The relationship between peer learning and self-directed learning: the mediating role of collaborative leadership among pre-service mathematics teachers

TL;DR

This study explores how peer learning and self-directed learning are connected through collaborative leadership among future math teachers in Turkey.

Contribution

The study introduces collaborative leadership as a mediator between peer learning and self-directed learning among pre-service teachers.

Findings

Collaborative leadership significantly correlates with both self-directed and peer learning.

Peer learning had a negligible and non-significant direct effect on self-directed learning.

Grade level and project experience positively and significantly influenced the outcomes.

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the relationship between peer learning and selfdirected learning, as well as the mediating role of collaborative leadership among pre-service mathematics teachers.

A cross-sectional quantitative research design was used, and data were collected from a state university in southeastern Türkiye. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the structural relationships among peer learning, self-directed learning, and collaborative leadership in a group of pre-service teachers.

The results indicated a statistically significant positive correlation between collaborative leadership and both self-directed learning and peer learning. The relationship between peer learning and self-directed learning was negligible (β = −0.016, small effect) and not statistically significant, the relationship between peer learning and collaborative leadership (β = 0.776, large effect), and the relationship between collaborative leadership and self-directed learning (β = 0.777, large effect) were statistically significant. Moreover, gender, as a control variable, was determined to be non-significant, but estimates of grade level and project experience were identified as statistically significant and positive.

This study examines collaborative leadership as a mediator between peer learning and self-directed learning among Turkish pre-service teachers, representing a notable contribution to the literature. Self-directed learning is influenced by multiple factors, while peer tutoring enhances students’ engagement with their environment, cognitive growth, and social connection. Collaborative leadership has been identified as a significant mediating variable in this relationship. These results underscore the relevance of collaborative leadership as an important mechanism through which peer learning and self-directed learning are related. The findings suggest the potential effectiveness of establishing a project-based learning environment for pre-service teachers that focuses on fostering peer interaction and leadership development.

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