Teacher Collaboration and Invitational Leadership in a South African Primary School

Abstract

The focus on schools as communities of learning for teachers has prompted professionals to investigate the role of professional learning within a school context. This is an attempt to investigate the voice of the principal regarding the implementation of teacher collaboration in his or her school, and to determine how teacher collaboration is aligned with assumptions of invitational education (IE). A qualitative method of inquiry was employed to illuminate the experiences of a particular primary school principal in his endeavors to create and maintain a collaborative learning environment among teachers in an inviting school in South Africa. Data were analyzed using the four assumptions of IE, namely, respect, trust, optimism, and intentionality. From the findings, it was clear that the implementation of teacher collaboration in the school was aligned with the four assumptions of IE. This study provides an appropriate basis for developing such a collaborative teacher community, thus improving teacher and student learning. However, because school contexts have a powerful effect on teacher collaboration, it is important to contextualize teacher collaboration according to schools’ particular needs and challenges.