| This action research was intended to increase my personal and professional capacity in the leadership domain. I was the primary participant or principal investigator in this action research study which meant that I was the subject of the research and also the object of the research. Two teams of teachers participated as collaborators in the study. My goal was to create a building-wide structure that reduced the barriers to collaboration and processes that provided teachers with support to facilitate their engagement in Collaborative Analysis of Student Learning (CASL). Methods of data collection included journaling, informal interviews with teachers and grade level teams, field notes from CASL meetings, faculty meetings, team meetings and focus groups. Thoughts, observations and reflections were recorded in a journal, using probes to guide my reflection. These data were coded, categorized and analyzed to make sense of and learn from what transpired and to suggest other possible actions.;My research questions included the identification of specific leadership actions that were effective in supporting practitioners to excavate and articulate new learning through CASL. My intention was to identify specific structures and conditions for learning, that I facilitated, which were perceived by teachers as supportive and encouraged deeper understanding of teaching and learning. I considered to what extent, and in what ways, the introduction and use of protocols influenced the process of collaborative reflection. Findings included implications for school leadership in the areas of structure, processes and supportive conditions for teacher learning. |
