School Leadership: Fostering Collective Efficacy with the Right Tools

In a landscape where schools face diverse and complex challenges, school leaders and administrators need to adopt effective, evidence-based strategies to support their staff. In The Principal 2.0: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact, Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto and co-lead of the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning initiative, underscores the importance of “leadership that fosters collective efficacy through sustained collaborative practices.”

This approach is structured around three key drivers:

• Pedagogical coherence
• Ongoing professional development
• A culture of collaboration

Engaged Learning aligns with this framework by providing school systems with a dynamic and relevant professional development network. It facilitates knowledge sharing, collaborative problem-solving, and practical support for both teachers and leaders—all grounded in the realities of today’s classrooms and aligned with educational priorities.

🔍 Supporting a Collaborative Approach to Expertise Sharing

Fullan emphasizes that collective efficacy cannot be mandated—it must be developed through intentional networked learning. Engaged Learning exemplifies this principle by promoting the flow of high-quality, field-relevant pedagogical information.

For school leaders, this translates into:

• Reducing redundant efforts across schools,
• Freeing up time for localized instructional leadership,
• Showcasing effective practices system-wide,
• Elevating the professional identity and recognition of educators.

Examples from the field include:

• Reimagining Assessment in the Age of AI: Lessons from a Philosophy Teacher – turning a plagiarism crisis into an opportunity to rethink assessment.
• Can Artificial Intelligence Replace Teachers? Researchers Put It to the Test! – exploring the role of AI in education and its implications for teaching practices.
• Teaching for a Sustainable Future – offering strategies for integrating sustainability into the curriculum.

These resources aim to build collective capacity—a cornerstone of sustainable change as identified by Fullan.

🚀 Enabling Pedagogical Innovation with Practical Tools

Effective innovation requires more than ambition. It demands tools, time, and shared frameworks. Engaged Learning provides school leaders with the means to support pedagogical innovation, including:

• Aligned content to support educational priorities
  → e.g., An AI ethics code serving as a foundation for school-specific tools.
• Customized and on-demand professional development
  → e.g., Access to a library of over 200 webinars in French, plus some in English, on topics such as gamification, accessibility, cybersecurity, transforming language learning, sustainability, etc.
• Promotion of local innovations
  → e.g., Showcasing data-informed teaching cultures and successful implementations of new teaching strategies.

🎯 Coherence: The Foundation of Lasting Change

Fullan reminds us that sustainable change arises from coherence among ideas, people, and actions. Engaged Learning positions itself as a strategic ally for school leadership, helping align school improvement efforts with real-world practices and system-wide goals.

Through the mobilization of field expertise and the deployment of concrete tools, school leaders can drive meaningful, system-aligned transformation.

Because innovation thrives when leaders are engaged and responsive to the realities of their school communities.

Want to Learn More?

Contact Engaged Learning to explore how its services can help strengthen your school team’s capacity and elevate your leadership impact, or explore subscription options starting at only $249 per year for your whole school staff.

💡 Did you know?
In Québec, budget measure 15084 is dedicated to digital education training for school staff. Activities funded under this measure count toward the 30 hours of mandatory continuing education for teachers.