professional learning leaders and the professional learning of teachers at South Malaysia’s boarding schools. This research is quantitative-based with a survey method of 1,033 respondents and 285 sample teachers. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data that was obtained. The research questions and hypotheses have been answered using descriptive and inferential analysis. The result shows a significant correlation between principals’ role as professional learning leaders, teachers’ self-efficacy, and teachers’ professional learning. Furthermore, teachers’ self-efficacy is a mediator between the principals’ role as professional learning leaders and the professional learning of teachers at South Malaysia’s boarding schools. The results of this study have implications for how self-efficacy in teachers functions as a mediator between the principal's position as a learning leader and the teachers' professional learning. This indicates that enhancing the principal's leadership responsibilities will boost teachers' self-efficacy, which will ultimately help to enhance teachers' professional development.

This project was aimed at contributing to theory about how teacher learning in the workplace can be facilitated. Therefor we investigated to what extent Vocational Education and Training (VET) teachers develop their engagement in learning activities after the introduction of working in multidisciplinary teams, and how the interplay between organizational and psychological factors facilitates learning. More specifically, engagement in learning activities was operationalized as individual (self-reflection, experimenting, keeping up to date) and social (information sharing, asking for feedback) professional learning, organizational conditions as transformational leadership practices (vision building, individualized consideration, and intellectual stimulation) and perceptions of interdependence (task and goal interdependence), and a psychological factor as self-efficacy beliefs. The ultimate aim was to examine, in a VET context, co-development of the variables, that is, the extent to which the variables (reciprocally) influenced each other as they progressed over time. Specifically studies with a longitudinal design can make an important contribution to a complete understanding the dynamics of school improvement and the role of teacher learning to foster sustained school improvement. Overall, results indicated that the structural relations as specified in the model these studies were based on partly held. As found in elementary school contexts, perceptions of the workplace mediated the effects of transformational leadership. However, self-efficacy beliefs did not affect engagement in learning activities over time. Rather, they were influenced by engagement in learning over time. Additionally, two reciprocal relations were found: between vision building and goal interdependence, and between task interdependence and self-reflection. Limitations of the studies point towards a stringent need to develop school organizational and adaptation concepts to include descriptions of the nature of the concepts’ change processes. The findings therefore currently suggest that teacher learning is pivotal in building a school’s change capacity. An environment that is both empowering and purposeful supports learning, and teachers play an active role in the construction of (their) purposeful and empowering workplaces. Working in multidisciplinary teams therefore seems to incite teachers to continuously make sense of what working in such a team implies, and, through interaction with team members, to find ways to strengthen their professional expertise and practice.

The purpose of the study was to explore teachers’ and student teachers’ perspective on reflective practices in teaching and learning in public basic schools in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region of Ghana. The study adopted sequential explanatory design. The study employed the theory of John Dewey (1932) as its theoretical framework. The study employed sequential explanatory design. The population was made up of teachers and student teachers in the Gomoa East District. The study used purposive and simple random sampling procedures to select student teachers and teachers respectively. Structured questionnaires and interview guides were used to gather data from one hundred and twenty nine (129) participants. Descriptive statistics such as simple frequency counts and percentages were used to analyse the quantitative data while content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. Finding from the study revealed that teachers understand the concept of reflective practices and its applications. Reflective practices enable teachers to reflect on their teaching experience. Reflective practices enable teachers to think about their knowledge in their subject area. Reflective practices help to improve teaching. Reflective practices provide direction on what could be done in future for professional growth and development. Reflective practices enable student teachers to engage in problem solving that helps to strengthen teaching ability. Findings from the study also indicate that there was inadequate in-service training for teacher and student teachers in the area of reflective practices. Strategies suggested to enhance reflective practice in teaching and learning were cordial relationship between teachers and student teachers, teachers and student teachers should encourage remedial teaching, effective collaboration in instructional activities between teachers and student teachers, teachers should provide adequate time for student teachers and supervise their performance, adequate in- service training for teacher and student teachers in the area of reflective practices and Regular support from headteachers, experience teachers and other educational stakeholders though mentorship and other teacher professional development programs.The study recommended that the Gomoa East District Education Directorate should organize intensive training in the area of reflective practices in teaching and learning for teachers and student teachers to enable them to gain adequate professional competencies to improve their teaching. Head teachers, experienced teachers and other educational stakeholders should readily offer support to ensure successful reflective practices in teaching and learning in schools. Finally, Ghanaian University Colleges of Education should offer teacher education programs or courses that teach pre-service teachers how to develop higher order thinking skills and how to critically reflect.

This study investigated potential applications of Lesson Study (LS) as a collaborative form of reflective practice and as a model of effective Professional Learning (PL) in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching in Indonesian tertiary contexts. Three research issues were addressed: the EFL secondary school teachers’ and LS specialists’ beliefs about LS as a form of PL, the EFL tertiary lecturers’ beliefs about PL, and the potential applications of LS as a model of PL in tertiary contexts. LS is presented as a model of PL that offers EFL teachers in Indonesia a way to shift current transmissive teacher-centered approaches to EFL teaching to more student- centered learning. It is argued that in Indonesian tertiary educational settings, secondary school teachers PL should similarly become the centre of their own learning. Drawing on theories of reflective practices in teaching and learning and the principles of LS, the study sought to demonstrate the applicability of LS as a model of EFL lecturers’ PL in tertiary contexts. Informed by interpretivist approach and naturalistic inquiry, the study involved twelve EFL teachers from secondary schools, three LS specialists, and seven EFL lecturers from the Gama Language Training Centre (GLTC) in Indonesia. Using qualitative methods, focus group interviews and in-depth interviews were utilized to gather the data. Focus group interviews were conducted with the EFL secondary school teachers and the EFL lecturers in the GLTC, while individual in-depth interviews were carried out with the LS specialists. These three lenses on the phenomenon under enquiry provided rich data for exploration. The data were triangulated for trustworthiness and credibility. The data were analysed thematically using increasingly rigorous levels of coding. The findings are illustrated by verbatim quotations to give voice to the participants. The findings indicate that many of the participants in the secondary school contexts considered LS an efficacious approach to teacher reflective practice and PL. The collaborative work and reflective practice embedded in the phases of LS provided many learning opportunities for enhancing EFL content knowledge and creating effective pedagogies that contributed positively to their sense of self as professional educators. Another finding reveals that after having focus group interviews, the EFL lecturers in the GLTC shifted their beliefs from a paradigm of professional development to one of PL. LS with its phases of PLAN, DO, SEE offers a potential framework of PL to achieving this. When comparing and contrasting the school teachers’ beliefs about LS as a collaborative and reflective practice form of PL with those beliefs held about PL at the tertiary level, it was found that both groups of participants believed their PL activity was an opportunity for them to become better practitioners. The findings too revealed that the characteristics of LS as the form of the EFL secondary school teachers PL have embedded in the EFL lecturers’ PL in the GLTC. This provides opportunities for LS to be adopted as a collaborative model of reflective practice so that the transmissive mode of EFL teaching in Indonesia can be shifted to one more focused on student learning. LS proved to be effective model of PL and it is currently undertaken by secondary school teachers; therefore, it will be particularly useful for EFL teaching in Indonesian tertiary contexts. The implication of this study of LS as collaborative and reflective PL in Indonesian tertiary institutions is that PL is essential in improving teacher professionalism and supporting a shift from a transmissive teaching practice to one that is learner centred.

To investigate the impact of nurse managers exercising transformational vs. abusive leadership practices with novice nurses. In a nursing shortage context, it is important to understand better the factors that potentially influence the retention of nurses in the early stages of their career. A large body of research has found that transformational leadership practices have a positive influence on employee functioning. However, very little research exists about the detrimental impact of abusive leadership practices, much less in a nursing context. A cross-sectional design where 541 nurses from the province of Quebec (Canada) were questioned in the fall of 2013. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by nurses with less than five years of nursing experience. Results from three linear regression analysis indicated that transformational leadership practices potentially lead to high quality care and weak intention to quit the healthcare facilities. Conversely, abusive leadership practices potentially lead to poorer quality care and to strong intention to quit the healthcare facilities and the nursing profession. Paying close attention to the leadership practices of nurse managers could prove effective in improving patient care and increasing the retention of new nurses, which is helpful in resolving the nursing shortage. Our results specifically suggest not only that we promote supportive leadership practices (transformational leadership) but, most of all, that we spread the word that abusive leadership creates working conditions that could be detrimental to the practice of nursing at career start.

Professional learning can provide many benefits for teachers, particularly those who are early in their career. The provision of professional learning opportunities, such as induction into the profession, mentoring, and collaboration with experienced teachers, can help nurture the professional needs of early career teachers. If these types of professional needs are neglected, early career teachers’ self-efficacy may decrease and their motivation to remain in the teaching profession can be challenged. One type of professional learning that has shown promise for early career teachers is participation in classroom observations. This study was motivated by the aim of exploring the perceived influence of multi-field classroom observations on early career teachers’ professional learning and sense of self-efficacy. Traditionally, classroom observations have been used to appraise and evaluate teachers’ practice, especially that of early career teachers, and the emphasis has been placed on the learning of the observed teacher, mainly through feedback from the evaluating observer. More recently, there has been a growing movement towards using classroom observations as a structured professional learning activity that focuses on the learning of the observer. As part of this approach, rather than appraising the observed teacher, the observer focuses on viewing a classroom lesson with the aim to learn from the teaching experience. This approach can encourage collaboration and motivate the observer to later trial or experiment with teaching strategies or techniques they observed in the lesson. While previous research has been conducted on the affordances and constraints of classroom observations, studies focusing on multi-field classroom observations, where early career teachers observe experienced teachers from within their specialised teaching field, as well as outside their teaching field, are limited. What is also unknown is the influence of classroom observations on early career teachers’ professional learning and sense of self efficacy when they observe experienced teachers from multiple fields. This study used an instrumental case study strategy of inquiry within a constructivist, qualitative research paradigm. The research site was an independent Catholic Boys High School located in Brisbane, Australia. Eight early career teachers and nine experienced teachers participated in this study. Data were collected across three phases via multiple data sources, including individual interviews, concept maps, reflective journals, an emergent model and a final group interview. The data were analysed using Creswell’s (2012) model of coding and interpreted using themes derived from the theoretical framework. The theoretical framework guiding this study is derived from Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory, which postulates that humans learn via the observation of others as well as from enacting behaviours, or learning from experience. The process of social cognitive learning is underpinned by three determinants: behavioural, personal and environmental (Bandura, 1986). A number of findings arose from this study. First, early career teachers reported that they predominantly learnt pedagogical content knowledge when observing in-field experienced teachers, and classroom and behaviour management when observing out-of-field experienced teachers. Second, most early career teachers and experienced teachers reported they changed their teaching practice as a result of participating in multi-field classroom observations. This change in practice was perceived as teaching improvement. Third, the post-observation collaboration between early career teachers and experienced teachers was deemed important as it enabled early career teachers to ask information-gathering questions that enhanced their learning, as well as encouraged experienced teachers to reflect on their practice. Fourth, early career teachers perceived an increase in their self-efficacy as a result of observing and trialling successful teaching techniques. The contributions of this study are fourfold. First, it provides insights into early career teacher professional learning in social contexts. Second, it contributes to the research on early career teacher self-efficacy. Third, the study addresses some of the factors that have been shown to cause early career teacher attrition. Fourth, it addresses the current research shortfall on the effects of multi-field classroom observations on early career teachers and experienced teachers. A further practical implication that emerged from the study was the development of a Multi-Field Classroom Observation Model. This study argues that early career teachers can effectively learn by observing experienced teachers from multiple fields, which can result in enhanced self-efficacy and improved teaching practice. A significant implication of this study is that early career teachers can learn from observing and collaborating with experienced teachers from both within and outside their specialised teaching field, and be motivated to trial new ways of teaching, which can lead to teaching improvement and potentially to enhanced learning outcomes for students.

This article presents the evaluation of a two-year action research project in biology and mathematics teaching involving a primary school and a university in Sweden. The aim of the study was to contribute knowledge about a school–university intersection as a professional learning arena. The teachers’ conceptions about the project implementation, the impact on their learning, teaching practices and pupil learning were made explicit by focus group interview. The evaluation revealed that several motivating factors in this specific learning community – the relevance of the project and connection to the continuing education course, mentors from university, planning tools and time for collaboration – were critical for project implementation and for professional learning to occur. Furthermore, it indicated how teacher learning and teaching practices were related to pupil learning in the professional learning community. The results are also discussed in the light of new research on teachers’ work identity and self-reported health.

In Mozambique the reform of the National Education System takes place through the de-centralisation, privatisation, and reorganisation of teacher training, revitalisation of Zones of Pedagogical Influences (ZIP’s), creation of community schools, creation of capacity for intervention and support at the level of District Directorates, and curricular changes to include more relevant areas and teaching methods. The objective of educational reform which includes the decentralisation and curriculum reform is to make local bodies and schools more autonomous and increasingly responsible for formulating and implementing programmes. The decentralisation aims to create an atmosphere which is conducive to a more effective intervention of social partners such as the local government partners, community members, civil society, national and international organisations. Curriculum reform aims to create an environment that is conducive to a more learner centred approach and which improves the quality of education (MEC, 2006). Decentralisation brings many new roles and tasks for school leaders. Mozambican school leaders are being asked to take on unfamiliar tasks including curriculum development and to create a climate supportive of innovation and collaboration in their schools as well as to provide supplementary “on the job” training for their teachers, through classroom observation and subsequent discussion (MinEd, 1998). Schools are expected to become learning organisations, and transformational leadership practices are seen as having the potential to change a school’s culture and create the conditions for improvement. It is unknown, however, whether school leaders take on these new responsibilities. The first question in this dissertation addresses this problem. Another important question is why school leaders do (not) take on these new roles. It is assumed, amongst others by the MinEd, that a large variation exists among school leaders’ responses to these new roles. An interesting question then is to find out which factors appear to be responsible for this variation in school leaders’ behaviour. Another research question deals with the impact of school leaders’ behaviour. If school leaders exhibit behaviours aimed at school change and teacher professional development to improve organisational learning, individual teacher learning and teaching practices, is there actually evidence for improved organisational learning, individual teacher learning and teaching practices in Mozambican schools?

Schools and school systems across the world are seeking ways of improving student achievement, in response to growing public recognition of the importance of education for individual success and societal progress. School leaders are being challenged to maintain focus on authentic learning in schools while under government pressure for accountability measures linked to student achievement in test scores. In Australia, the introduction of the National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy and the uncertainty of the government use of the results, increases pressure on School leaders to ensure successful student performance under test conditions. Leaders are asking questions about the moral imperative of education and the need to meet increasing government accountabilities. This thesis will report on an exploration of a professional learning program to assist schools and teachers in transforming their teaching and learning practices. The specific purpose of this research is to explore how inferential discussions and critical reflection lead leaders to extrapolate and question the embedded values that underscore decisions and actions in their leadership practices associated with improving learning in the context of their school. The research explored the participants' journey of decision-making through the lens of shared and distributed leadership, reflective pedagogy and authentic learning. It analyses a variety of approaches as to how the moral imperatives of the profession impact on and promote authentic leading. It explores processes of reflection and dialogue in four primary schools as leaders and teachers examine their own practice and develop insights into the characteristics of learning and leading. The epistemological framework of the research is constructivism using the interpretive perspective through symbolic interactionism.;A case study methodology was chosen for the research to provide a rich description of the journey taken by the participants. Data was collected from four Catholic primary schools by examining the personal and professional experiences of participants in the Leaders Transforming Learning and Learners project through the use of semi-structured interviews, focus groups and reflective journals. The process of mind mapping was used to visually represent the transcribed data and to enable in-depth analysis of the data. This research project asked the question 'How did the experience of working collaboratively in a school improvement project expand the participants' understanding of the relationship between leading and learning?' In this research, principals and teachers engaged in a professional learning experience that provided an opportunity to collaborate and reflect on developing their leadership capacity. The research revealed that collaborating with colleagues on a project that explored the moral imperatives of leading and learning within the specific contextual nature of their school led them to rethink leading and learning. Further, when an ethical framework was provided, leaders were able to reflect on the values that shaped their decision-making and further develop their self-awareness as leaders. A deepening understanding of the complexities of decision-making in the educational setting provided the impetus for the development of teacher leaders and fostered a culture of leadership and learning in the schools. These findings are represented graphically in a model of contemporary leadership that captures the relationships of the major components of this linkage between leadership and learning in schools.

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship of school heads’ transformational leadership and school performance among public elementary school in the City Schools Division of San Fernando, La Union. Descriptive-correlational design was used which consists of 27 elementary schools with twenty-seven (27) school heads and four hundred forty-three (443) teachers who were in active service for the School Year 2021-2022 were the respondents of the study. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis H test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, Rank-biserial and Spearman’s rank, Pearson product-moment correlation were the tools used in the study and all analyses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using IBM SPSS. The professional characteristics of the school heads showed that majority of them are occupying a plantilla item of Principal 1 and 2 and are still taking their doctorate degree. Also, most of them served for 10 years and above as school heads and they are managing non-central and medium-sized schools. The practice of transformational leadership among the school heads is generally high and the ratings of the school heads across all the dimensions of transformational leadership are consistent. Majority of the school head in the Division of La Union have Maturing or level 2 SBM practice. The schools have introduced and sustained continuous improvement process that integrates wider community participation and improve significantly the students’ performance and learning outcomes. The test of hypothesis showed that there were no significant differences between school heads and teachers’ ratings of the former’s transformational leadership except for the domains “enabling others to act” and “encouraging the heart”. The school type had a significant relationship with the domain “enabling the heart”. Specifically, those who are managing non-central school had significantly lower scores in encouraging the heart compared to those who are managing the central schools. Other profile variables are not significantly related to transformational leadership. Finally, there was a significant positive correlation between the overall transformational leadership and the schools’ performance. The more school heads practice transformational leadership particularly “Inspiring a shared vision” and “Encouraging the heart”, the higher is the schools’ performance. In conclusion, the elementary schools in the Division of La Union City are compliant to DepEd Order No. 83, s. 2012. However, much is desired to elevate its compliance to advanced stage. Significantly, the high practice of transformational leadership and this is translated in the school improvement and performance marked by the introduction and sustained process of stakeholders’ participation and significant students’ learning outcomes. Remarkably, higher practice of transformational leadership among school heads yields higher school performance particularly along Inspiring a shared vision and Encouraging the heart. Thus, transformational leadership is an effective leadership approach in managing DepEd schools as it ushers significant changes in the development of schools and its stakeholders.

This is a study about teacher learning in a case school. In this context, the study concentrates on teacher learning in groups. In the literature, there is a lot of attention to teacher learning in groups, community, and networks; however, many researchers indicate the necessity of understanding the processes of teacher’s interactions and obtaining concrete evidence of such interactions. This points to the need to secure quantitative data as well as qualitative data.
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\nThis study is a step-wise exploration of teacher learning in the school. Step 1: The study began by understanding the pattern of teacher’s professional interactions using Social Network Analysis (SNA). Step 2: In order to delineate teacher learning in the school, the study then borrowed the concept of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) from Karen Seashore Louis (2006). Hence, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to confirm that the chosen Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) constructs are suitable for this study. Step 3: Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was adopted to link the pattern of teacher’s professional interactions to the confirmed PLCs constructs. Step 4: Interviews were conducted to triangulate with and to interpret the quantitative findings.
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\nWhile Social Network Analysis (SNA) provides a general pattern and relative positions of teacher’s professional interactions, Structural Equation modeling (SEM) helps identifying the types of professional activities and their intensity in the networks. Hence, it provides a 3-D picture of relations among teachers in the case school. This integrated analysis leads to the comprehensively understanding of learning activities that occurred among teachers in this school.
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\nIn this study, the concept of PLC is seen as a combination of Professional Community (PC) and Organizational Learning (OL). It is found that, in this school, teachers themselves have high capacity for learning through networks. The major way of interactions among teachers is through discussions to exchange resources and ideas.
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\nThe findings are in two dimensions: The first is about professional community. The framework of professional community comprises reflective dialogue (which is how teachers engage in deep discussions about instructions) and deprivatized practice (which is how teachers exchange their practices through classroom observation and coteaching). Teachers in the school are found to be strong in the former and weak in the latter. Second, because of the lack of practice sharing and because of the lack of a whole-school system to promote collective practice (which can be IT platforms, regulations, policies, mechanisms, and so forth), the school is yet to demonstrate full capacity of organizational learning.
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\nIn relevance to theory, while there is a vague, ambiguous, and overlapping meaning of professional community and organizational learning in the literature, the study points to the possible distinction between the two. Empirically, it can be concluded that professional community emphasizes on the interactions among teachers, whereas organizational learning emphasizes on collective actions in the whole school.
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\nThe study leads to the reinterpretation and modification of Louis (2006)’s framework. To become a learning school, three elements are essential: (1) Teachers engage in professional discussions (i.e. reflective dialogue), (2) Teachers exchange and share professional practices (i.e. deprivatized practice), (3) There must be systemic efforts to facilitate collective action (i.e. shared social construction).