Relationships between teacher value orientations, collegiality, and collaboration in school professional learning communities

• Published in: Social psychology of education 2015-06, Vol.18 (2), p.337-354
• Main Authors: Ning, Hoi Kwan, Lee, Daphnee, Lee, Wing On
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Analysis; Collectivism; Collegiality; Communities of Practice; Education; Educational Objectives; Educational Strategies; Faculty Development; Group work in education; Interaction; Learning; Lifelong Learning; Outcomes of Education; Personality and Social Psychology; Power Structure; Predictor Variables; Professional development; Social aspects; Sociology of Education; Standardized Tests; Structural Equation Models; Teacher Collaboration; Teachers; Teaching Methods; Team learning approach in education; Teamwork; Value Judgment; Values
• ISSN: 1381-2890; 1573-1928
• DOI: 10.1007/s11218-015-9294-x

Unlike past research which has mainly examined whole school or whole department professional learning communities, this study focused on factors related to effective collaborative practices within teacher learning teams. Our main objective was to ascertain the roles of team value orientations (collectivism and power distance) and team collegiality in explaining team collaboration. Based on data obtained from 207 learning teams, structural equation modelling demonstrated that team collectivism had a positive effect on team collegiality. In addition to being a significant positive predictor of team collaboration, team collegiality was also found to mediate the effects of team collectivism on team collaboration. Although we did not detect any significant direct or indirect effect of team power distance on team collegiality or team collaboration, latent interaction analysis identified team power distance as a moderator of the relationship between team collegiality and teacher collaboration. It was found that the positive effects of team collegiality on team collaboration were stronger for teams with lower levels of power distance. Our findings draw attention to the important roles of team value orientations and collegiality in the context of teacher professional learning. Implications for teacher professional development and directions for future studies were also discussed.