A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation of Teacher Collaboration for School Improvement and Student Achievement in Public Elementary Schools

By Y. Goddard, R. Goddard, Megan Tschannen-Moran. Teachers College Record, 2007

897 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Background/Context A review of the literature demonstrates that schools are frequently called upon to improve by developing high levels of teacher collaboration. At the same time, there is a paucity of research investigating the extent to which teachers’ collaborative school improvement practices are related to student achievement. Purpose The purpose of this study was to review the literature and empirically test the relationship between a theoretically driven measure of teacher collaboration for school improvement and student achievement. Setting The data for this study were drawn from students and teachers in a large urban school district located in the midwestern United States. Population The population for this study came from the elementary schools in one large midwestern school district. Survey data were drawn from a sample of 47 elementary schools with 452 teachers and 2,536 fourth-grade students. Research Design Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was the primary analytic method. Survey data were collected approximately 2 months before students took the mandatory state assessments, which provided the scale scores that served as dependent variables in this research. HLM accounted for the nested nature of the data (students nested in schools). This was a naturalistic study that employed secondary data analysis. There was no intervention, treatment, or randomization. Naturally occurring differences in teachers’ levels of collaboration were measured, and statistical controls for school social context were employed. At the student level, the study employed controls for children's social and academic backgrounds. Data Collection and Analysis Data were obtained from teachers and students in the sampled schools. Teacher data were obtained via a survey assessing teacher collaboration. Student data were obtained from the central administrative office of the school district for all students who attended sampled schools during the year in which we surveyed teachers. Results Results of HLM analyses indicate that fourth-grade students have higher achievement in mathematics and reading when they attend schools characterized by higher levels of teacher collaboration for school improvement. Conclusions The authors suggest that the results provide preliminary support for efforts to improve student achievement by providing teachers with opportunities to collaborate on issues related to curriculum, instruction, and professional development. The authors also discuss the need for more research on the effects of different types of collaborative practices using more representative samples.

Subfields: Education

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Citations in the corpus

Field Placement Schools and Instructional Effectiveness (2015, background): “Among the first large-scale studies to link teacher collaboration to student achievement, Goddard, Goddard, and TschannenMoran (2007; Goddard et al., 2010) found that schools with higher levels of collaboration also had higher levels of achievement, even after controlling for extensive student and s”
Mapping teacher collaboration for school success (2021, background): “For example, leading collaboration modalities focus on instructional issues in order to achieve better student performance (Goddard et al., 2007).”
Intra- and Interschool Interactions about Instruction: Exploring the Conditions for Social Capital Development (2015, background): “Higher levels of teacher interaction are associated with higher student achievement in bothmathematics and language arts, after controlling for school and individual factors (Goddard et al. 2007; Pil and Leana 2009).”
Evaluating Teacher Evaluation (2012, result): “This kind of measure is supported by studies finding that students have stronger achievement gains when teachers work together in teams (Jackson & Bruegmann, 2009) and when there is greater teacher collaboration for school improvement (Goddard & Goddard, 2007).”
Relating school leadership to perceived professional learning community characteristics: a multilevel analysis (2016, background): “For example, participation in PLCs has been linked to improvement in classroom practices (Goddard et al., 2007) and to an increased sense of work efficacy and in turn increased motivation and satisfaction (Louis & Kruse, 1995).”
Teacher Collaboration in Instructional Teams and Student Achievement (2015, background): “Goddard et al.’s (2007) study was among the first large-scale studies to demonstrate a link specifically between teacher collaboration and student achievement. This study found that elementary schools with higher levels of collaboration also had higher levels of student achievement, even after contr”
School Organizational Contexts, Teacher Turnover, and Student Achievement (2016, background): “Studies find evidence of the positive, albeit weak, association between the frequency of teacher Organizational Contexts, Teacher Turnover, and Achievement collaboration and student achievement (Goddard et al., 2007; Lee & Smith, 1996).”
The Effect of Instructional Leadership and Distributed Leadership on Teacher Self-efficacy and Job Satisfaction: Mediating Roles of Supportive School Culture and Teacher Collaboration (2020, background): “For instance, teacher collaboration and supportive school culture represent two vital organizational factors within the school improvement literature (Goddard, Goddard, and Tschannen-Moran, 2007; MacNeil, Prater, and Busch, 2009).”
Trust and Collaboration in PLC Teams (2015, background): “Therefore, without a high degree of trust, teachers may not share this critical information, thus limiting their growth as teachers and impairing individual and team’s effectiveness (Cosner, 2011; Goddard et al., 2007; Harris & Jones, 2010; Tschannen-Moran, 2001).”
The Importance and Benefits of Teacher Collegiality in Schools – A Literature Review (2012, background): “2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Keywords: School improvement; Organizational effectiveness; Professional development; Instructional improvement; Student achievement.”
Principal–Teacher Interactions (2012, background): “The school climate and school effectiveness literature shows trusting relationships matter and that the corresponding satisfaction, cohesion, and commitment levels positively influence school climate and student learning (Bryk et al., 2010; Cohen et al., 2009; Goddard et al., 2007; Hallinger & Leith”
Teaming Up: Linking Collaboration Networks, Collective Efficacy, and Student Achievement. (2012, background): “Recent research suggests that the relationship between student achievement and teacher collaboration ‘is likely indirect’ (Goddard et al., 2007).”
Professional communities and student achievement – a meta-analysis (2011, background): “The studies on the concept of professional community and its relationship with student achievement conducted in the last 3 decades have produced mixed results (eg, Goddard, Goddard, & Tschannen-Moran, 2007 ; Louis & Marks, 1998 ; Newmann & Wehlage, 1995 ; Smylie & Wenzel, 2003 ).”