| Summary: | 碩士 === 淡江大學 === 教育政策與領導研究所碩士在職專班 === 107 === This study uses a remote elementary school which adopts Featured Curriculum and Professional Learning Community (PLC) as a case study. The study aims to unpack the context of the principal’s implementation of curriculum leadership and promotion of a professional learning community within the school as well as the principal’s thoughts on curriculum leadership. The study uses the six dimensions of curriculum leadership and five dimensions of a professional learning community to analyze the decision-making process behind the principal when implementing curriculum leadership and promoting a professional learning community. Furthermore, this study also aims to understand the strategies and solutions adopted when confronting difficulties during the implementation of curriculum leadership and promotion of a professional learning community.
In this study, the research method included interviews with a principal, a director, and three teachers. Document analysis and field observation were also used to triangulate the collected data. The following are the conclusions of this study.
1.External scenario of the organization and interlocking effect of the internal Situation, strategic alliance of featured schools and principal’s concept and advocacy form the basis of the principal’s curriculum leadership and professional learning community.
2.The principal of the case school leverages open discussion and integration of meeting materials to improve cooperation between the school’s administrators and teachers as well as expanding teaching partnerships. Furthermore, the principal also leverages projects related to the school’s featured curriculum and professional discussions generated from the school’s community to apply study, suggestions for educational institutions, school for projects from both the public and private sector to establish a standardized curriculum evaluation and develop a community-based course to enhance the school’s visibility. The aforementioned efforts are aimed to implement curriculum leadership.
3.Under the vision of “Developing Featured Curriculum and Improving the Teaching Curriculum”, the teaching community uses sharing, discussion, feedback, observation activities, co-decision making and a learn-together mechanism to self-improve, reflect and implement innovative curriculum. This is also supported by the resources from the administration body, which creates a mental support system. Under this system, teachers continue to improve through interaction between members and in-depth conversations.
4.The following are the factors that affect the principal’s decision on the implementation of curriculum leadership and promotion of a professional learning community, such as the scale of the school, group structure, decision-making patterns, identity among members within the organization, satisfaction level of curriculum and practical teaching ,and urgency coming from external scenarios.
5.The following are the main factors to the implementation of curriculum leadership and promotion of a professional learning community, such as a professional environment allowing spontaneity among members, enhancing the willingness of participation by leveraging student learning outcomes, in-depth participation, leadership demonstration and care and support from the principal, a well-functioned community giving top priority to practical problems, enhanced efficiency of meetings by the integration of meetings, and effective self-improvement projects for teachers.
6.The following are the main difficulties in the implementation of curriculum leadership and promotion of a professional learning community, including restrictions from competent authorities and the legal body, an overload of ad-hoc work, incomprehensive workshops, frequent personnel change in the administration body, difficulties of administrative work, unexpected outcomes and problems originating from functioning the featured curriculum, disruptions to the community by other school activities, and members desire for leisure time due to frequent communal activities.
7.The following are the main strategies and solutions the case school adopts when confronting difficulties in the implementation of curriculum leadership and promotion of a professional learning community, which includes the principal’s role as a supporter, coordinator, supervisor and public relations manager, adoption of a pragmatic advancement model to the implementation and management of projects, establishment of emotional bonds and trust among members and development of complementary roles that break the bureaucratic framework.
To sum up, based on the findings and conclusions of the administrations and future studies were proposed.
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