LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION

Teamwork and Collaborative Values in a Democratic Society
Leadership, Learning and American Culture

Timothy Stagich, Ph.D.

What is the value of Collaborative Teamwork in a Democratic Society? And, how important is it for educators and citizens to teach and learn better ways to interact and work together in a democracy? Our founding fathers said that participation and problem solving are essential in making democracy work. This means we must learn to interact together in a collaborative way to work past our differences and find how learning from each other’s perspective not only gives us problem solving and critical thinking abilities, it enriches us and makes us better people. Collaborative Values enable us to think of others first (See Essential Values). In our present competitive system of education this collaborative process is difficult to achieve.

In most schools we force students to compete for grades with the idea that they will learn more and faster if they memorize for tests and cram as much information as possible into their heads. Yet, all of the data from studies on collaborative learning and cooperation show that people learn more in cooperative groups where they feel safe enough and free enough to take the risks necessary to learn and to grow. And, in cooperative groups individuals learn to be part of a collaborative team that is capable of working through problems and past differences. In competitive groups or classrooms students function more as rivals who learn more about distrust than they do about honest perspectives and points of view. As these students enter society and the workforce, they continue to function as rivals with the same distrust they learned in the classroom. And, as competitors they think of themselves first before the group, the organization or the mission. Also, without the group problem solving and critical thinking abilities they will be unable to function well and at higher levels as collaborative teams in society. The idea that competition pushes students to higher levels of achievement is false insofar as the so-called achievers are usually the ones who find it easy to master the ability to memorize and remember enough to score well on tests. However, most studies have shown that students forget up to ninety percent of what they learn through memorization within about a year. The primary learning in competitive groups is “survival” in a high pressure educational system that produces a new generation of workers who have a fundamental distrust of others and the inability to collaboratively work together well as a team to solve problems and achieve goals.

We seem to be locked into an educational system and a way of thinking that not only contradicts existing research data, it also is preventing any change to a new system that cannot be instantly measured by some objective test. Real proof that our educational system is improving will not come from the objective testing of students and the performance evaluations of teachers based upon these tests. It will come from the leadership in schools that is able to create more collaborative learning, equality of resources and educational environments where students feel safe enough and free enough to take the risks necessary to learn and to grow. In inner city schools where fights are occurring each day and resources for learning are inadequate it is difficult to feel safe enough to learn. And, in our institutions of higher learning our fields of study are becoming so narrow with so many different disciplines and new jargon that there is very little desire or willingness to work across disciplines on collaborative research and learning efforts that often produce the best results. And, without valuable collaborative learning contexts that are built upon our American and Democratic Values of equality, fairness and diversity students are left with only the raw technical skills or knowledge but without the team leadership, problem solving and critical thinking abilities that will serve them best in society and the workplace. Teaching these students how they can work together better collaboratively as a team, and giving them the cultural contextual values of our forefathers to nurture their understanding of each other, will enable them to become well-rounded collaborative citizens (See Motivating Students).

Leadership in education can show the way, but it will take more than arbitrary assessments and false objective testing and performance standards to accomplish this. School leaders in K through 12 will need to work to build democratic and cultural values such as equality, critical thinking, service to others and collaborative learning and leadership into the curriculum and the context of classroom teaching in a way that creates rich cultural examples for students to relate to and make connections with. And, they will need to create learning environments that are not only rich and relevant to the students but safe enough for them to take the risks necessary to learn and to grow as well-rounded people and citizens. In a democracy this effort is not a luxury for only the best schools. It is a necessity for all schools in a democratic society. And, these values are supported by law. Also, in K-12 and especially in higher education leaders will need to develop interdisciplinary curriculum that encourages students to connect their studies with career paths and benefits for society. Finally, school leaders will need to provide the necessary resources for the students as well as the teachers and support them in their teaching with ongoing training and professional development. All of these elements are lacking throughout our present school systems. The following is an example of how one school principal with the support of the superintendent was able to accomplish all of these elements to improve his school and create a rich learning environment for the students.

Lincoln High School was much like many other inner city schools with the same problems that included inadequate resources, discipline problems, drugs, and teachers who are struggling to teach because they spend much of their time keeping order and less time teaching. In the past the school went through various principals with little progress in creating a positive and rich educational environment for the students. Then, a new superintendent arrived who seemed to understand the special needs and concerns of inner city schools. He proceeded to hire a principal, named, Bob, with the same understanding and a particular ability to collaborate, interact with and train teachers. He immediately set out to build a sense of harmony and teamwork among his staff and the teaching faculty of the school. Helping them to understand their mission at the school was just the first step for Bob, but he knew if he could communicate effectively his vision for the school, the staff and teachers would be more committed and understanding of their roles.

This mission statement included his view of the importance of ongoing teacher development and support and a revised curriculum that included new core courses of critical thinking, leadership and collaborative teamwork. In addition, he provided the teachers with syllabi for each of their courses that helped them to develop cultural context based on democratic values and examples including role models for the students. Most importantly, he encouraged the teachers to use examples from their students’ experiences whenever possible and appropriate. As the students were better able to make connections and see the learning material as relevant to them in some way, they responded better and showed more interest. Regarding the problems with discipline, he supported the teachers completely to help them to keep order in the classroom and took care of the particularly “bad” actors himself with appropriate disciplinary action or suspensions as necessary.

Change at Lincoln High School at first came slowly, but soon, as the teachers understood the vision, mission and direction of the school, and as the principal, Bob, was able to secure new books, syllabi and teaching resources that were at least equal to if not better than the schools in the suburbs, the values of teamwork and collaboration seemed to improve significantly over time. Soon the students were able to sense the significant changes in the school and began to respond. First, the daily discipline problems began to decrease in frequency. And, then the teachers began to help each other in preparing their classes and by sharing important information on how to help certain students. Over time the students started to participate at increasing levels as they began to see the commitment of the teachers to making the coursework more meaningful and relevant to them with rich cultural context and examples of people in American Culture whose values reflected American traditions and character in relation with the subjects they were learning. These role models became inspirational and helpful to many of the students who chose to follow in their footsteps in the careers of their choice. Most importantly, the most notable change at Lincoln High School was the increase in motivation of both the students and the teachers. The students now had a pride and belief in their school that they were lacking in the past. And, as their confidence in their teachers and school leadership grew, the entire learning environment became safe enough to take greater risks and participate at greater levels in class discussions and collaborative group participation.

The changes in Lincoln High School were significant and served as a model for other inner city schools throughout the country. When the principal, Bob, was complimented for what he was able to achieve, he was quick to give appropriate credit to his superintendent, staff, and dedicated teachers. Without the superintendent’s help, he would not have been able to improve the quality of the materials, syllabi and teaching resources at the school. And, without a committed and motivated group of teachers and staff he would not have been able to change the learning environment from one of competitive turmoil to a collaborative team success.

Note: The above example is based upon the concepts, examples and ideas found in the book, Collaborative Leadership and Global Transformation and Conscious Ascension by Timothy Stagich, Ph.D.

Discussion Questions

Why are Collaborative Learning and Teamwork essential for democratic participation? What learning outcomes result from improved collaboration and teamwork?
What is the role of Educational Leadership in developing collaborative learners and greater teamwork in schools? What is the value of teamwork for learners?
Why has it been difficult in the past to develop educational environments conducive to collaborative learning and teamwork? How can this be changed?
What is “institutional learning” and how do collaborative learning and teamwork help students to increase their potential to become better critical thinkers and problem solvers?
Why are collaborative learners able to become better team players in the workforce than competitive learners and how do they contribute to a better society?
How do collaborative learning and “democratic contexts” for learning create richer learning environments for students?
How did Bob with the help of the Superintendent of Schools transform Lincoln High School into a safer, more meaningful and relevant learning environment for the students?
How did Bob as a leader help the teachers to transform themselves into better teachers at Lincoln High School and how did the Superintendent support him in his effort?
What role did the use of “Cultural Context” play in the development of the teachers and the improved curriculum at Lincoln High School?
What key values in the new mission and purpose for Lincoln High School helped to transform the teachers, students and learning environment?