Constituents of Effective Teamwork in School

Abstract

Hassanzadeh Khansari, Shadi. 2018. Constituents of effective teamwork in school.Master Thesis in Educational Leadership. University of Jyväskylä. Department of Education.

Teams are widely used in all types of organizations aiming for achieving better results.Understanding constituent premises of teamwork in the school is a complicated issue that the present study investigates. Although there have been different studies on the topic of team, there is not much evidence about the characteristics that affect teams. This study aims at specifying how team efficacy manifests as collective performance and the challenging issues teams experienced in the case school.

A web-based questionnaire (a modified questionnaire) based on 'Dimension of Learning Questionnaire' (Marsick & Watkins, 2003) is used to understand the constituents of effective teamwork in the school. 15 participants participated in this study. A qualitative approach in the format of case study is used in the study.

Shared visions, capability and collaboration, autonomy, results of the team, and school supporting system are recognized as constituents of effective teamwork. Collective performance is understood as the continuous interaction between teams and the school that bring 'efficacy' to teams.

The study concludes communication, learning, the low level of autonomy in teams, and lack of school supporting system as challenges to teamwork in the case school. Shared coordinated structures are recognized between teams and the school to achieve efficacy. Teamwork is understood as a capacity through which school and teams learn and unite as a professional learning community.