From school improvement to instructional practice: the role of school- versus team-level capacity

This study examines whether school improvement capacity (SIC), traditionally conceptualized as a school-wide property, benefits from incorporating a team-level perspective. Previous research has advanced our understanding of school-wide conditions that enable improvement but largely overlooked that improvement processes often unfold within teams. Drawing on data from 662 teachers at 32 primary schools organized into 104 teams, we investigated: (a) whether schools and teams differ in the degree of within-unit agreement in perceptions of SIC dimension, and (b) how average levels and within-unit variability in perceived SIC relate to instructional practice at both levels. We compared ICCs across levels and conducted regression analyses separately for schools and teams. Although differences in ICCs were not significant, substantial variance was located at the team level. Further, associations with implementation of new ideas in instructional practice were stronger at the team level. The findings underscore the relevance of extending SIC to the team level.