21CSLA (21st Century California School Leadership Academy)

This study investigates the transformative learning process of school leaders for transformative leadership and the role of professional communities in their learning. Two bodies of knowledge—transformative school leadership and transformative learning theory—were used to frame this study. Eight school leaders who serve economically and socially marginalized communities in California were interviewed to explore their professional learning experiences and challenges around leading for equity. Our analysis of the interview data shows that critical reflection is the key to transformative learning, which is often motivated by school leaders’ unmet assumptions while leading school communities. When leaders sought out others (who share similar professional experiences) to make sense of the unexpected experiences, the collective reflection generated transformative actions. All eight leaders emphasized the importance of the professional community for their professional learning, and how the professional communities formed this way become a supportive foundation for continuing transformative leadership. Formal and informal professional communities served different purposes in school leaders’ professional learning, and most leaders belonged to more than a few communities (ranging from informal and small groups of close colleagues to formal and large professional organizations) at the same time to receive specific support from these communities. The professional communities provided three kinds of support: 1) social/emotional support, 2) professional/ intellectual support, and ) shared professional responsibilities. These supports are all essential as leaders interact together and develop further in professional communities. Leaders also valued the professional learning that addressed their self-identified needs (and not externally imposed topics). The findings of this study imply the importance of professional communities for educational leaders’ learning where critical reflections are prioritized for self-identified issues.