Mindful Collaboration to Influence School Improvement

Abstract

School leaders use collaboration for a variety of purposes including school improvement. This study researched how school principals used collaboration for school improvement and examined the day-to-day impact on principals and their staff. A mixed method design was employed to answer questions about collaboration including fruitful areas to encourage, removal of barriers and addition of supports for successful collaboration. The Levels of School Collaboration Scale was developed as a quantitative measure of collaboration in schools to examine the perceived levels of collaboration between various nested relationships in schools of teachers and teams. The scale identified Pinewood Elementary as site of promising collaborative practice for further research. Findings from the case study found that school leaders play an executive role in establishing, supporting and maintaining a collaborative culture for school improvement. The implications for school leaders included the identification of a systematic mindful approach through four dimensions of collaboration to influence successful collaboration.