The findings of the study were that teacher leadership was implemented in all four zones, mostly in zone one (in . the classroom) and zone two (working with other teachers and students outside the classroom in curricular and extracurricular activities). The implementation of the teacher's leadership was very limited in the third zone (outside the classroom in the entire school development).
Teacher leadership in action 2008-2009: School Observation Schedule, Appendix Page 127
Teacher leadership in action 2008-2009: Teacher Questionnaire, Appendix Page 130
Teacher leadership in action 2008-2009: SMT Questionnaire, Appendix
Teacher leadership in action 2008-2009: Teacher Leadership Observation schedule (borrowed from Harris & Lambert, 2003), Appendix Page 143
Teacher leadership in action: 2008-2009, Teacher Leader Journal Entries, Appendix Page 149
Teacher Leadership in Action: Teacher Leader Focus Group Interview, Appendix Page 152
Teacher leadership in action: 2008-2009, Teacher Leader Individual Interview, Appendix Page 153
Application for consent from teacher leader to participate in research project. Page 156
Application for consent from teacher to participate research at school. Page 157
Declaration by teacher leader to participate in the research research. Page 159
Analytical Framework for Teacher Leadership. Page 160
CHAPTER ONE
ORIENTATION TO THE STUDY
INTRODUCTION
- BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
- RATIONALE
- KEY RESEARCH QUESTIONS
- RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
- GROUP RESEARCH PROJECT
- THEORETICAL FRAMING
- LAYOUT OF STUDY
I looked at the different profiles of the three selected teacher leaders in my school and questioned their perceptions of teacher leadership. Chapter Five presents a summary of the findings captured in the previous chapter and gives an insight into the implementation of teacher leadership in the case study school.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
DEFINING THE CONCEPTS OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
Gronn (2000, p.334) advocates the “retention of leadership, but in the form that more closely reflects the reality of the flow of influence in organizations, and that frees it from any automatic connection with leadership”. Coleman (2005, p.7) states that in the UK “the words leadership and management are used interchangeably in everyday language”.
TRADITIONAL FORMS OF LEADERSHIP
- Authority to lead does not have to be vested in the person of the principal
In the South African context, we have the principals who are charged with working under the direction of the Department of Education (DOE) and in. In my experience, the top-down approach to leadership is inherited by principals because of the way they were mentored by the principals they taught under.
EMERGENT FORMS OF LEADERSHIP
- Defining teacher leadership within a Distributed Leadership framing
- Devolved or distributed leadership
- Teacher leaders are principally expert teachers
Lambert (1998) defines teacher leadership for school capacity building as a broad, skilled involvement in the work of leadership. In addition, he points out that several authors believe that the context for teacher leadership must be.
TEACHER LEADER ROLES: BROKERING, PARTICIPATING, MEDIATING AND FORGING CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS
- The teacher as broker
- The participative role of the teacher leader
- Teacher leaders play a mediating role
- Teacher leaders forge close relationships with individual teachers
- Teacher as researcher, scholar, mentor
In this regard, Day and Harris (2002, p.973) mention a third dimension of teacher leadership in school improvement, where the teacher leader plays a mediating role, as teacher leaders are "important sources of expertise and information" (2002, p.439). . Sledge and Morehead (2005, p.8) argue that “as we consider the evolving role of teacher leaders as capacity builders in school reform, we assume that content knowledge exists”.
FACTORS THAT PROMOTE TEACHER LEADERSHIP
- Collaboration
- Teacher leaders learn from each other
- Creating time for leadership
- Creating opportunities for teacher leadership
- Egalitarian ethic of colleagues as barriers to teacher leadership
- Bureaucratic, hierarchical nature of some schools
Some literature has referred to the fact that teacher leadership is people-oriented and that it is undesirable for teacher leaders to be aloof. According to Muijs and Harris (2003), they experienced an alienation from their colleagues when female teachers practiced teacher leadership.
Conclusion
To me, this suggests that teacher leaders were not given free reign to bring about positive change. Lieberman & Miller (2004, p.17) note that research found that "the bureaucratic, hierarchical nature of schools often conflicted with the collegial nature of the reforms that teacher leadership was designed to produce, and that structures within schools did the difficulty for teachers to become authentic leaders”.
INTRODUCTION
RESEARCH AIM AND QUESTIONS
- The questions that drove the research are
My goal with the research was to make a small contribution to the knowledge about teacher leadership. The reason for a case study approach was that it was convenient for me because I could do my research within the school where I am based.
METHODOLOGY
- Working within the interpretive paradigm
- Case study
- The Context of the Study
- The Participants
- Sampling
- Access Issues
- Data collection plan
- A Survey- Questionnaire (Appendix 2)
- Teacher observation – schedule (Appendix 4)
- Focus group interviews (Appendix 7)
- Semi-structured individual interviews
- Self-reflective journaling
- Documents
In this framework, I was able to get a nuanced view of the realities – the truths that unfolded at the school – as well as a thick description of the data. In the next section, I discuss the context of the study, which is so important to the introduction of teacher leadership. Prefab classrooms have also been tucked into a corner of the school next to the railway.
The school runs a nutrition program (PSNP) which is subsidized by the Department of Education (DOE) and most students eat their meals at school. The principal and I enjoy a good working relationship and have a shared sense of ownership of the school.
DATA ANALYSIS
ETHICAL ISSUES
In the planning stages of the research, I put measures in place to minimize harmful consequences for the research participants. One of the main responsibilities I had as a novice researcher was to cause as little harm as possible to the participants (no wrongdoing). The participants were reluctant to criticize the school principal because, although I was a researcher, I was also the vice principal of the school.
I called a meeting with the staff, as acting headmaster of the school, and explained the research project to them in detail to get their consent. Therefore, I believe that in my research I was able to gain the trust of my participants and I also made sure to explain the value of research in improving the quality of teaching and learning in school.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
CONCLUSION
DATA PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION
INTRODUCTION
According to Spillane (2006, p.3) “this practice is shaped in a very particular way, as a product of the joint interactions of school leaders, followers and aspects of their situation, such as resources and routines”. The teacher leadership research proved valuable as it provided evidence of teacher leadership practice across the school. I also looked for indicators in the data that shed light on the factors that promoted or hindered teacher leadership at the school.
An analytical framework for teacher leadership developed by Callie Grant and eleven researchers on the implementation of teacher leadership (AFTL).
PROFILES OF THE THREE TEACHER LEADERS IN THE STUDY
- Teacher leader A: the resilient teacher leader
- The enactment of teacher leadership by TLA: a personal profile
- Enactment of leadership by TLA: zones and roles analysis
- TLB: The resourceful teacher leader
- The enactment of leadership by TLB: A personal profile
- Continuing professional development
- TLC: the responsible community leader
- Enactment of leadership by TLC: a personal profile
- The enactment of leadership by TLC: a zones and roles analysis
In addition, in the second zone, but in role four, she "participated in the evaluation of the performance of teachers (in her school) (Primary School, March 5)". Even in zone four (collaboration with neighboring schools), she was active in role three (helping other teachers) because she "built a relationship with other teachers, helped to introduce teachers and built their confidence (IQMS, PS, 5b)". TLB was very active in establishing teacher leadership in the school according to zones and model (Annex 5).
I have built a profile of her according to her post in the Analytical Framework for Teacher Leadership (AFTL). She was "autonomous in her classroom in terms of decision-making and made changes happen in the classroom for the benefit of the learners" (OS, p.4).
THE ENACTMENT OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP: COMMON THEMES
THE ENACTMENT OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP ACCORDING TO THE ZONES
- Teacher leadership enactment in the classroom: common themes
- Teacher leadership beyond the school into the community: common themes
The data revealed a wide spectrum of teacher leadership activity in the context of the model of areas and roles. Participants acknowledged the positive role played by the school and the way in which it encouraged teacher leadership in the classroom area. In support of the view from teacher leaders Sledge and Moorhead (2005, p. 5) assert that “teacher leaders help colleagues achieve success for all students in the school.
The data highlighted a perceived power struggle between teacher leaders and management in the school's hierarchical environment. The data revealed how teacher leadership was implemented in the school within the four zones and identified the roles that teacher leaders played in each of the zones.
THE BENEFITS OF THE ENACTMENT OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP
- Shared decision-making
- A collaborative learning environment
- Delegation of duties from an informal position
In addition, the responses indicated that the school's relationship with the community will be strengthened if teacher leadership is encouraged. The teachers felt that effective teacher leadership would lead to better management and functioning of the school. Teacher leadership practices very often called for delegation of duties due to the demanding workload.
This supportive nature of the staff boded well for the adoption of teacher leadership in the school. The way work was divided or distributed in the school also created opportunities for teacher leadership.
BARRIERS TO TEACHER LEADERSHIP
- A lack of dialogic space and control by the SMT
- Conflict as a barrier to teacher leadership: The quest for courage and voice
- Teachers as barriers to teacher leadership
- Lack of time and school micro politics as barriers to teacher leadership
Another comment said “SMT does not give teachers the opportunity to get any leadership opportunities in the school. Teachers expressed concern about a top-down approach to management and an autocratic culture in the school hierarchy. TLC felt that there was a lack of democracy in school leadership practice and a tendency towards autocracy: “I think what I've ever found is a bit of a lack of democracy.
This comment indicated that informal implementation of teacher leadership was sometimes not readily accepted by other teachers in the school. In the open answers to the questionnaire, the teachers indicated a lack of time for self-development.
CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION
- INTRODUCTION
- SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
- The enactment of teacher leadership
- Factors that promoted teacher leadership
- Factors that acted as a barrier to teacher leadership
- Recommendations for practice
- FURTHER RESEARCH
The data showed that there were degrees of teacher leadership in practice in the case study school. In the case study school, the data revealed that while teacher leadership was practiced, it was limited. In the next section, I provide some recommendations for improving teacher leadership in the case study school.
Much more attention should be focused on the factors that frustrate teacher leadership practices in the schools. More needs to be learned about teacher leadership in the South African context, and from a distributed leadership perspective.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR QUESTIONNAIRE
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
- Gender
Instruction: Put a TICK in the column that best describes your opinion about the role of teacher leadership in your school.
Instruction: Please respond with a CROSS either Yes/ No/ Not applicable, to your involvement in each committee
If YES, respond with a CROSS by selecting ONE option between
Nominated by colleagues, Delegated by SMT or Volunteered
Teacher Leadership: Open-ended questions
- What is your understanding of teacher leadership? Please explain
- Have you ever been involved in leading in any school related activity, which is outside your classroom? If so, please give examples of your
- In your opinion what hinders the development of teacher leadership in the context of your school? Please discuss
- In your opinion what are the benefits to teacher leadership in the context of your school? Please discuss
In your opinion, what hinders the development of teacher leadership in the context of your school. In your opinion, what are the benefits of teacher leadership in the context of your school.
Thank you for your time and effort!
TEACHER LEADERSHIP IN ACTION 2008 - 2009
SMT QUESTIONNAIRE
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 1. Gender
- Have you ever encouraged educators in leading in any school related activity, which is outside their classrooms? If so, please give example
- In your opinion what promotes the development of teacher leadership in the context of your school? Please discuss
What do you think promotes teacher leadership development in the context of your school? Understands self as interdependent on others in the school community and seeks feedback from others and advice from self. Facilitates effective dialogue among school community members to build relationships and focus dialogue on teaching and learning.
Promotes shared decision-making that provides options to meet the diverse individual and group needs of the school community. The vision for children's development translates into care for all children at school (not just those in their own classroom) and their future.
TEACHER LEADERSHIP IN ACTION: 2008 – 2009
Think about yourself as a teacher leader and the personal qualities you have that make you a teacher leader. Are there any other qualities that you think are important and that you would like to develop to make you an even better teacher leader. Think of yourself as a teacher leader and the knowledge and skills you have that make you a teacher leader.
Are there any other skills/knowledge that you consider important and that you would like to develop to make you an even better teacher leader? Now think about your experience as a teacher leader and think about the barriers you have encountered.
TEACHER LEADER FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW
TEACHER LEADER INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW
Faculty of Education
Teacher leadership is an emerging field of research in South Africa and I believe that teacher leadership has a powerful role to play in improving teaching and learning in our South African schools. I would very much like to research teacher leadership in your school, and particularly work with three teacher leaders who are willing to work closely with me to expand the boundaries of our knowledge about this concept. I am sending you this invitation as a teacher who might be interested in participating in a research project on teacher leadership in schools.
Teacher leadership is an emerging field of research in South Africa and I believe that teacher leadership has a powerful role to play in improving teaching and learning in our schools. I would very much like to conduct research on teacher leadership in your school and work closely with you, in particular, to expand the boundaries of our knowledge on this concept.
