ABSTRACT

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book is intended for people interested in fostering collaborative relationships and social capital among teachers as well as those who conduct research in teacher education and professional development (PD). It demonstrates variability in knowledge domains, revealing the ubiquity of social network and social capital theories and practices. The book examines changes in confidence and teaching abilities of various teachers as they participated in year 1 of the PD experience that focused on improving teachers' human capital versus year 2 of the PD experience that focused on improving their social capital. It aims to feature the mechanisms that each team of researchers used to build social networks and social capital with their populations of educators. The book describes that social network and social capital interventions provide access to expertise, resources, trust, common instructional goals, and a moral purpose for improving the status quo.