Shared leadership in theory: collaborative practice in education
Vangrieken et al. (2015) define collaborative practice as when individuals work within a group, communicating and contributing during all activities while working towards a shared goal or specific task outcome.
Collaborative practice sounds like the most sensible and obvious way of working- why work alone when you can work within a strong team? Yet within schools, cooperation- individuals working on separate components of a project and then combining their efforts, is most often used within departments. Departments often work as seperate, independent units, apart from the rest of the school, mirroring the upper tiers of school leadership and their seperate, independent responsibilties. Sawyer (2006) argues that collaboration differs from cooperation in both method and results; collaboration involves group members working together in all aspects of a project to achieve the same goal in a more time-efficient, cost and skills effective way.
Shared leadership is a practical example of how collaborative practice can be embedded within schools from the outset rather than as an add on or a tick box exercise within departments.
Shared leadership has the potential to entirely shift schools’ perceptions of themselves as organisations. Despite increased pressure on results and standards, schools should not become dreary cubicled office spaces where staff are alone within a group but work to become strong communities, working together to provide young people with the skills they need to achieve the futures they deserve.
Benefits of collaborative practice
Benefits of collaborative practice include positive outcomes for teacher groups and the wider school. In a 2016 study, Acar and Yildiz identified improvements in methodology and ‘classroom management skills’ including; planning, preparation, ability to react to escalating situations in a calm manner and behaviour management. On a wider school level, benefits of collaboration include staff viewing the school culture as more supportive of innovation- through the trialling of new ideas through a community of collaboration (Vangrieken et al., 2015). Kettle and Sellars (1996) found that teachers in all stages of their careers benefitted from reflective peer groups who worked collaboratively, as they worked to challenge existing theories and preconceived views of teaching.
shared leadership as collaborative practice
Shared leadership is fundamentally interlinked with collaborative practice. A shared leadership role believes that two (or more) heads are better than one, that combinations of experience, values and skillsets are more valuable than individuals working alone. Hoch (2013) defines shared leadership as a system "where multiple team members engage in leadership and is characterized by collaborative decision-making and shared responsibility for outcomes."
benefits of shared leadership
“two heads are better than one” Evelyn Holdsworth and Nick Tildesley, Co-Headteachers at John Donne primary school in Peckham, south London.
Shared and therefore increased, accountability from leaders for school staff and governors.
Increased presence around school, for staff and students. More time for heads to observe lessons, circulate corridors, welcome parents and new students, lead assemblies and pop in to extra-curricular/form-time activities.
Increased levels of experience and skills.
Co-heads learn and reflect from each other, meaning leaders are more well-rounded, empathetic and skilled in a variety of tasks.
More flexibility- for schools and staff. Shared leadership makes a statement in a school. It champions ideas of flexibility and raises aspirations in staff who would otherwise feel limited by their personal committments to progress to leadership.
Increasing the amount of young leaders and female leaders. 74% of teachers are female, while 65% of heads are female. This means there is an average of 1700 female teachers per year who could become heads but are disparaged from doing so because of the culture in education- the Shared Headship Network can change this!