Liderazgo distribuido y cultura de colaboración en centros de formación profesional en Chile

The challenges in work and organizations associated with the so-called fourth industrial revolution highlight the need for a more in-depth study of vocational training and the competencies developed by its students. This type of training would increase the possibilities of job placement and employability. Distributed leadership and a culture of collaboration have been identified as key factors in improving the quality of education. This study aimed to analyze the practices of distributed leadership and a culture of collaboration in a secondary vocational training center. Through a qualitative case study methodology, a vocational training center with a sustained track record of school improvement was selected. The center stands out for being a pioneer in the incorporation of the dual model in Chile. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with teachers and educational leaders. A thematic content analysis was carried out regarding the facilitating factors of distributed leadership practices and a culture of collaboration. The results emphasize the importance of focusing on the comprehensive development of students, the use of active teaching and learning methodologies, teacher professional development, the articulation between general education and specialties. It is concluded that distributed leadership and a culture of collaboration facilitate school improvement and the connection with the productive sector. This requires a dense network of relationships with shared projects and innovative teaching and learning methodologies.