Toward communal negotiation of meaning in schools

Background: In light of the growing complexity of schoolwork, it is important that faculty
members move away from isolated learning toward a more collective type of thinking regarding teaching and learning issues.
Purpose: Whereas collective learning has mostly been approached from a deficit-based orientation (finding/solving problems and overcoming failures), this study examines principals' perceptions (mindscapes) about the notion and strategy of collective learning from
faculty members' successful practices.
Research Design: The study employed a qualitative topic-oriented methodology to explore
principals' mindscapes concerning collective learning from success in schools.
Data Collection and Analysis: Data were collected via face-to-face interviews with 65 elementary, middle, and high school principals. The analysis process involved identifying common themes, contrasting patterns, and elucidating the differences among principals' voices.
Findings: Principals argued that in contrast to collective learning processes to evaluate
failures and problems, collective learning from successful practices requires a deliberate and conscious shift in mindset with regard to collaborative learning in schools. Principals perceived the competitive culture and the comparison of professional abilities among faculty
members as major determinants of a productive collective learning from success. Principals
envisioned their role in this interactive process as promoting a learning culture of inquiry,
openness, and trust.
Recommendations: As a leadership strategy to foster collective learning in schools, both
practitioners and researchers need to evaluate whether a learning community can be developed when staff members are encouraged to collectively analyze their successful practices and receive affirmation for doing so. It is important to further inquire how different stakeholders perceive this collaborative learning from successful practices.