Teacher leadership is a relatively new concept in the South African education field, and some studies have recently been conducted on it. Teachers' incomparable commitment, risk-taking and vision were part of the strengthening factors of teacher leadership.
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Towards democratic education in South Africa
The seven roles described in Norms and Standards for Educators (2000) suggest that teachers must work together, including interpreter and designer of curricula and materials, scholar and researcher, and. Democracy supports the formal school structures found in the South African Schools Act (1996). For example, the Code of Conduct for Pupils collection emphasizes the importance of pupil participation through the Representative Student Council (RCL) through democratic processes.
Transforming education through teacher leadership
These competencies are expected to be implemented in ways that are democratic and that demonstrate responsiveness to the changing environment and needs of the school. RCL elections themselves are democratic in nature, unlike the apartheid-style system of prefects, who are mostly chosen by the headmaster or teachers of the school.
RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY
The qualitative self-study on teacher leadership by Pillay (2008), the study by Ntuzela (2008) on teacher leadership as well as the case study by Singh (2007) had some aspects of the impact of SMT on teacher leadership. This goes some way to mitigating the plea made by Grant (2006) that there is a distinct gap in the literature on teacher leadership in South Africa.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The principle of trying to vividly depict teacher leadership in its natural environment with minimal structured questions formed the basis of my study. Given the paucity of research on teacher leadership in South Africa, I hoped that the data generated from my study would contribute to the existing literature through the detailed case study of the three teacher leaders in action in a semi-urban primary school.
METHODOLOGY
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
LAYOUT OF THE DISSERTATION
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
TEACHER LEADERSHIP: SKETCHING THE RESEARCH TERRAIN
In contrast, my study focuses on the adoption of teacher leadership, and in doing so, I try to expand the field of research on this topic. Giltrow (2002, p. 263) refers to this as a 'knowledge deficit' in literature and states that "by moving on the knowledge map, the writer identifies a knowledge deficit. The only way a deficit - a gap, a space of under surveyed or inadequately surveyed - can be identified through a review of what is known".
DEFINING TEACHER LEADERSHIP
Wasley (1991, p. 23) defines teacher leadership as "the ability to encourage peers to change, to do things they would not normally consider without the leader's influence." In another definition, Boles and Troen (1994, p.11) define teacher leadership as a form of "collective leadership in which teachers develop expertise by working collaboratively."
ROLES AND ZONES OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP
The skills required include a thorough knowledge of the project to be undertaken by the teacher leader, knowledge of the colleagues in the team, which is referred to as the emotional intelligence of the teacher leader. Ultimately, teacher leaders should take on mediating roles as they may be important sources of expertise and information.
THE RATIONALE FOR ADVOCATING TEACHER LEADERSHIP
For them, "implicit in this view is the notion of shared or delegated leadership where the activity of leadership is not owned by the principal" (Day and Harris, 2002, p.590). Day and Harris (2002) assert that recent evaluation of the director's leadership role implies that giving others real responsibility and developing others is the best possible way for the organization to move forward.
TEACHER LEADERSHIP: CONTESTATION WITH HEADSHIP LEADERSHIP?
This leads to the next step where the principal attributes success where it is due and acknowledges a job well done. The theory of Ash and Persall (2000) is based on the concept of the teacher as a leader and the principal as a leader of leaders.
EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEADERSHIP
Similarly, Professional Development Schools (PDS) in the US require linkages between schools and universities where teacher leaders demonstrate their skills. With the exception of the Pittsburgh Public School District (Jonstone et al.1990) in the USA, it is widely accepted that decision-making is learned primarily by performing the tasks authorized or volunteered by teacher leaders.
TEACHER LEADERS AND THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Furthermore, the Lieberman et al. 1988) study clearly indicates that teacher leaders supported collegiality, a concept usually promoted by the principal. Teacher leaders have the skill of organizational diagnosis, the ability to understand the entire school system, a space beyond the confines of the controllable classroom.
THE LINK BETWEEN DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP AND TEACHER LEADERSHIP
In the same way, one speaks of de facto authority, authority that is given to those based on the specialist skills. Leadership practice is therefore a system of interaction practices and is more than the sum of the actions of individual leaders.
BARRIERS AND BENEFITS, ZONES AND ROLES OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP
I will now turn to what the literature considers as potential barriers or enablers to teacher leadership. In the South African context, Grant (2006) identifies at least three prerequisites for teacher leadership that could serve to mitigate barriers to teacher leadership.
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
AIM AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS
CONTEXT OF THE STUDY
- A portrait of the school
- Access to the school: Navigating the bureaucracy
At the same time, I avoided disturbing the school's educational program by interviewing outside of school hours and negotiated with the principal to obtain copies of the documents for analysis at length. Although the director and respondents agreed to be part of the project, I must point out that they were not.
Sampling
I viewed access to school in my study as a negotiated arrangement rather than a right. This was not an easy task, firstly because I was not a member of staff and had no direct knowledge of the most active teacher leaders in the school.
METHODOLOGY
- The qualitative approach
- Case study research
- Descriptive and illustrative case study
- Strengths and limitations of case studies
These successes were largely in the domain of public discourse, both from the department officials' statements, as well as the confidence shown by parents in the democratization of the school. A descriptive case study in education is one that presents a detailed account of the phenomenon under study and, according to Lijphart (1971), is classified as theoretical.
METHODS OF DATA COLLECTION
- Questionnaires
- Observation schedule
- Focus group interview
- Semi-structured interviews
I conducted the interview with the focus group immediately after distributing the questionnaire to all 39 educators at the school, right at the beginning of the research process. Some of the limitations that emerged during the focus group interview included the dominance of two respondents at the expense of the third, which I quickly tried to resolve.
DATA ANALYSIS
To present the data predominantly qualitatively, I supplemented the above model during my visits to the school using Harris and Lambert's (2003) observation schedule (Appendix 4). I now move on to discuss various aspects related to the validity and reliability of the data I have collected.
TRUSTWORTHINESS AND CRYSTALLISATION
I was acutely aware of my own views on teacher leadership and my attitude towards the phenomenon, and thus allowed respondents to speak freely from their points of view.
ETHICAL MATTERS
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
I did begin to notice apathy from both the principal and respondents due to my frequent visits to the school. I had to spread my access over many frequent but shorter sessions due to travel dynamics and time constraints.
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
INTRODUCTION
I chose to use a postmodernist, experimental style of writing, using both subjectivity on the one hand and reflexivity on the other, adopting a crystallization approach rather than a triangulation approach to data interpretation (Richardson, 1994). A brief explanation of the factors that promote or hinder teacher leadership is presented, and I conclude with a summary of the main findings.
An institutional sketch of TLPS*
As Teacher Leader B confirmed: “I don't know why the Department placed us in the fourth quintile. The student dropout rate was very low at less than one percent per year, largely due to the school's diverse curricular and inter-curricular programs.
THE PROFILES OF THE TEACHER LEADERS
- Teacher Leader A: The transactional negotiator
- Teacher leader B: The benevolent dictator
- Teacher leader C: The heuristic altruist
He has a limited knowledge of IsiXhosa, which is the second additional language of the school. On the personal front, TLA expressed the perceived hegemony and dominance of senior teachers and those claiming the school's origins.
The enactment of teacher leadership: a thematic presentation
- Teacher leadership: ubiquitous and emergent
- The concept of teacher leadership: diverse views
- The impact of values on teacher leadership
- Teacher leaders invite and cope with risk-taking
- Collegiality and collective intelligence
Similarly, in his journal entry about the culture of the school, TL C says on record that “The school is run in a very democratic way. During the focus group interview, TL B said that "sometimes I bring new things like discipline in the classroom or using a good textbook that the school might not have". focus group, p.6).This position was confirmed in the unconventional disciplinary measures she undertook such as writing letters to the parents of the affected learners, often without informing the management.
Teacher leader roles
Although TL C was a level one teacher, he was appointed acting Head of Department for the senior phase of the school. As a member of the Circle Committee I was responsible for coordinating the Circle culture competitions.
ZONE 2 ZONE 3 ZONE 4 ZONES
Without contrasting their scope and degree of leadership, it was clear that they led equally in zone one, role one. Without attempting to compare the extent and degree of their individual leadership, it was clear that the three teacher leaders led equally in zone one, role one.
TEACHER LEADERSHIP ENACTMENT IN ZONES
They continued to teach and improve their classroom practice, with only TLA and TLB improving their studies and attending workshops.
TLA TLB
BARRIERS TO TEACHER LEADERSHIP
- School culture and the recognition of teacher leadership
- Insufficient time
- The absence of clear communication and authentic consultation
- Teachers themselves as barriers to leadership
- The SMT as a barrier
Perhaps this stemmed from the absence of creating the "dialogic space" that is so necessary for teacher leadership (Rule, 2004; Grant and Jugmohan, 2008). In one of the strongest statements in the SMT data, TL B stated that “jealousy, bullying, lack of respect.
FACTORS THAT PROMOTED TEACHER LEADERSHIP
- The principal as a leader
- Culture of the school
- Ability, confidence and vision of teacher leaders
CONCLUSION
CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSION
- INTRODUCTION
- TEACHER LEADERSHIP: SOME CHARACTERISTCS
- Attitude determines altitude
- Centrality of expert practice: Professional development
- Communication as a central feature
- Striking the transactional/transformational balance
- RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
- Some reflections on the group project
- CONCLUSION
I argue that teacher leadership is ubiquitous and that the paradigm shift must begin with formal recognition of the concept in South Africa. Most of the principles associated with distributive leadership theory and especially teacher leadership applied to this group.
APPENDIX 1
TEACHER LEADERSHIP IN ACTION 2008 - 2009
TEACHER QUESTIONNAIRE
INSTRUCTIONS FOR QUESTIONNAIRE
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
- Gender
Instructions: Place a CROSS in the column that best represents 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
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 connection with your school. In your opinion, what are the benefits of teacher leadership in your school?
Thank you for your time and effort!
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 hinders the development of teacher leadership in the context of your school? Please discuss
- In your opinion what promotes the development of teacher leadership in the context of your school? Please discuss
Understands self as interdependent on others in the school community and seeks feedback from others and advice from self. 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. Think of yourself as a teacher leader and the knowledge and skills you have that make you a teacher leader.
TEACHER LEADER FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW
TEACHER LEADER INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW
Faculty of Education
The identity of anyone participating in this research will be protected in accordance with the code of ethics established by the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Your identity is protected in accordance with the code of ethics established by the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
