Teacher Leadership: What Do Principals Know?
Location
Session 3 Presentations - Educator Professional Development II
Proposal Track
Research Project
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
No singular definition of teacher leadership (TL) exists in empirical literature or practice in the field. This lack of clarity has greatly impacted the implementation of TL in American schools. The purpose of the qualitative case study on which this presentation centers was to investigate public school principals’ perceptions and understandings of TL in an effort to better inform continued efforts toward its ubiquitous application in American schools. Principals’ definitions of TL fell into three categories: action-based, quality-based, and role-based definitions. Principals’ recognition of the work of teacher leaders in schools fell into two parallel categories: action-based and role-based leadership. Findings reveal that many principals appear to have not yet “caught” any waves of TL beyond the second. More in-depth research is required to determine the accuracy of this evaluation and how to best encourage principals to extend their understanding of and openness to TL.
Keywords
Teacher Leadership, Principals, Leadership, Positioning Theory, Waves of Teacher Leadership
Professional Bio
Dr. Anna Hart currently serves as Director of EPP Assessment and Teacher Leadership Program Coordinator for the College of Education and Health Professions at Columbus State University in Columbus, Georgia. Before moving into higher education she taught at the elementary level for nine years. Dr. Hart holds an Ed.D. in Teacher Leadership from Kennesaw State University, and her research interests include pre-service teacher education, communication practices in education, early literacy, and teacher leadership.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Hart, Anna, "Teacher Leadership: What Do Principals Know?" (2021). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 59.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2021/2021/59
Teacher Leadership: What Do Principals Know?
Session 3 Presentations - Educator Professional Development II
No singular definition of teacher leadership (TL) exists in empirical literature or practice in the field. This lack of clarity has greatly impacted the implementation of TL in American schools. The purpose of the qualitative case study on which this presentation centers was to investigate public school principals’ perceptions and understandings of TL in an effort to better inform continued efforts toward its ubiquitous application in American schools. Principals’ definitions of TL fell into three categories: action-based, quality-based, and role-based definitions. Principals’ recognition of the work of teacher leaders in schools fell into two parallel categories: action-based and role-based leadership. Findings reveal that many principals appear to have not yet “caught” any waves of TL beyond the second. More in-depth research is required to determine the accuracy of this evaluation and how to best encourage principals to extend their understanding of and openness to TL.
