Profile of Teacher Leadership: A Case Study of a Refugee School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Saira Riaz1*
1 International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), Pagoh Campus, Johor, Malaysia
*Corresponding Author: [email protected], [email protected] Accepted: 15 February 2023 | Published: 1 March 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.55057/ajress.2023.5.1.9
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Abstract: This study deepens the knowledge of teacher leadership inside the classroom and the strong influence of teacher leaders on the whole school development. This study explored the roles played by teachers as leaders inside the classroom, factors encouraging teacher leadership, challenges and teachers’ recommendations to improve leadership component in school setting. Qualitative method and Case study approach was used for data collection. Semi structured interviews with the principal, academic coordinator senior and junior teachers were conducted in school. The findings indicated that teacher leaders performed multiple roles, teachers, facilitators, mentors, learners and relationship builders. Supportive senior management, leadership development programmes and creation of a culture of respect were the main factors for teacher leadership improvement. Teacher leaders confronted challenges and stress both inside and outside the classroom. They were over worked and less paid yet most of them were satisfied with their jobs. The recommendations such as technology in class, leadership trainings and time allocation for extra-curricular activities were given by teacher leaders.
Keywords: Teacher leaders, roles, learning, challenges, school progress
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1. Introduction
Effective leadership is the essential component in the sustainable school improvement. The effective leaders exercise powerful role on the standard and quality of the school to improve students’ achievement. The efficiency of leaders and their impact is noticeable through teachers’ motivation and the quality of classroom instruction activities. The development in the domain of educational leadership led to the unlimited responsibilities of teachers both inside and outside the classroom. Teachers are expected to take the leadership role to bring change in the classroom and schools in general. Katzenmeyer and Moller (2001: 17) defined teacher leaders as: ‘teachers who are leaders lead within and beyond the classroom, identify with and contribute to a community of teacher learners and leaders, and influence others towards improved educational practice’. Hence teacher leadership includes all those who work mutually towards a shared goal.
The concept of leadership has evolved over the years by gradually shifting from the dominating individual trait towards empowerment, transformation and community as indicated by the theory of Great man (Glaser & Strauss, 1999). However, a new concept emerged that leadership can be dispersed among people (Jackson, 2002). This concept supported a teacher as leader who encouraged healthy and positive relationships among individuals within a school and
influence by building relationships with teachers, parents, students and senior management.
Teacher leaders made efforts to bring improvements in the students’ progress and also built capacity of teachers through collegiality. Thus, leading to the whole school improvement.
Crowther, Leonne and Margaret (2009) stated that leadership of teachers outreached classroom, school and then community.
In the last two decades, the concept of leadership was prominent among nations having common education systems funded by public such as England, Australia, America and Canada (Chui et al., 1996; Little, 2003). In American schools, teacher leadership roles are performed as mentor, curriculum developer, head teacher, monitoring team member (Ackerman and Mackenzie 2006; Mullen & Hutinger 2012). In Florida, in a study of three elementary schools, the researcher observed the principal’s role in promoting teacher leadership. The findings indicated positive class environment, teachers’ involvement in decision making, supportive administration and professional development programs (Jones, 2007). In Britain, Principalship was replaced by collective leadership as head teacher or academic coordinator due to the limitations of individual leadership.. In Australia, due to global structuring, teachers’
participation in decision making, professional learning and collegiality accelerated schools’
improvement significantly (Beare, 2001).
In the eastern context, the concept of decentralized leadership does not exist. In Hong Kong, Ho and Tikly (2012) in his case study indicated that in Chinese leadership policy, the elements of authority, power and hierarchy were prominent. The principal has the centralized form of power and school culture is highly power distance. He pointed out the elements such as shared decision-making, collegiality and change agentry as elements of teacher leadership discourse.
In Singapore, the school leadership reforms empowered the principals professionally to promote teacher leadership. The National Institute of Education through three professional development programmes of teacher leadership (TLP) step by step prepared senior teachers and nurtured them as transformational leaders and community builders (https://www.nie.edu.sg /teacher-education/teacher-leaders-programme). In Malaysia, the educational reforms brought evolution in the traditional education system. The Malaysian Blueprint Education was launched in 2013 by the Ministry of Education (2013-2025). The main objective was to prepare high performing principals in order to impart instructional leadership (Ministry of Education, 2013, E-27). Educational leaders were pressurized for sustainable school transformation as ‘torch bearer of educational change’ (Pashiardis: 2001:1). Institut Aminuddin Baqi, the leadership preparation Centre, played an important role for preparing the principals on the new dimensions of leadership in schools as studied by Ng (2017). In a study of master teachers in Philippines and Malaysia, Bush et, al. (2016) highlighted that the area of master teachers or head teachers was under searched in Malaysia. In their study of five master teachers in Malaysia, they highlighted that master teachers improved the exam score through creative teaching methods and good class management. Their role extended beyond classroom. They participated in the national curriculum development and were highly paid.
This study was an attempt to probe into the roles performed by teachers as leaders inside the classroom, to discover the challenges that teachers as leaders encounter in their professional lives and to get the recommendations from teachers’ perspective to bring in change and development in the refugee school.
2. Literature Review
The study of literature provided a global perspective on teacher leadership. The theories on teacher leadership provided a base to develop the conceptual framework for this research.
2.1 Definitions of Teacher leadership
Theorists (Duke, 2004; Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2009; York-Barr, 2004) defined leadership that envisaged multiple roles both inside and outside the classroom. In terms of collectivity, Boels and Troen (1994, p. 11) defined as “collective leadership in which teachers develop expertise by working collaboratively. Harris and Muijs (2006, p. 2) defined: “Professional collaboration action with pedagogical purpose which can take the form of both formal and informal roles.”.
This notion was further expanded by Frost (2008, p. 337) further as: “Involving shared leadership, teachers’ leadership of development work, teachers’ knowledge building, and teachers’ voices.”
2.2 Theories of teacher leadership
In the twenty first century, Katzenmeyer and Moller (2009) stated that, factors such as diversified needs of students, soaring demands for quality education, school principals’
workload, accountability and unlimited expectations of parents, resultingly a new form of potential leadership from in and out of the classroom.
2.3 The roles of Teacher leaders
Harris (2007), Mujis (2007) and Pounder (2006) labelled teacher leadership as a process of developing multiple characteristics and roles as experts, facilitators and mentors uplifting the school standard through team leadership, decision making and exploring the opportunities for professional development. Harrison and Killion (2007) indicated ten roles and named the first six as the most significant: instructional specialist, facilitator and mentor, classroom supporter, curriculum specialist, and resource provider. Grant gave four level framework in which he mentioned: “Teachers are ‘leaders in practice” (2006, p. 519). Four levels of teacher leadership were introduced by Grant (2006). He emphasized that “teachers must be classroom leaders in conducing effective teaching and learning”. Few years later, Katzenmeyer and Moller (2009) introduced seven dimensions of teacher leaders: open communication, positive environment, participation, autonomy, recognition and developmental focus. Fairman and Mackenzie (2015) introduced a learning model as the Spheres of Teacher Leadership Action. This model indicated teachers’ role as leaders who established professional learning community while motivating their colleagues for students’ progress in learning.
2.4 Factors promoting teacher leadership in school
The literature review highlighted many factors that contribute to promote teacher leadership in schools. In school setting, the senior management laid the foundation of teacher leadership by creating a healthy and trustworthy environment for teachers (Duke & York-Barr, 2004; Harris
& Mujis, 2006, 2007; Mangin, 2007). They pointed out the fact that a supportive and encouraging principal promoted passion among teachers for teaching, creativity, motivation and productivity. Another factor is the creation of a learning community by mentoring. This includes teachers’ empowerment for decision-making and democracy in schools (Katzenmeyer
& Moller, 2001; Sergiovanni, 2005). In his study, Hargreaves (2003:3) insisted that
“professional learning communities lead to strong and measurable improvements in students’
learning…..”. Harris and Muijs (2003:40) considered a school as “a form of agency where teachers are empowered to lead development work that impacts directly upon the quality of teaching and learning.” Professional development was found an important leadership
determining factor as trainings improved knowledge, skills, mentoring, teaching and action research (Duke & York-Barr, 2004; Snell & Swanson, 2000). Barth (1991) and Morre (2016) insisted upon the heads to provide resources for the activities of continuing professional development (CPD) which helped in solving complexed problems in schools. Hence teachers’
training programs empowered teachers to become change agents in their classroom and throughout schools and districts.
2.5 Challenges faced by teacher leaders
The literature explained multiple challenges that were encountered by teacher leaders both inside and outside the classroom. Hook (2006) indicated tremendous pressure on school administrators and teachers due to rising demands and expectations for students’ performance.
The literature on refugees highlighted that societal pressures directly influenced classroom environment. Refugee student behavior and emotions ranged from externalizing to internalizing which made classroom management very challenging. Third, refugee teachers relied on traditional methods for managing behaviour issues of students (O’ Neal et al., 2018).
Raba (2016), Wang and Walberg (1993) pointed out class management as the most challenging task which led to ineffective teaching. They recommended a mentoring system for young teachers. Cheng (1994, p. 539) also emphasized that “leadership style has a strong and positive effect on the classroom social climate and student affective performance.” Power and accountability was also a big problem. Barth (2007) and Durias (2010) indicated that the top- down structures in schools served as an obstacle and were reluctant to change. In a study, Ash (2000) suggested: “Heads need to become leaders of leaders, striving to develop a relationship of trust with staff, and encouraging leadership and autonomy throughout the school.”. Lack of time was a big challenge. Muijs and Harris (2006), Wenner and Campbell (2016) discovered the fact that a teacher would not be able to perform leadership without allocated time as “lack of time for teachers to engage in activities outside of classroom teaching appears to be a key inhibitor.” Building relationships in school at all levels was also challenging (Katzenmeyer &
Moller, 2001) Consequently, negative elements such as jealousy, lack of cooperation, negative attitude and unprofessional behavior led to complexed professional relations. The literature review also proposed some valuable recommendations to uplift the school standard. Fullan (2005), Uribe-Florez et al. (2014) recommended that a key to a successful school reform is teacher leadership. According to Barth (2007, p.10):“….the most prevalent recommendation for improving our nation’s school was that teachers should take on and share more of the leadership of their school”. In their study, Moore et al. (2016) shared the possibility that teachers might be hesitant to take the formal leadership position. However, as agents of change they led the change from inside the classroom with their knowledge and skills.
3. Methodology
This was a single research study. The case study method suited to this study as it permitted to probe and study the characters in the real life situation (Yin, 2015) with a small number of teacher leaders. This case study provided insights into the roles, factors that promote teacher leadership, challenges and recommendations by teacher leaders in a Malaysian refugee school.
The Qualitative approach was used because it suited the best for the case study as it covers the narratives (Creswell, 2016). Qualitative data were collected and analyzed separately. For the research instrument, semi structured interviews were conducted. The selected refugee school was a charity-based school and started as a primary school in 2014 and then attained secondary level in the previous years. The school was established with an objective to provide quality education for a prosperous future of refugee children whose families migrated from different countries and registered by UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). The
children were taught by the permanent faculty and qualified volunteers. The volunteers were locals and expatriates, and they were registered by UNHCR. The data was collected by semi- structured face to face interviews. Convenient sampling was used as the researcher was volunteering in school and it was time saving and cost effective. The selected participants were principal, academic coordinator, head teacher and teachers as mentioned in the table 1:
Table 1: Profile of the participants for qualitative study
School Designation Type of Leadership Age Experience
Principal School Leader 60 years 15 years
Academic Coordinator Formal Teacher Leader A 61 years 30 years Head Teacher Formal Teacher Leader B 58 years 10 years
Teacher Informal Teacher Leader C 65 years 10 years
Teacher Informal Teacher Leader D 21 years 3 years
4. Data Collection
For data collection, formal permission was taken from the principal. An appointment was fixed with the research participants. Research details were shared with the participants. A general interview guide was used. The semi structured interviews were conducted face to face with the participants: principal, two formal teacher leaders and two informal teacher leaders. The interviews were recorded. The duration of each interview was 15-20 minutes.
4.1 Validity and Reliability
Pilot testing of the interview protocol was performed with two teacher leaders for the accuracy before conducting the real interviews. The interview protocol was perfectly understood. The triangulation was done through member checking. Data was collected through interviews and then it was inductively analyzed. Transcriptions were coded by using descriptive coding method. Each theme has various sub-themes. The major themes are predetermined themes and sub-themes are emergent themes that emerged from data.
5. Findings and Discussion
Data was inductively analyzed by coding, themes and sub-themes. The main themes were roles, factors to improve teacher leadership, challenges and the recommendations given by teacher leaders.
5.1 Roles
5.1.1 Meaningful and value-based teaching
The data revealed that teachers were focused on providing good education. Teacher leader D mentioned:
“You as a teacher have to make sure that you are giving the latest information to students…..We put students into groups……they develop a sense of community.”
To inculcate ethical values and morality among adolescent children, values-based teaching was practiced for refugee children who belonged to different countries and racial background.
Teacher leaders B mentioned:
“…it is also about values to children, helping them grow with the right values to be responsible citizens…”
Healthy class environment was created for refugee children who underwent different psychological problems and thus showed hyper behaviour. Teacher leader B expressed her views:
“I create atmosphere where children feel safe and non-threatening, so that they are free to express”.
5.1.2 Facilitation and creativity
Teachers’ role was found to be as facilitators in the classroom. The principal highlighted:
“I see my role as a facilitator in the classroom. I see myself as a leader to make students focused in the classroom.”
It was found that creativity, channelizing the young talent and energy into something creative and purposeful was the ambition of teachers. Teacher leader C highlighted:
“I bring science models to the class and divide them into groups…..learning by doing is my policy.”
5.1.3 Mentoring and collegiality
It was found that the senior teachers were mentors to the junior teachers and mutually they created learning environment. Teacher leader A talked about her role:
“I am a mentor for the new teachers…we share work and ideas.”
It was found that participants enjoyed good relations with senior management, teachers, and students. Teacher leader B highlighted:
“We work as a team.”
5.1.4 Supportive Management
It was found that management was supportive in promoting teacher leadership inside the classroom. Senior management, teachers and students established healthy relationships and worked mutually. Teachers were facilitated to achieve the best learning outcomes and their good work was appreciated. The principal highlighted:
“I have absolute trust in the capability and commitment of my teachers”.
Teacher leader A mentioned:
“Management gives them full space to work as a leader inside the classroom”.
5.1.5 Professionalism of teacher
It was found that teachers’ professionalism was an important factor. For students, teacher was a role model of perfection and professionalism. Teacher leader D gave her opinion:
“A teacher should understand each and every student…. then effective teaching in which classroom management is very important”.
Teacher leader B highlighted her thoughts:
“I think a teacher should be a role model. You have to practice what you teach…”
5.2 Challenges
5.2.1 Class management
Teaching refugee students was found a very challenging job. Students had multicultural and multiethnic identities. They had a background of discontinued education. They had behavioral issues and mostly had uneducated parents as expressed by Teacher leader C:
“Students come from different countries, different languages, different background, so there is always a clash among students. There, we have to handle very carefully….we follow life skills”.
5.2.2 Lack of time with excessive workload and low salaries
It was found that lack of time was a big challenge. Teachers’ busy schedule did not spare much time for colleagueship and other activities. Extra duties performed by teachers to bring out and polish refugees students’ potential and in a broader sense for the school improvement. Teacher Leaders B, C and D explained their responsibilities:
“I handle drama production.” Teacher leader C, “I teach arts”, teacher leader D “I supervise library”.
As the refugee school was run on donations, salaries were low which caused frustration among teachers. Teachers were over worked and less paid as expressed by Teacher Leader C:
“Most of the time we are in the classroom, so I cannot ask other teachers to get involved….we are loaded with work i do not know how to meet my ends”.
6. Recommendations
Technology
The participants recommended the usage of technology for rich and independent learning in the classroom. So that the role of a teacher is more like a facilitator to promote independent learning. Teacher leader A recommended:
“If students have laptops, they can do research on their own… A teacher as a facilitator is a leader to them. So teacher’s job is to bring out their thinking skills.”
Involvement Of Management
The data revealed that teachers urged the administration to assist them in students’ personal and academic matters. They discussed the limitations of teachers who were solely responsible for students’ progress. Teacher leader B emphasized:
“Management should be involved in student’s life…… management should not be cut off”.
Culture Of Respect
The data revealed that teachers wanted the top management to introduce a culture of recognition of teacher’s work and respect teachers as leaders as manifested by Teacher leader D:
“Senior management should develop a culture in which teachers are respected.
Then students will respect teachers”.
Job Satisfaction
Two important elements; Job satisfaction and motivation were common among all the participants. Teacher leader D stated smilingly:
“I am very satisfied with my job”.
The qualitative research findings indicated Grant’s (2006: 519) first level of the framework.
Inside the classroom, teacher leaders are facilitators (Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2001; Mujis, 2007) use their full potential for students’ development through creativity in positive environment (Cheng, 1994, p. 539). They teach ethics and do extra efforts including extra- curricular activities (Pounder, 2006) and initiate change as Change Agents from inside the classroom. They regularly update their knowledge and skills by participating in workshops and trainings and build relationships with students, senior management and teachers. It indicates four dimensions of teacher leaders’ role (Harris & Mujis, 2003, p.7). leadership style has a strong and positive effect on classroom social climate and student affective performance (Duke, 2004; Harris, 2007; Mangin, 2007; Mujis, 2007; York-Barr, 2004). Multiple challenges were faced by the teacher leaders. Teaching refugee children is challenging as they do not have proper academic background, their families have insufficient means and sometimes they suffer from different psychological problems owing to tough living conditions. Therefore, teachers put in extra effort to constantly work on their attitude, conduct and etiquettes. They maintain discipline in class as good class management leads to effective teaching (Wang & Wall berg, 1993). Another challenge is lack of time to exhibit leadership activities and collegiality which indicates the theory (Muijs & Harris, 2006). High Workload with poor salary is also challenging. The teacher leaders gave useful and practical recommendations based on their experience such as usage of technology inside the classroom to improve learning (Nappi, 2014;
Uribe-Florez et al., 2014). They emphasized that the management should be involved in students’ life as only teachers cannot improve students’ behavior and learning progress. In addition to this, they felt the need to conduct more leadership trainings and to create a culture of recognition and respect of teachers as a leaders.
7. Conclusion
This was a case study of a refugee school which is a milieu of a variety of groups of students from different multicultural, multilingual and multiethnic background. This study analyzed Teacher Leadership with particular focus on teachers’ roles, leadership promoting factors and challenges from inside the classroom. Qualitative method was used and case study approach most suited to this study. Semi structured interviews were used as research instruments. The researcher studied the problem that teachers are in the position to unveil their hidden leadership identities. By playing multifunctional roles, their efforts extend from the classroom towards the whole school development. Although teachers were unaware about their leadership qualities, but they were contributing as teacher leaders from inside the classroom. They were facilitators and created a healthy and positive environment for learning. They practiced values-
based teaching and creativity. The formal teacher leaders were mentors to junior teachers and thus they established a professional learning community. They regularly attend professional trainings but trainings are focused on class practices than leadership component. They are satisfied with their jobs for the love of students and having motivation to improve the schools’
standard. Possessing such qualities, they may be named as transformational leaders or Change Agents. This study also investigated the factors such as senior management supporting teacher leadership, teachers’ professionalism which included punctuality, behavior, teaching style, values, classroom management skills and good relationships with students and management.
This study explored that teacher leaders confront multiple challenges and the most prominent is classroom management. Refugee children demand a lot of patience due to their multi ethnicity, lack of ethical values and psychological problems. Teachers as leaders work on their personal, emotional and intellectual grooming. Teachers face problems such as excessive work with low salary, absence of increment and lack of time. (teachers’ statements). This study explored few recommendations by teacher leaders such as usage of technology, involvement of management in students’ affairs, organizing leadership trainings and creation of a culture of respect and recognition of teacher as a leader in the school. For future implication, a study may be conducted on mentoring by formal teacher leaders to the young teachers in schools.
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