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Understanding and dealing with the sources of problems of practice requires learning at both the interpersonal and organisational levels. The means for learning is the ability to engage in conversations that lead to problem clarification and collaborative commitment to change. When these problems are complex and manifest as dilemmas (with tensions between meeting organisational and individual needs) and impact on the quality of learning and teaching, educational leaders who focus on resolution can indirectly affect conditions which have consequences for improving student achievement. This action research study uses the case of one school to examine the commitment to engagement in conversations that allow dilemmas to be resolved. Data were gathered to examine the motivation of teachers and leaders to learn and the barriers to be overcome. A training intervention prepared senior managers for dealing with dilemmas more productively. The next stage in the research process is the collection of deep data that could provide evidence of changed practice in problem-solving conversations. Methodologically, this study has entered an extremely challenging phase in relation to accessing the data required. The major challenge encountered by the researcher and the key participants is the difficulty associated with gathering sensitive evidence of change in conversational encounters that involve other colleagues. A solution in the form of extending participation in intervention training to all members of the school has been adopted so that subsequent practice change can be observed collaboratively.

openalex: W2186252620 mag: 2186252620