New study reveals humble leaders help groups to increase professionalism & engagement

A recent study conducted in China, suggests that humble leaders of teacher groups help to increase professionals and engagement among team members.

The study found that teachers in the Chinese equivalent of professional learning communities (PCLs) were willing to share their knowledge and expertise and rate PCL leaders high in humility.

The reason for this was humble leaders made teachers feel more confident and empowered to share their knowledge because they made them feel like they had more control over the situation.

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The study was published in Educational Studies.

“When people feel their leader admits mistakes and is open to learning from others, everyone contributes more and makes these groups more effective,” Goddard said, ANI reported.

PCLs are created to encourage professional development through talks in which teachers share their best practises and what they have discovered through experiences in the classroom. It supports teachers in developing a feeling of community and in exchanging ideas and instructions.

In China, PCLs are known as Teaching Research Groups (TCRs). The TRG leaders are seasoned educators who supervise, coordinate, and are involved in teacher selection, and lesson design and are not traditional administrators.

Teachers are evaluated on three aspects: to view them accurately, appreciate others’ strengths, and their teachability as being receptive to other teachers’ suggestions.

The study found that teachers who gave their TGR leaders high ratings for humility are more likely to report sharing their knowledge and expertise, as they feel more psychologically empowered as a result of the sense of safety.

Goddard said, “This feeling of teachers that they could safely share their knowledge comes from having a leader who has humility - an openness to learning from others, a willingness to revise opinions, and an appreciation for the strengths of others,” ANI reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

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