Collaborative Leadership in the Nursing Classroom: A Case Study Approach

Purpose

As educators seek to move away from passive didactic learning toward active and engaging learner-centered strategies, nursing leaders have been charged with the task of transforming higher education for baccalaureate nursing students (Benner, Sutphen, Leonard & Day, 2010).  In the past decade, the renewal of clinical learning has occurred through inventive active-learning strategies such as simulation; however, a paucity of research exists regarding similar pedagogical innovations in nursing classrooms.  The purpose of this case study was to investigate the leadership behaviors, methods, and beliefs of a nurse educator transforming classroom pedagogy through innovative teaching strategies.  The study aims to provide a rich description of the collaborative academic leadership of educators in nursing classrooms by addressing the following research question: How do nurse educators act as collaborative leaders when using innovative teaching strategies in the classroom?

Background/Significance

The impending nursing shortage necessitates graduates to be able to “hit the ground running”- forcing nurse educators to address how to best prepare graduates to deal with a rapidly changing healthcare system (Clinton, Murrells & Robinson, 2005).  Numerous agencies, such as the National League for Nursing (2005), the Institute of Medicine (2011), and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2008) have called for the restructuring of nursing education to better prepare graduates for practice in this challenging environment.  In the seminal work Educating Nurses: A Call for Radical Transformation, Benner et al. (2010) petitioned for a revolution in nursing pedagogy, urging movement away from passive teaching strategies that fail to develop critical-thinking abilities of graduates.  These forces have converged upon a central theme of transforming nursing education through the development of innovative student-centered methods.

In addition, there has long been concern that didactic lecture encourages passive learning rather than deep reasoning, especially with undergraduate students of the digital generation who are a challenge to engage in traditional classrooms (Entwistle, 1992).  However increased student enrollment and reduced university resources have led to larger class sizes- an environment that encourages nurse educators to rely on didactic lecture through PowerPoint (Greenwood, 2000).  Sherwood and Horton-Deutsch (2012) discussed that despite eagerness to adopt curricular change, nursing faculty lacked resources, support, and skills necessary to overcome prevailing paradigms of classroom education.  Unfortunately less interactive teaching and learning will occur in nursing classrooms without research exploring the intricate process of innovative classroom change and establishment of evidence-based best practices in collaborative faculty leadership. 

Nursing faculty working with this digital generation have begun to develop collaborative learning environments in hopes of increasing student engagement, class participation, and ownership of learning outcomes (Fletcher, 2014).  With developments in simulation-based learning gaining national attention, most recent articles published about changing nursing pedagogy have focused on clinical education. Innovations in clinical education share a central theme of collaboration- within the expansion of practice partnerships between schools of nursing and hospitals (Dobalian et al.,  2014); through cross-disciplinary interprofessional learning (Cranford & Bates, 2015); and through collaborative research partnerships of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) landmark study on simulation based learning (Hayden, Smiley, Alexander, Kardong-Edgren, & Jeffries, 2014).

Analysis of findings from this review of clinical studies included innovative changes and teaching strategies related to common findings of collaboration and collaborative leadership.  Classroom innovations may share a similar theory of development; however, no research exists exploring the intricate process of innovative classroom change and collaborative leadership.  Literature has not yet explored the knowledge, skills, and experiences of nursing faculty leaders pioneering classroom change.  Little knowledge exists to help educators through the complex process of pedagogical transformation of the classroom, especially as the role of faculty leadership in academia remains unexplored.  The lack of research exploring the complexities of faculty leadership during the pedagogical transformation of the nursing classroom upholds the significance of this case study research. 

Methods

Case study research design was chosen as the intention was to explore an existing, real-life situation in a non-controlled environment (Kyburz-Graber, 2004).  In addition, case study methodology was chosen as it aims to answer complex ‘how’ phenomena through simultaneous data collection and analysis (Yin, 2014).  A purposive sample comprised of a single nurse educator who met inclusion criteria was identified and recruited for study after securement of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval.  Data collection began after consent was obtained and included gathering of a demographic information, a one-hour semi-structured interview, direct classroom observations, and collection of additional data sources including course syllabi, lesson plans, course assignments and rubrics, de-identified course and peer evaluations, curriculum vitae, meeting minutes with personal notes, and portfolio summaries.

Analysis of numerous and varying data sources contributed to the comprehensiveness of the case study and increased validity of findings through triangulation of data (Kyburz-Graber, 2004).  The audio-taped interview used an interview guide to explore faculty behaviors, methods, and beliefs about pedagogical change through the development of innovative teaching strategies.  Dependability and confirmability were maintained through an audit trail including transcribed interviews with comprehensive field notes. 

A rich description of the phenomenon of leadership during the pedagogical transformation of the nursing classroom was developed to contribute to the transferability of case study findings.  Collaborative Leadership Theory provided a theoretical framework for this examination of the knowledge, skills, and experiences of a nursing faculty leader pioneering classroom change.  The Collaborative Leadership Theory upholds that: 1) effective leaders maximize talents of a group by utilizing mutuality, connectedness, and power sharing, and 2) leadership involves intentional and skillful management of relationships, focusing on individual success while accomplishing a collective outcome (Chrislip & Larson, 1994). 

Data Analysis and Results

The researcher used an inductive process to collect, sort, and analyze data to create a case study database while maintaining a chain of evidence.  A systematic and comprehensive process was maintained for exhaustive data analysis with multiple sources of evidence collected to develop thick descriptions of the phenomena under study (Yin, 2014).  The researcher transcribed the interview and validated integrity of the document by identifying key words and phrases.  Tentative categories and themes were then extracted using the inductive process of pattern-matching.  Pattern-matching logic increased internal validity of the study by enabling the researcher to compare study data with idealized theoretic patterns (DeSantis & Ugarriza, 2000).

Three central categorical themes emerged from data analysis: purpose and process, people, and performance along with related sub-themes.  Propositions from the theory were supported in the case study as three central themes, each with related sub-themes, emerged from data analysis: purpose and process, people, and performance.  The participant in this case study demonstrated collaborative leadership by identifying a purpose and process for innovative change, through relationship building, and through enhancement of student performance and achievement of mutual learning goals.

Table 1 demonstrates the relationship between interview questions, themes, and sub-themes emerging from analysis of case study data.

Table 1. Themes and Sub-Themes

Theme	Sub-Theme
Process & Purpose	Reflection Collaboration Innovative Change
People	Intentional Relationships Individualized Connections Mutuality/Trust
Performance	Mutual Goals Shared Responsibility Accountability

Collaborative leadership theory is guided by the principle that shared power and influence maximizes talents and resources of a group (Chrislip & Larson, 1994).  Avery (1999) furthers that innovation can be accelerated through the collaborative leader’s harnessing of collective intelligence.  Figure 1 illustrates how Collaborative Leadership Theory relates to findings from this case study research (note: could not upload figure available for review on poster/in presentation).

Conclusions and Implications for Nursing

This case study research upholds that favorable outcomes for innovative classroom teaching strategies are dependent upon mutuality, trust, and leadership in a collaborative model.  Educators leading the pedagogical transformation of the classroom should: utilize innovative teaching strategies to develop collaborative learning environments, build trust through relationship development, and achieve shared responsibility for learning outcomes by setting mutual goals.  Therefore, this case study applies the collaborative theoretical framework to link innovative practices, learners, and faculty leaders in the exploration of the pedagogical transformation of the nursing classroom.

The findings of this case study research contribute to the growing body of knowledge related to faculty leadership in nursing education by:

• providing a model for collaborative leadership and an understanding of how collaboration incites innovation;

• describing communication and evaluation strategies necessary to develop mutuality and trust with students in a collaborative learning environment;

• encouraging development of mentoring and collaborative relationships among nursing faculty.

Understanding the importance of building intentional relationships and the practice of mutual goal setting provides nursing faculty with valuable insight into the process of collaborative leadership.  Leadership in a collaborative model helps develop mutuality and trust, cultivating accountability and shared responsibility between faculty and students in the undergraduate nursing classroom.