Creating Collegial Relationships: A precondition and product of self-study

This article reports a self-study conducted during my four-year tenure as head of the elementary school department within a college of education. During that period, I explored my developing understanding of the role of relationships in the processes of my professional and personal growth. I describe the three cycles of action that comprise the process of change I instigated in the department. I also describe the three phases I identified retrospectively. These relate to the transformations I experienced in my understanding, conceptions, and actions regarding relationships and leadership.