Leading Adult Learning long term impact report: Piritahi Kāhui Ako
Read how a Kāhui Ako saw transformative impact from a three-year Leading Adult Learning programme.
Author
Dr Wendy Moore
Overview
At the time of this report, Piritahi Kāhui Ako in Marlborough had worked with the Leading Adult Learning team for five years. Initially, five principals participated and sought to extend the benefits to more staff. Over the following four years, Ministry of Education regional funding supported multiple schools and leaders, with a focus on fostering adult learning and leadership development. The overarching goal was to positively influence both school and regional culture.
In 2020 the LAL leadership team commissioned an evaluation to explore the impact of this sustained involvement on participants and the Kāhui Ako.
Methodology
The evaluation used an appreciative inquiry approach. A sample of participants from across the Kāhui Ako and across the four years were invited to participate. The report draws on the perspectives of 17 participants, including principals, associate principals, deputy principals, team leaders, and within school and across school leaders.
Participants took part in face to face and online interviews. Each answered a common set of questions about their initial impressions, experiences in LAL, perceptions of its impact, and concluding reflections. Interviews were transcribed and analysed to identify common themes.
The final report presents an overview of the themes and uses the voices of participants extensively to tell their story of impact from being part of the LAL programme.
Findings
Participants reported substantial benefits across the Kāhui Ako, their schools, and their own practice. They described stronger relationships and collaboration, with a shift towards collective approaches to shared challenges.
Participants identified changes in communication and leadership practices, supported by shared language and protocols. Within schools, they reported stronger teamwork, greater empathy, and more distributed leadership. They also described applying LAL strategies in classrooms to support deeper, more learner-focused conversations.
For some, the personal impact was profound. Participants described greater self-reflection and changes in how they responded to learners, colleagues, and parents. Some also applied their learning in their personal lives.
Overall, participants strongly valued the programme and described it as transformative professional learning.