Small-scale collective learning in large-scale innovation: the role of collective teacher learning and leadership in implementing school-based career guidance

As education is transforming towards career development, we aim to show if collective learning and a transformational leadership style are essential conditions in educational innovation processes. The relationship between team learning, transformational leadership practices and changing primary processes are studied in the context of enhancing the career development of Dutch VET students, by reconstructing the process of teacher team collective learning. The results indicate that the innovation is further implemented in teams where more collective learning takes place. Transformational leadership seems to be an important incentive for collective learning to occur. By defining the professional development of the individual teachers as part of collective learning and determining the influence of the team leader, a better understanding of the process towards successful implementation of career development is achieved. During collective learning in teacher teams, individual learning of teachers is inevitable, but both can be stimulated to mutually reinforce each other.