Overcoming Barriers to Collaboration Chapter Seven Overcoming Barriers to Collaboration © 2016 Taylor & Francis

In This Chapter You Should: Identify various barriers to collaboration and consultation Cite examples of conceptual, attitudinal, professional, and pragmatic barriers Cite examples of how each of the types of barriers might be overcome © 2016 Taylor & Francis

Barriers to Collaboration and Consultation Conceptual Barriers Personal ideas of how a school should run and operate Roles of teachers and professionals Attitudinal Barriers Attitudes about one’s self Attitudes about others Attitudes about work Pragmatic Barriers Logistical in nature Planning and scheduling Professional Barriers Education and training, licensure, and specified professional roles © 2016 Taylor & Francis

Barriers to Collaboration and Consultation Conceptual Barriers Change to beliefs or concepts can breed anxiety Attitudinal Barriers Schools with narrowly defined goals have limited success Attitudinal barriers can be a product of culture Pragmatic Barriers Ensure there is a regularly scheduled time to collaborate Identify regular roles and responsibilities Keep a record or list of responsibilities and outcomes Professional Barriers Some more traditional professional roles may create barriers Lack of professional efficacy may hinder collaboration © 2016 Taylor & Francis

Collaboration Different outcomes and activities may be the result of groups who have the same collaborative goals. Collaborative exchanges may occur through more formal, planned meetings or less formal exchanges. Research shows more collaboration occurs when the focus of collaboration was: Teaching a particular group Implementing a new teaching strategy Implementing new lesson materials © 2016 Taylor & Francis

Using PLCs Professional Learning Community Differentiation in PLC design Systems level support Overcome Conceptual and Attitudinal Barriers Cited as working better among practicing teachers Can be effective for pre-service teachers © 2016 Taylor & Francis

Leadership Strategies for Overcoming Logistical Barriers Support development and maintenance of collaborative teams Remove logistical barriers Good leaders engage in five actions Critical analysis and ongoing analysis Advocacy for collaboration Obtain, leverage, and allocate resources to support collaboration Actively work at facilitating collaboration Monitor the progress of collaborative teams © 2016 Taylor & Francis