The Perceptions of Teacher Leadership in Elementary Schools According to Female Elementary School Principals

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative research case study was to determine how female elementary school principals’ perceptions of teacher leadership, namely how it is defined, facilitated, and sustained in their schools, were related to their own views on leadership and approaches to leadership theory. Understanding the perspectives of principals with respect to teacher leadership and the opportunities for the development of teacher leadership could help to start the dialogue between principals and teachers toward improved opportunities for teachers to take on leadership roles. Data were gathered from a school district located in the Midwestern region of the United States. Four female elementary principals from the same school district were interviewed two separate times. In addition to the interviews, a demographic questionnaire from each participant was also obtained. Each piece of information provided a deeper look into the experience of the participants in terms of their leadership style and how they facilitate teacher leadership opportunities in their schools. The questionnaire was uploaded and administered as a web based questionnaire, with respondents contacted through email. The qualitative findings of this case study indicated: (a) principals in this study perceive there to be various and numerous roles in which teacher leaders can be involved both formally and informally; (b) principals in this study engage in various methods to facilitate teacher leadership but the most productive method is to identify and then capitalize on individual strengths of teachers; and (c) principals’ leadership styles in this study are not an isolated leadership style or theory; rather they are a combination of various well-known leadership styles and theories. Based on the results from the research, principals should better define the role of teacher leadership and they should refer to their teachers as teacher leaders regularly so that teacher leaders and others view themselves in leadership roles.