Implications of a critical friend in the resignificance of pedagogical leadership practices

ABSTRACTThe objective of the study is to describe the academic counseling developed by a critical friend to a school directive team and its implications in the transformation of their pedagogical leadership practices. The participants were seven school directors in a school in the south of Chile and a teacher advisor who fulfilled the role of ‘critical friend’. This qualitative case study was framed within a sequential participatory action-research design that was divided into a diagnostic phase, a design and implementation of practices phase, and a transformation process evaluation phase. The collection of information was carried out through a follow-up logbook to support the directive team. This allowed documenting the pedagogical leadership ‘practice problems’. Likewise, discussion groups between the critical friend and the directive team were developed to inquire about the beliefs that supported their pedagogical decisions. The results showed a little involvement of the directive team in learning. On these critical knots, the friend`s support guided collaborative reflection processes and leadership practice development, which were based on key pedagogical principles for the construction of a learning community. It may be concluded that there is a need to expand the support experiences to directive teams from a dialogical and participatory perspective. Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1. In this context, a ‘cycle’ corresponds to two consecutive class grades together in the Elementary School system in Chile. So, First cycle corresponds to first and second grades; second cycle corresponds to third and fourth grades; third cycle corresponds to fifth and sixth grades.Additional informationFundingThis research has been carried out within the project Fondecyt de Iniciación N°11200738 funded by the National Research and Development Agency (ANID), Chile.Notes on contributorsOmar Aravena KenigsOmar Aravena Kenigs Secondary Education Teacher with a specialization in Physical Education from Universidad de Los Lagos, Chile; Master in School Management from Universidad Católica de Temuco, Chile, and Doctor of Innovation on Teacher Training from Universidad de Extremadura, Spain. He is an Assistant academic at Universidad Católica de Temuco. He is the academic coordinator of the School Management Master program at Universidad Católica de Temuco. His lines of research are pedagogical leadership, professional teacher development, and educational practice.Carolina Villagra BravoCarolina Villagra Bravo Primary Education Teacher from Universidad Católica de Temuco, Chile; Master in education with a specialization in Educational Assessment from Universidad de La Frontera, Chile, and Doctor of Innovation on Teacher Training from Universidad de Extremadura, Spain. She is an Associate Academic in the Primary Education Pedagogy career at Universidad Católica Silva Henríquez. Her lines of research are educational assessment, leadership, and learning management.Yanire TurraYanire Turra Primary Education Teacher from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Villarrica, Chile; Master in School Management from Universidad Católica de Temuco, Chile. She is the Headmaster of the School Alberto Córdova Latorre, in Lanco, Chile. Her lines of research are educational assessment and pedagogical leadership. He has taught at the Faculty of Education of the Universidad Católica de Temuco and has participated in various research projects funded by national organizations.María Elena Mellado HernándezMaría Elena Mellado Hernández Primary Education Teacher from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Master in Educational Informatics from Universidad de La Frontera, Chile; Doctor in Teacher Formation and Research innovation for Education from Universidad de Extremadura, Spain. She is an Associate Academic in the Department of Childhood and Primary Education at the Faculty of Education, Universidad Católica de Temuco. She is also the director of the Master in School Management program at Universidad Católica de Temuco. Her lines of research are pedagogical leadership; teacher training; educational assessment and school improvement