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. A qualitative method of inquiry was employed to illuminate the experiences of a particular primary school principal in his endeavours to create and maintain a collaborative learning environment among teachers in an inviting school in South Africa. Data were analysed using the four assumptions of invitational education, 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 invitational education. This study provides an appropriate basis for developing such a collaborative teacher community, thus improving teacher and student learning. However, since school contexts have a powerful effect on teacher collaboration, it is important to contextualise teacher collaboration according to schools' particular needs and challenges.