Chapter 4 Understanding Educational Leadership through Network Analysis
A Critical Reflection on Using Social Network Analysis in a Mixed Methods Study
In: Critical Reflection on Research in Teaching and LearningSearch for other papers by Cherie Woolmer in
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Abstract
Examining the informal conversational networks of postsecondary educational leaders can shed light on change process related to teaching and learning. Kezar (2014) argues that Social Network Analysis (SNA), a mathematical methodology that can quantify and ‘map’ networks of individuals and systems, can capture, analyze, and represent social processes involved in change. However, she notes how SNA has been underused in research on postsecondary education. Responding to this, we designed a mixed-methods, longitudinal study to examine the professional networks of faculty members taking part in a 2-year educational leadership fellowship at a research-intensive institution in Canada. Combining the visual ego network data provided by SNA sociograms with qualitative interviews, we sought to systematically explore the networks of individual Fellows. Centered on an illustrative case study, this chapter is an exploration of the rationale behind the study and the lessons gleaned from it. We discuss how it was informed by our respective research backgrounds and locations in the academy, further enriched within the context of a pedagogical partnership. We provide an overview of the practical and ethical challenges we faced and a frank discussion on the implications for praxis.