Culture of learning: A qualitative case study of teacher leader perceptions on the power of a district\u27s schemata in a distributive leadership model

There are often too many initiatives in education and not always enough focus on targeted systems and/or processes to achieve/realize the school’s mission. Educators tend to agree on the mission of the school—often relating to students meeting their potential, preparing students to be active, engaged members of a society or supporting students in whatever is next for them. Educators can give varying levels of understanding about the initiatives that a district is undertaking. The challenge comes when explaining how the initiatives support the realization of the mission. When correlating to business, Sinek (2009) refers to this as the Power of Why—the why (mission), the how, and the what (initiatives). What is missing in education is “the how.” For the purposes of this study, “the how” is the schemata. This case study allows the deeper analysis of a district’s use of the schemata by teacher leaders in understanding the perceived role the schemata have on the culture of learning in the district. By using interviews, collaborative focus groups and document analysis, the research is intended to triangulate the information to understand the level of connect or disconnect amongst the data. As districts work through unprecedented changes to our systems, it is imperative that educators have a solid understanding of the entire process to sustain strong cultures of learning