Developing Leadership for Improvement

Iterative Cycles as Opportunities for Learning

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2023.345

Keywords:

improvement science, iterative testing, EdD, educational leadership, systems change

Abstract

Improvement and action-oriented research approaches make iterative testing to learn about systems and adaptive change a central practice. As the need to develop the field’s capacity to improve grows, so does the need to develop leaders’ capacity for leading and conducting iterative cycles of testing. The present study reveals how EdD. candidates learn to investigate and specify problems and aims, develop the capacity to lead, and conduct iterative cycles of testing in schools and school districts. We draw on the implementation of core learning activities in one Educational Leadership Doctoral Program employing improvement science as a signature methodology. Findings suggest shifting candidate orientations, growth in the capacity to engage in iterative cycles for improvement of problem definition and actionable steps, and the ability to garner collegial engagement in improvement and iterative testing. Implications highlight the importance of designing and structuring learning activities beyond those that exist in traditional research methods courses to ensure adequate candidate preparation.

References

Biag, M., & Sherer, D. (2021). Getting better at getting better: Improvement dispositions in education. Teachers College Record, 123(4), 1–42. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146812112300402

Beswick, K. (2014). What teachers’ want: Identifying mathematics teachers’ professional learning needs. The Mathematics Enthusiast, 11(1), 83–108. https://doi.org/10.54870/1551-3440.1293

Bryk, A. S., Gomez, L. M., Grunow, A., & LeMahieu, P. G. (2015). Learning to improve: How America’s schools can get better at getting better. Harvard Education Press.

François, A., & Hunter Quartz, K. (2021). Preparing and sustaining social justice educators. Harvard Education Press.

Freire, P. (2014). Pedagogy of the oppressed (30th ed). Bloomsbury.

Hinnant-Crawford, B. N. (2020). Improvement science in education: A primer. Myers Education Press.

Langley, G. J., Moen, R. D., Nolan, K, M., Nolan, T. W., Norman, C. L., & Provost, L. P. (2009). The improvement guide: A practical approach to enhancing organizational performance. Wiley.

Lozano, M. (2017). Learning in practice: Exploring the use of plan-do-study-act cycles to support professional learning. University of California, Los Angeles.

Perry, J. A., Zambo, D., & Crow, R. (2020). The improvement science dissertation in practice: A guide for faculty, committee members, and their students. Myers Education Press.

Sandoval Jr, C., & van Es, E. A. (2021). Examining the practices of generating an aim statement in a teacher preparation networked improvement community. Teachers College Record, 123(6), 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146812112300606

Young, M. R., Rapp, E., & Murphy, J. W. (2010). Action research: Enhancing classroom practice and fulfilling educational responsibilities. Journal of Instructional Pedagogies, 3(1), 1–10. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1096942.pdf

Yurkofsky, M. M., Peterson, A. J., Mehta, J. D., Horwitz-Willis, R., & Frumin, K. M. (2020). Research on continuous improvement: Exploring the complexities of managing educational change. Review of Research in Education, 44(1), 403–433. https://doi.org/10.3102/0091732X20907363

Downloads

Published

2023-04-24

How to Cite

Lozano, M., Garcia, L. W., & Sandoval, C. (2023). Developing Leadership for Improvement: Iterative Cycles as Opportunities for Learning. Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice, 8(2), 16–24. https://doi.org/10.5195/ie.2023.345

Issue

Section

Themed-Reimagining Research Methods Coursework for the Preparation of Scholar-Practitioners