Collaboration and distributed leadership mediated by technology in a community of practice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21556/edutec.2025.91.3549Keywords:
community of practice;, distributed leadership; collaboration; co-teaching;Abstract
This study aimed to understand how collaboration and distributed leadership occur in a technology-mediated community of practice during a co-teaching process. It was carried out with the participation of teachers who collaborate in an arts teaching center at a Mexican public university. Employing a qualitative approach, data from the technology-mediated interaction process was analyzed through non-participant observation and digital document records. The study's central finding revealed that collaborative planning and course delivery emerged as the core aspects of collaboration, as well as of the distributed leadership still under development, given that it manifested itself in an alternate and momentary manner. Regarding the digital media used by the teachers, WhatsApp served as a means to establish agreements and schedule Zoom meetings, while Google Drive was the main medium for collaboration and production. This dynamic operated as a community of practice in co-teaching activities. Collaborative practices are particularized according to the composition of their members and the means of interaction, as technological media enable the distribution of leadership and collaboration by placing them in similar conditions of interaction. The study suggests that technological mediation can empower collaboration and distributed leadership by creating a level playing field for interaction among participants.
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