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School to School and Teacher Collaboration for Education in a Digital
World: ICT Coordinators as Knowledge Brokers in School Networks?
Networks 2021, July 10 2021
Digi
NetSchul
Marco Hasselkuß1, Manuela Endberg1 & Anna Heinemann2
1Working Group on Educational Research | 2Learning Lab, University of Duisburg-Essen
2
The “DigiSchoolNet” study (2018-2021)
Subproject 1:
Reconstruction of processes of
„digital“ school development
Methodology:
Content analysis of ICT
concepts, school strategies +
Interviews
Subproject 2:
Relevance of relations and
communication structures for
transfer processes regarding
„digital“ school development
Methodology:
Recurring ego-centric network
analyses via network maps to
be filled in by teachers
Retrospective Analysis
Longitudinal Analysis
DigiSchoolNet
Here: Ego-centric network analysis of ICT coordinators
3
Ego-centric network analysis of the role as internal facilitator and a link to external
actors
Exchange of information or materials related to digitization at school as a form of teacher
collaboration (Gräsel, Fußangel & Pröbstel, 2006):
In how far do ICT coordinators mediate exchange between school-internal groups in analyzed school
cases?
In how far do ICT coordinators broker exchange between internal and external actors in analyzed school
cases?
Brokerage roles of ICT coordinators?
ICT coordinators at schools
5
Roles in Germany: extensive tasks for ICT coordinators
–Teacher nominated as an (un)official ICT coordinator or designated by head of school; can be compensated for by reduced
teaching hours
–Providing first-level support, communicating with possible second-level support needs
–Planning, conceptualizing and coordinating ICT infrastructure related tasks
Functions related to communication and collaboration at school:
–Advisory function for colleagues, also regarding pedagogical questions related to ICT equipment
–Support communication between different groups in schools
–Multiplier and promoter for ICT
–Sustained dialogue between ICT coordinators and school maintaining body regarding ICT equipment and maintenance
–Involved in discourses on ICT development planning between ICT coordinators at schools, school maintaining body and local
teams/ possible external consulting
(see Schulz-Zander, Schmialek & Stolz, 2013; Breiter, Stolpmann & Zeising, 2015; Heinen & Kerres, 2017; Medienberatung NRW o.J.)
Roles of ICT coordinators at schools
Ego-centric network analysis in the study DigiSchoolNet
7
Ego-centric network analysis in three school networks
Network D1
Network D2
Network S1
Network D1: Focus on Education in
a digital world, secondary schools:
4 schools, 7 teachers
Network D2: Focus on Education in
a digital world, vocational schools:
5 schools/teachers
Network S1: Focus Education for
sustainable development, primary
and secondary schools:
4 schools/teachers
Newly founded
school networks
8
Survey: Longitudinal egocentric network analysis
Forms of teacher collaboration:
Data analysis: Ego-network maps for each teacher, measurement time point (t) and form of collaboration
Symbols:
= Ego
= alters
= color indicates type
of organization
= arrows show direction
of flow of information
(i.e. exchange)
= no arrows (undirected relation),
i.e. division of work, co-
construction
= numbers indicate
frequency of
interaction (1-5)
5
Data collection
based on GENSI Software
(Stark & Krosnick, 2017)
Teachers at ten schools in two networks involving schools, university,
school maintaining body, local authorities, teacher professional development
Intermediate findings
10
Cases of ICT coordinators
School Insta
nces Avg.
Size SD Avg.
Density SD Data
A (Gym) 53 6 0.7 43.10 11.35 t1-t6
A (BK) 21 4 1.5 21.43 25.71 t1-t5
D (BK) 12 2 1.0 50.00 33.34 t1-t3; t5
Network D1
Network D2
Average values in exchange networks
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
D1, A D2, A D2, D
Contents of exchange instances
Technical development Teacher professional development
Development of lessons Organizational aspects
Communication Strategy (e.g. ICT school strategy)
N/A
Identified themselves as ICT coordinator
Zoom in on two cases
•“Gymnasium”: general education, traditionally leading
to A-levels
•Ego:
•English/History teacher
•Part of (extended) school leadership board, working
group on ICT, ICT coordinator
•21-25 years of experience as a teacher
•Uses ICT in class for more than 10 years
•Vocational school
•Ego:
•Math/Sports/Economy teacher
•Part of (extended) school leadership board, working
group on ICT, steering group school development,
ICT coordinator
•6-10 years of experience as a teacher
•Uses ICT in class for 7-10 years
D1, school A D2, school A
11
12
Exchange
ICT-coordinator at D1, school A
t1 t2 t3
t4 t5 t6
A
B
C
D
E
C
HK
L
M
ego
ego
A
E
B
C
F
G
H
A
F
C
B
I
N
ego
ego
A
F
B
C
H
I
J
H
AK
O
P
M
ego
ego
= Member of school
leadership board
= Member of ICT
team
= ICT-coordinator (at
other school)
= own school
Colors:
= other school
= university
= school maintaining
body
= teacher professional
development agency
13
Exchange
ICT-coordinator at D1, school A
t1 t2 t3
t4 t5 t6
A
B
C
D
E
C
HK
L
M
ego
ego
A
E
B
C
F
G
H
A
F
C
B
I
N
ego
ego
A
F
B
C
H
I
J
H
AK
O
P
M
ego
ego
= Member of school
leadership board
= Member of ICT
team
= ICT-coordinator (at
other school)
= own school
Colors:
= other school
= university
= school maintaining
body
= teacher professional
development agency
14
Exchange
ICT-coordinator at D2, school A
t1 t2 t3
t4 t5 t6
= Member of school
leadership board
= Member of ICT
team
= Member of steering
group school
development
= own school
Colors:
= other school
= university
= ICT consulting
agency
ego
ego
ego
ego
ego
team
A
B
A
C
D
E
A
DC
FG
H
I
JK
J
L
15
Exchange
ICT-coordinator at D2, school A
t1 t2 (*partly missing data) t3
t4 t5 t6
= Member of school
leadership board
= Member of ICT
team
= Member of steering
group school
development
= own school
Colors:
= other school
= university
= ICT consulting
agency
ego
ego
ego
ego
ego
team
A
B
A
C
D
E
A
DC
FG
H
I
JK
J
L
16
–ICT infrastructure: e.g. coordinating ICT school concepts
–First-level support: e.g. administrating teacher and pupil accounts, IT infrastructure, offering consultation
hours for colleagues
–Advisory and multiplier function:
▪e.g. organizing events / groups to inform teachers about teaching in the digital context / with digital tools
▪interface between head of school / school maintaining body and colleagues what is needed and what
can be provided?
▪Setting up working groups for ICT infrastructure and promoting ICT skills at the school
–Sustained dialogue: e.g. consultation with head of school / local school maintaining body about required
infrastructure, transferring ideas back into own school
Roles of ICT-coordinators at schools
Findings from retrospective interviews
17
ICT coordinators: Link to external actors /internal relay and multiplier?
•Role as internal relay and multiplier is visible in network constellations of both cases D1, school A and
D2, school A:
•ICT coordinators link different groups of (key) actors in their schools:
–Mostly linked are school leadership board and ICT working group
–Steering group school development, coordinators of professional development rather seldom
•Role as link to external actors prominent in the case of D1, school A
•Teacher collaboration (in networks) often debated as (too) time-consuming
(cf. Koltermann, 2013; Jungermann, Pfänder & Berkemeyer, 2018)
•Esp. facing the pandemic cross-boundary collaboration in networks could offer potentials:
–Exchanging and adapting ideas and solutions, pooling resources and competencies
–Promoting mutual learning processes for participants
–Organizational learning processes
Intermediate conclusions
Thank you very much!
Contact:
Marco Hasselkuß: marco.hasselkuss@uni-due.de
Anna Heinemann: anna.heinemann@uni-due.de
Manuela Endberg: manuela.endberg@uni-due.de
https://digi-ebf.de/digischulnet