Developing Social Capital through School-Based Collaborations: A Mixed Methods Social Network Analysis.

This article examines how K–12 educators describe their school-based collaborations and how these collaborative patterns correspond to distinct social network structures and qualities of social capital, defined as the resources educators access through their social networks to benefit themselves, students, and the school community. Using a mixed methods design with survey and interview data from 76 educators in a private school district, the study identifies four collaboration profiles—Social Maven, Sage on the Stage, Novice, and Loner—each associated with unique patterns of network ties and social capital functions such as transactions, information flow, norms, and network structure. Social Mavens engage in reciprocal, bidirectional collaborations with extensive networks, Sages primarily provide support to others, Novices mainly seek support, and Loners are isolated with minimal collaboration. The findings have implications for professional development, educator hiring and retention, and policy related to teacher standards and collaborative practices in PK–12 education.