Embedding inquiry‐based practices in schools: The strategic role of school leaders

The context of this study were research and development projects in Dutch secondary education, particularly funded by government to combine practice‐based research with school development goals for inquiry‐based culture. Aiming at better understanding of the strategic role that school leaders play in embedding inquiry‐based practices in schools, the research question of this study was to explore to what extent and how do school leaders use the opportunity of participating in funded research and development projects for encouraging and integrating inquiry‐based practices in their schools? Differences concerning the integration of inquiry‐based working in the school as professional learning community were examined, distinguishing between school leaders’ strategies of capacity building. Twenty‐eight school leaders of Dutch secondary schools, involved in nineteen projects, were interviewed retrospectively. Analyses showed the majority of the school leaders to be convinced that inquiry‐based working is important for their schools’ development as a professional community. Their strategies for achieving school level project significance differed in school leaders’ successive attention on personal or interpersonal capacity building with regard to inquiry‐based practices. Moreover, while some school leaders were actively involved with capacity building right from the start of the research and development projects projects, almost two‐third of the school leaders developed interest in inquiry‐based practices during the projects and started to enact in the final year of the project. In discussing the results, it is proposed that the interaction of strategy and context needs further study, for instance to inform peer learning among school leaders that are novice and experienced in inquiry‐based practices as a means to develop the school as a professional learning community.