Martin Jencius, School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences; Eric Baltrinic, Winona State University, Wisconsin; and Steven Brown, Evaluation and Measurement, presented “The Successes and Challenges of Implementing Teacher Leadership after Study Abroad” at the 33rd annual conference of the International Society for the Scientific Study of Subjectivity in Glasgow, Scotland, on Sept. 10, 2017.
Summary: The impact of study abroad on the improvement of professional skills can be surmised, but the specific impact of such study is subjective. In this particular case, a group of 100 international teachers who studied in the USA were asked: What happens when international teachers return to their respective countries to implement lessons learned? To avoid the unnecessary averaging of teachers’ experiences and to ascertain consensus, Q methodology was employed. A concourse was generated from a group of international secondary teachers who participated in the International Leaders in Education Program, which is administered through the U.S. Department of State and provides international teachers with an opportunity to enhance their teaching skills, leadership and knowledge about education theory and practice in the United States. The resulting sample yielded N = 50 statements describing participants’ successes and challenges of implementing teacher leadership upon return to their various countries from study abroad. The data are currently in the process of being analyzed and interpreted, with resulting factors and implications forthcoming. Problems of concourse development, sampling and data collection from afar will also be addressed as a challenging application of Q.