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Article
Publication date: 10 October 2016

Dennis Shirley

As a “business capital” model premised upon a financial perspective of educational change spreads itself into school systems around the world, a countervailing view of…

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Abstract

Purpose

As a “business capital” model premised upon a financial perspective of educational change spreads itself into school systems around the world, a countervailing view of “professional capital,” as proposed by Hargreaves and Fullan, provides a new framework for transforming teaching and uplifting learning. The purpose of this paper is to advance theory by distinguishing among three forms of professional capital found in three different settings.

Design/methodology/approach

Systemic professional capital is exemplified by the city-state of Singapore, in which schools, higher education, and the Ministry of Education all support one another to optimize student learning. Social movement professional capital is manifested in the Learning Communities Project of rural middle schools in Mexico, where change is driven forward with a model of tutorial relationships that has proven to be sustainable even when funding is cut and political support is withdrawn. Activist professional capital can be identified in a Teacher Solutions Team model in Arizona in the USA, where educators carve out new zones of interaction and support for one another to deepen their knowledge base. This paper examines and discusses the above.

Findings

Systemic, social movement, and activist forms of professional capital are found to share affinities with the three forms of teacher professionalism identified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development based on findings from the Teaching and Learning International Survey.

Originality/value

These distinctions among various forms of professional capital invite further research and theory building to provide alternatives to the rise of business capital in schools and school systems.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 1 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 October 2021

Daphnee Hui Lin Lee

Both Hong Kong and Singapore leverage teacher collaboration to improve student learning, but state reforms differ in how teacher collaborative capabilities are prioritized. This…

Abstract

Purpose

Both Hong Kong and Singapore leverage teacher collaboration to improve student learning, but state reforms differ in how teacher collaborative capabilities are prioritized. This paper provides a nuanced comparison of Hong Kong and Singapore teachers' values (risk-taking, power distance and uncertainty avoidance) to develop insights into how different policy focuses cultivate teachers' capabilities to focus on improving student learning.

Design/methodology/approach

Employing Hargreaves and Fullan's (2012) concept of professional capital, statistical analyses determine teachers' values profiles of high, medium and low professional capital in the respective contexts. Leveraging related research on Singapore teachers (Lee and Lee, 2018), nuances in teachers' values in the Hong Kong results are identified via cluster analysis and explained via structural equation modelling.

Findings

Medium professional capital Hong Kong teachers' values matched Singapore's, but teachers in other clusters are nuanced. Compared to Singapore teachers with similar levels of professional capital, high professional capital Hong Kong teachers have higher uncertainty avoidance, while low professional capital teachers are the opposite. In Hong Kong, high uncertainty avoidance values positively influence teacher leadership and focus on student learning. Nevertheless, as with their Singapore counterparts, high professional capital Hong Kong teachers have low power distance and high risk-taking values.

Originality/value

This paper raises awareness regarding policy's influence in cultivating teachers' values and their transformational change capabilities. By comparing two hierarchical Chinese societies, the discussion questions whether Chinese and Western cultural influences are mutually exclusive, and whether transformational change in cultural values, if achievable, is necessary.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 March 2022

Jian-Jun Wang, Huiyuan Liu and Jiao Ye

Online medical teams (OMTs) are gaining popularity as a new form of online health service to provide patients with prompt and guaranteed treatment. While the effective development…

Abstract

Purpose

Online medical teams (OMTs) are gaining popularity as a new form of online health service to provide patients with prompt and guaranteed treatment. While the effective development of an OMT depends on physicians’ active participation, there is insufficient research on how a doctor gains from the OMT, especially from the multilevel and cross-level perspectives. In attempting to narrow this knowledge gap, the authors hypothesize multilevel and cross-level professional capital determinants of physicians’ performance in online health-care communities (OHCs) through the lens of social exchange theory.

Design/methodology/approach

This study develops a cross-level model to explain the effects of individual and team professional capital on physicians’ performance. To test the research model and hypotheses, the authors leverage data of 10,398 physicians engaged in 2,611 popular OMTs in China in conjunction with the hierarchical linear model approach.

Findings

The results indicated that physicians’ status capital (SC) and decisional capital (DC) are positively related to their performance. The SC and DC of an OMT not only increase physicians’ performance but also indirectly strengthen the positive effect of physicians’ SC on their performance. In contrast, OMTs’ SC and DC lessen the importance of physicians’ DC in promoting their performance.

Originality/value

By studying the mechanism between professional capital and physicians’ performance, this study provides several contributions to theory and practice. Specifically, this study contributes to the extant professional capital research by uncovering the influencing pathways of professional capital on physicians’ performance from a cross-level perspective. These findings suggest physicians pay close attention to the strength and mechanism of OMTs’ professional capital in improving their online performance.

Article
Publication date: 30 April 2020

Dana Specker Watts and Jayson W. Richardson

The purpose of this study was to investigate the connection between professional development and professional capital within international schools in Asia.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the connection between professional development and professional capital within international schools in Asia.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was an exploratory multisite case study. Teachers and leaders in six high performing international schools in Asia were surveyed to measure their professional capital. Three leaders with the highest professional capital from different schools were interviewed to better understand how professional development fosters professional capital of their teachers.

Findings

International school leaders tended to have high professional capital while teachers reported having less professional capital. Leaders fostered professional capital of their teachers through professional development by supporting the intellectual passions of individuals, fostering collaborative learning within and across international schools and creating a culture of safety and vulnerability for teachers to try new things.

Research limitations/implications

This study showed that a short version of the professional capital survey tested well in this context with items just focused on professional development. However, more work needs to be done to make the individual constructs more robust as it pertains to professional development. This research also highlighted the need to look at how international school teachers foster their own professional capital through professional development.

Originality/value

This is the first study that focused on the intersection of professional capital and professional development. Additionally, this article serves as one of the few studies of professional capital in international schools.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 August 2023

Hung-Chang Chen

This study examines the deployment of excellent retired principals (ERPs) as system leaders to facilitate systemic professional capital building in Taipei City, Taiwan. It…

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the deployment of excellent retired principals (ERPs) as system leaders to facilitate systemic professional capital building in Taipei City, Taiwan. It explores the unique approach of the Taipei City government and contributions of ERPs in driving educational reforms.

Design/methodology/approach

This study combines the perspectives of system leadership and professional capital, and analyzes the roles and practices of ERPs in promoting professional capital in Taipei's local education system. It draws on qualitative data gathered through interviews and document analyses.

Findings

The findings reveal that the Taipei City government adopted a systemic approach by appointing designated retired principals as system leaders. The findings are categorized into three themes. ERPs serve as systemic capacity-builders, enhancing leadership across the local education system; ERPs act as collaborators and bridge-builders, fostering joint work and a collective sense of professional responsibility; and ERPs function as facilitators and advisors, cultivating decisional capital by providing informed decision-making support based on their experiences and wisdom. These roles challenge the notion of late-career decline, highlight the ongoing contributions of ERPs to the education system, and extend professional capital beyond teacher development, influencing system-wide collective capacity-building, collective responsibility, and policy enactments.

Originality/value

This study contributes to understanding how exceptional retired principals can drive systemic reform and build systemic professional capital. It expands previous research by highlighting the unique Chinese cultural context in Taipei City and continued contributions of retired principals to the education system.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 July 2023

Andrea Nolan

Since the early 2000s there has been increased attention on the professionalisation of the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) workforce in many OECD countries. This study…

Abstract

Purpose

Since the early 2000s there has been increased attention on the professionalisation of the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) workforce in many OECD countries. This study focuses on what Australian early childhood educators holding the lowest level of qualification – Certificate III are experiencing in relation to their professional capital in a sector that is experiencing wide-spread and ongoing reform. The study identifies the human capital, social capital and decisional capital of these educators, then explores the interconnections.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper was funded by the Australian Research Council. The qualitative data consider the capabilities of certificate-qualified educators and how these are enabled or constrained within the workplace. The corpus of data for this study consists of 14 interviews with Certificate III-qualified educators from three locations across Victoria, Australia. Hargreaves and Fullan’s (2012) forms of professional capital (human, social and decisional) act as organisers for the themes identified through a thematic analysis.

Findings

Themes identified in the data speak to inequity in access to professional learning, the valuing of life experiences, clear divisions of labour that impact what knowledge is valued, and differences in educator agency in the decision-making process. Many certificate-qualified educators experience a workplace culture that lacks trust in an individual’s professional competence and does not appreciate collegial knowledge and skill building as a collective enterprise.

Originality/value

The conceptual framing of this study provides a unique way to explore the experiences of certificate-trained educators. The study introduces the idea of using exploratory categories and the identification of levels of human, social and decisional capital. This type of study involving this cohort of educators is unique.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 8 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 January 2017

Corrie Stone-Johnson

The purpose of this paper is to describe how teachers’ generational interpretative frameworks influence their career experiences and to demonstrate how these generational…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe how teachers’ generational interpretative frameworks influence their career experiences and to demonstrate how these generational differences impact the power of professional capital to improve teaching and learning.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper utilizes data from a multi-year, mixed methods study of mid-career teachers in Massachusetts. Data in this paper come from semi-structured interviews with 12 Generation X teachers (born 1961-1980).

Findings

Generation X teachers have a unique self-image, self-esteem, task perception, job motivation, and future perspective that form their generational interpretative framework. This framework is different from that of the prior generation.

Originality/value

These generational differences have implications for how Generation X teachers view professionalism and autonomy and how they see their careers over time. Drawing upon Hargreaves and Fullan’s (2012) suggestions for school leaders, three implications are highlighted. First, a model of professional capital that incorporates teachers’ generational differences must be aware of how teachers view their work before engaging in changing it. This implication ties directly into the second, which is that leaders must know their teachers and understand the culture in which they work. Together, these two implications suggest that implementing a model of professional capital is not enough; it must begin with deliberate thought as to who the teachers are who are being asked to change. Finally, to secure leadership stability and sustainability, leaders must respect generational differences that influence teachers’ desires to move, or not move, into formal leadership roles.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2022

Pamela Osmond-Johnson and Lucrécia Raquel Fuhrmann

This paper draws on data from a research project that examined the impact of a community of practice (CoP) model of teaching practicum that engaged teacher candidates in…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper draws on data from a research project that examined the impact of a community of practice (CoP) model of teaching practicum that engaged teacher candidates in collaborative inquiry projects based on self-identified problems of practice that emerged during their practicum experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach was adopted to better understand the ways in which the CoP served as a support mechanism for teacher candidates to develop social capital during internship. Data collection included anecdotal observation notes, student postings in online discussion forums, and a one-hour post-project focus group. Data analysis was rooted in phenomenology (Lin, 2013) and was guided by the four pronged coding process outlined by Bicudo (2000).

Findings

As the paper illustrates, the CoP created rich opportunities for teacher candidates to cultivate social capital, which positively impacted their human and decisional capital. Relatedly, teacher candidates demonstrated an enhanced sense of collective efficacy and an understanding of the significance of collaborative professional cultures on their continued growth as members of the teaching profession.

Originality/value

While a number of studies have considered various factors impacting the professional capital of practicing teachers, the development of professional capital amongst interning teachers remains as an under-explored area in the research literature.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 January 2017

Wanda Tong and Agnes Razniak

The purpose of this paper is to analyze current literature on building professional capital, interpreted through the lens of Alberta educators. Through reflections on their field…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze current literature on building professional capital, interpreted through the lens of Alberta educators. Through reflections on their field experiences, the authors aim to provide leaders with realistic strategies for developing professional capital, that rely on effective collaborative leadership, professional development (PD), and adult learning. These strategies can be incorporated in a variety of individualized school contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are interpreted from literature to inform the inquiry into professional capital, focusing on defining effective strategies for attaining professional capital within publicly funded schools in the province of Alberta.

Findings

Insights are provided for school-based leaders in developing strategies to build professional capital as a means of twenty-first century skill attainment, which includes the transformation from a traditional mindset to innovative teaching and learning practices. Three important elements emerged from the literature review for educational leaders to consider in developing effective professional capital: collaborative leadership, PD, and adult learning.

Research limitations/implications

Lack of time and funding are most frequently reported as obstacles to implementing professional capital in schools. A number of effective strategies are presented to assist school-based leaders in tackling these hindrances.

Originality/value

In building professional capital, including human, social, and decisional capital effectively, leaders may embark on incorporating the three focal elements presented in this paper, with an awareness of their staff’s strengths, needs, and pedagogies.

Details

Journal of Professional Capital and Community, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-9548

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2020

Anita Mac and Karen Albertsen

The project “Public schools in change – collaboration as a resource” was aimed to strengthen professional capital (social- human- and decision-capital) in public schools and as a…

Abstract

Purpose

The project “Public schools in change – collaboration as a resource” was aimed to strengthen professional capital (social- human- and decision-capital) in public schools and as a part of this to strengthen collaboration within teams. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the approach of linking development of professional capital to the development of team competence through facilitating and discuss the adequacy of the methods used to fulfil the purpose.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was designed as a multiple case intervention implemented at four worksites. It was organized as a course consisting of four sessions among 15–20 team coordinators from each school unit. The research group provided insights and methods to increase the team’s ability to manage tasks and cooperate.

Findings

Based on observations of team meetings, the study provides a discussion on the usefulness of the approach of linking team competence and professional capital. Both at theoretical and practical levels, the study finds it is meaningful to combine facilitating as methods to ensure the creation of value in organizational teamwork, in general, with the concept of professional capital pointing on the quality of the core task and particularly developed within an educational context.

Research limitations/implications

The study provide a presentation of two theoretical frameworks and a discussion of the adequacy of linking these frameworks to the development of team competences in a school context.

Practical implications

The study suggests that organizations and educational institutions (of teachers, physicians, and social workers) may benefit from linking professional capital and facilitating and thereby provide employees and students training in professional collaboration.

Social implications

In a still more complex society, collaboration is crucial. The study suggests ways to improve collaboration, quality of the core task along with the relational dimensions in the psychosocial work environment.

Originality/value

Development of professional capital through increased team competences and facilitating skills represents a new and promising approach with theoretical as well as practical implications within a school context. Indeed, not only school teams but also teams in other organizations dealing with social- task- and contextual complexity can benefit from the insights and experiences of this study.

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