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Leading the Transformation of Learning and Praxis in Science Classrooms

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Book cover Second International Handbook of Science Education

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE,volume 24))

Abstract

Individual science teachers who have inspired colleagues to transform their classroom praxis have been labelled transformational leaders. As the notion of distributed leadership became more accepted in the educational literature, the focus on the individual teacher-leader shifted to the study of leadership praxis both by individuals (whoever they might be) and by collectives within schools and science classrooms. This review traces the trajectory of leadership research, in the context of learning and teaching science, from an individual focus to a dialectical relationship between individual and collective praxis. The implications of applying an individual-collective perspective to praxis for teachers, students and their designated leaders are discussed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

     The term structure refers to the social arrangements, relations and practices that exert power and constraint over what individuals and groups can do, while agency refers to the power to act in social contexts by individuals and groups. The relationship between structure and agency is recursive because, through social interactions, each action reproduces and produces structures that become resources for further possible actions of participants. This dialectical relationship can be represented as structure|agency (see Sewell 1992).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mathematics Science and Technology Education, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, 4059, Australia

    Stephen M. Ritchie

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  1. Stephen M. Ritchie
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Correspondence to Stephen M. Ritchie .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Science & Mathematics Education Centre, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Barry J. Fraser

  2. The Graduate Centre, City University of New York, New York, 10016-4309, New York, USA

    Kenneth Tobin

  3. Ctr. Mathematics & Science Education, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Rd., Kelvin Grove, 4059, Queensland, Australia

    Campbell J. McRobbie

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Ritchie, S.M. (2012). Leading the Transformation of Learning and Praxis in Science Classrooms. In: Fraser, B., Tobin, K., McRobbie, C. (eds) Second International Handbook of Science Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education, vol 24. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9041-7_56

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