The purpose of study was twofold. The primary purpose was to describe and explain the perceptions and lived experiences of high school teachers through their involvement in a Professional Learning Community, as defined by Hord (1997). Teachers' experiences within a Professional Learning Community were examined for patterns of cultivated leadership and social capital. The second purpose of the study was to identify the influencing variables connected with how the participants viewed themselves as leaders as a result of their participation in a professional learning community. One influencing variable in particular that was examined was the influence of social capital in professional learning communities. Hord's explanation of a professional learning community was the conceptual framework for this study, which states that such communities are made up of five essential dimensions: (1) Shared and supportive leadership, (2) Shared values and vision, (3) Collective learning and its application, (4) Shared personal practice, and (5) Supportive conditions. Online survey research method was used in order to investigate teacher leadership in Professional Learning Communities and the underlying variables associated with participation in such communities. The findings of this study indicated that teachers have varying perceptions of their work with professional learning communities. Overall, the data suggested that teachers' experiences and perceptions negatively correlated with their development as a teacher leader. Although most teachers in this study did not experience empowerment as a teacher leader, most gained some sense of social capital through their collaborative efforts within their learning communities. The data reflected that most teachers felt connected to the colleagues within their communities. School leadership is vital to the sustainability of professional learning communities and towards the professional growth of teacher leaders. Consequently, this study suggests that future research is conducted to examine the influence of school leaders on teacher leadership development and the impact that professional learning communities have on such development for teachers.

The purpose of this study was to explore how public elementary school principals develop teacher leadership capacity within their schools, as well as the effect of this effort on a school's performance. After examining a variety of sources, such as journal articles and web-based search engines, the researcher determined that there was scant information explaining the process principals undergo to create teacher leadership roles in an effort to develop a high-performing school. To accomplish the goals of this study, salient reports in the field of teacher leadership were reviewed. The insights afforded from these reports guided the researcher in developing a field-based investigation focusing on school leaders and teachers employed in three high-performing elementary schools in central Florida. The researcher explored features of teacher leadership that were evident in high-performing schools and sought to discover the characteristics principals seek in selecting new teachers. Also investigated were the teacher leadership opportunities created by the principals and the ways in which these roles helped to sustain the elementary schools' high performance. Furthermore, recent school-based decisions made by the school leaders were studied. Throughout the data, school administrators provided opportunities for teacher leadership within their schools, primarily by forming school-based committees. The results showed that principals solicited opinions from teachers, especially when it came to curriculum and instructional concerns. In addition, when sharing best practices or participating in staff-development opportunities with colleagues, teachers felt satisfied with their work environments. School leaders and teachers understood the roles they played in the overall success of their schools. Based on the results of this qualitative study, principals can build leadership capacity at schools by first establishing a culture of trust, honesty, and professionalism between themselves and the teachers. Next, school leaders provide and support opportunities for leadership by aligning teacher strengths and roles. The researcher recommends that future research in teacher leadership examine whether the principal's impact on teacher leadership has an affect on retention at the school level.

Isaacson's (2004) dissertation chronicles the implementation of a constructivist instructional approach at Southwood Elementary School. Southwood's faculty experienced a change of principals, which the Tri-Partite Theory of Organizational Change and Succession, a theory of organizational entropy, predicts could lead to organizational entropy. This study examines the dynamics of the change in principal, as well as Isaacson's recommendation to study teachers' perceptions regarding the maintenance of the constructivist approach. This study answers three questions: 1) Are faculty still using constructivist strategies? 2) What are teacher perceptions regarding the maintenance and support of constructivist philosophy? 3) Is there congruence between what literature identifies as constructivist strategies and what teachers identify as constructivism and classroom practice? This study uses three sources. First, literature identified constructivist strategies and approaches. Second, teachers and principal were interviewed regarding an array of issues, such as their understanding constructivism, their perception of maintaining the constructivist philosophy, and student and teacher classroom roles. Third, classrooms were observed and scored using the Constructivist Teaching Inventory (CTI) as a rubric.The primary and an outside researcher identified four common themes that all support constructivist practices and philosophies: questioning, student-centered learning, active learning and the social influence on learning. Classroom observations, three for each of the interviewed teachers, were scored using the Constructivist Teaching Inventory.Southwood faculty and staff developed professional learning communities (PLC), which support and maintain constructivist strategies. PLCs are supports for new teachers in developing constructivist strategies. CTI results indicate that teachers are implementing constructivist strategies. Constructivist strategies could be impleme nted by telling teachers what to say or do, without understanding the why behind the actions. Although the principal, who initiated application of constructivist strategies retired and was replaced in 2004, constructivist strategies remain in use. The changes that occur with change in leadership, as predicted in the Tri-Partite Theory, were managed at Southwood by an internal replanning process of establishing PLCs. This study lends credence to the importance of professional learning communities as a constructivist change strategy, which finessed the entropy organizations face with leadership changes by establishing PLCs as a socialization process.

This qualitative phenomenological study involving in-depth interviews with seven educators in K-12 and higher education examines the role that the microblogging service Twitter plays in the formation and development of Personal Learning Networks (PLN) among educators. A double hermeneutic data analysis shows that Twitter plays a role in the formation and development of PLNs by allowing educators to; engage in consistent and sustained dialogue with their PLN, access the collective knowledge of their PLN, amplify and promote more complex thoughts and ideas to a large audience, and expand their PLN using features unique to Twitter. This research also examines the nature of a PLN and shows that participants believe their PLN extends beyond their Twitter network to encompass both face-to-face and other ICT mediated relationships. Secondary research questions examine how Twitter differs from other social networking tools in mediating relationships within a PLN, what motivates an educator to develop a PLN, how trust is established in a PLN, what the expectations of reciprocity are within a PLN, and what is the nature of informal learning within a PLN. Keywords: Twitter, microblogging, Personal Learning Network, PLN, informal learning

A variety of policies originating from Ontario’s Ministry of Education make it clear that education reform requires that teachers reflect on their practice. Despite this, there is little evidence of a common understanding of just what reflection would look like in teacher practice.This means that Initial Teacher Education programs face ambiguous challenges both in producing teachers who can reflect on practice in order to participate in school reform and in matching program goals regarding reflection to admissions requirements. This study investigated the understanding and evaluation of reflection in an Initial Teacher Education program through interviews with 15 instructors and field partners who had evaluated applicants’ written evidence of reflection. Differences among participants were evident in the understanding of reflection;however, the overriding theme of conscious attention to and engagement with experience as a vehicle for change was consistent with current literature. Differences in the evaluation of profiles were based on perceptions of how well applicants met the criterion of specificity, which was emphasized in the rubric; what role their judgement should take in evaluation decisions and the knowledge base on which those decisions were made. Participants described an organizational context in their Initial Teacher Education Program in which reflection was encouraged but not formalized or defined in any consistent way, and described opportunities for reflection that resembled informal communities of practice. They articulated some significant dilemmas in the fair evaluation of reflection that were similar to the challenges of school administrators evaluating the reflection required of teachers. The results of the study have implications for admissions policies as well as for creating a culture of reflection and inquiry in an Initial Teacher Education Program or school.

Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2009. / Dissertation advisor: Anthony Rigazio-Digilio. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate in Educational Leadership." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-122). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ed.D.) -- Central Connecticut State University, 2009. / Dissertation advisor: Penelope Lisi. "... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctorate in Educational Leadership." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 125-141). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Australian Catholic University, 2008. / A thesis submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 255-276). Also available in an electronic format via the internet.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Instructional Systems and Workforce Development. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

abstract: Professional development is best when embedded in one's practice and linked directly to the classroom. Opportunities for teachers to identify specific areas of concern in their classroom and problem solve solutions via action research promotes a culture of inquiry. This culture of inquiry is enhanced when teams of teachers collaborate and share their action research experiences. In this study, action research training was provided to teachers to create a trained cohort of action research teachers within the school. Members of this cohort voluntarily joined with other teachers interested in classroom action research and participated in a professional learning community (PLC). The members of this PLC initiated classroom action research projects and met collaboratively as a PLC. The study examined what collaborative practitioner inquiry contributed to teacher professional development and how my leadership contributed to teacher professional development. Data were collected through the administration of a survey, interviews, transcriptions of PLC meetings, and my research journal. Findings indicate that participants benefited from the provided professional development and my leadership as a result of the intervention. Teachers applied the professional literature and used data to inform their instruction. Teacher collaboration was enhanced and teachers examined instructional practices. Lastly, my leadership enhanced teacher application of action research. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2011