Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

Career Technical And Agricultural Education Teachers In Rural Schools: Perceptions Of Leadership Abilities, Professional Support, And Overall Job Satisfaction Following Participation In A Teacher Leadership Professional Learning Community, Tasia Ellis

Dissertations

Career Technical Education (CTE), including Career Technical Agricultural Education (CTAE) in Georgia, are experiencing difficulty retaining quality teachers. This problem is exacerbated in rural communities, which have a smaller workforce pool and fewer nearby colleges to certify CTE/CTAE teachers (Morton, 2021). A potential solution to offset teacher retention concerns is teacher leadership. When teachers are given opportunities to take on leadership roles, they are likely to feel more valued and experience increased self-efficacy and perceptions of ability (Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2009). The purpose of this phenomenographic study was to examine whether a teacher leadership Professional Learning Community (PLC) enhanced teachers' …

The Effects Of A Shared Vision Of Teacher Leadership On Classroom Teachers’ Instruction, Tiffany L. Bockelmann

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning Infographics

Many models of instructional teacher leadership exist in schools with various outcomes for teachers. The aim of this illustrative case study was to understand systemic alignment in a formal teacher leadership system and how this alignment impacted instructional change. This dissertation was framed by three research questions: 1) How do the rationales of teachers, teacher leaders, and administrators regarding teacher leadership in their school align? 2) How does the coherence of a system of leadership impact classroom teachers’ abilities to engage with formal teacher leaders? 3) How does the coherence of a system of leadership impact classroom teachers’ abilities to …

“We’Re All Teachers Here!”: The Role Peer Relationships Play In Teacher Leaders’ Influence In Schools, Tamara Bodrick

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Over the past decade, teacher leadership has become a critical component of igniting and sustaining local school improvement. Yet, the effectiveness of this distributed leadership model hinges on teacher leaders' ability to effectively influence the practices of their colleagues. The foundation of this influence, just as with students, is developing meaningful relationships. Since the clarity of roles and responsibilities of teacher leaders is not only murky, but also varies from school to school, teacher leadership can be perceived as an added layer of hierarchy or supervision which could hamper the relationship building process. The purpose of this study is to …

Ready Or Not: The Leadership Preparation Of Preservice Teachers At Christian Liberal Arts Institutions, Kelly A. Lenarz

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Teacher leadership is a component of teaching that exists from the beginning of a teacher’s career and continues to develop over the course of their career trajectory. Research on teacher leadership at the preservice level is limited, but it does speak to the consideration for the starting point of teacher leadership development to be within teacher preparation programs. This quantitative study examined the preparation of preservice teachers for leadership at Christian liberal arts institutions of higher education. One hundred student teachers completed an online survey to determine the relationship between teacher licensure area (elementary, secondary, K-12, and special education) and …

How Are Teachers Leading Now? From Access To Activism: An Introduction To The Special Issue, Kaavonia Hinton, Jori S. Beck

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

In this introduction to a special issue on teacher leadership (TL), the editors argue that recent attacks against antiracist teaching have influenced TL. Thus, we offer an overview of several issues these collected authors explore related to TL, including access to TL for teachers of color; advancing equity through leadership teams; self-care for teacher advocates; and TL as advocacy, activism, and antiracist work.

A Mixed Methods Investigation Of Administrators’ And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Teacher Leadership, Jori S. Beck, Kaavonia Hinton, Peter D. Wiens, Brandon Butler

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Teacher leadership has received attention for empirical and practical reasons. However, despite the evolution of the concept over the last several decades, there is still dissonance regarding the concept of teacher leadership. This study was grounded in the theory of professional identity to understand how administrators and teachers conceptualize teacher leadership. We studied the perceptions of administrators and teachers about teacher leadership using a survey and interviews. While there was some overlap in how administrators and teachers perceived teacher leadership, administrators viewed teacher leadership as occurring outside of the classroom while teachers located it inside of the classroom. Teachers also …

Open To All: Administrators’ And Teachers’ Perceptions Of Issues Of Equity And Diversity In Teacher Leadership, Jori S. Beck, Kaavonia Hinton, Brandon M. Butler, Peter D. Wiens

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

This study is a response to calls for more research on diversity in teacher leadership (TL), particularly in urban schools. Critical race theory illuminated the role race and racism can play in determining who gets access to TL positions and how that access is characterized using liberal discourse and ideology. We used a component mixed methods design to explore whether administrators and teachers perceived that teacher leadership positions were open to everyone. Beliefs that TL opportunities are “open to all” allow the field to accept the status quo, making it difficult to see (or do anything about) racial inequities.

Service Learning- It’S Elementary! Teacher Initiated Service Learning At An Independent School, Kate Burton

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Service learning involves specific and intentional academic and learning goals that are achieved through service to a community and reflection. Often the responsibility for ensuring that service learning in schools is meaningful and successful falls to teacher leaders with little specific training on organizing such efforts. This research inquiry examined the experiences of nontraditional teacher leaders and the choices they made while designing and implementing service learning projects for their elementary students. This research also examined the setting and structures that were in place to facilitate these service learning initiatives. Data analysis found the themes of ties to the curriculum, …

Effects Of A Professional Learning Experience On Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions, Experiences, And Implementation Of Curricular-Embedded Self-Regulated Learning And Motivation, Samuel Baillie

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

During the middle school transitional years, students face potential obstacles that can affect their achievement and motivation. It is essential that they learn how to self-regulate their learning and motivation so that they can persevere in an increasingly challenging academic environment. Teachers may support students directly or indirectly by embedding various practices and strategies into extant curricula. This two-phase qualitative case study provided four purposively selected teachers with a professional learning (PL) experience on self-regulated learning (SRL) and self-regulated motivation (SRM). The purpose of this study was to understand the perceptions and experiences of middle school teachers regarding the training …

“We Can Position Ourselves As Experts”: Teachers Learning To Write And Publish On National Blogs, Henry "Cody" Miller, Gage Jeter

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

This article focuses on a collective case study of two teachers attending a professional development workshop focused on writing for publication via educational blogs. Through a qualitative study, we sought to understand how attending the workshop and publishing on a national organization's blog shaped the two teachers' own identities as teachers and shifted their thinking about blogs as a genre. We argue the two teachers had a shift in conceptualizing what counted as scholarship as well as problematizing who counted as a scholar. In an era of increased attacks on teachers' intellectualism and autonomy, we believe publishing on national blogs …

Exploring Co-Planning Conversations As A Professional Development Activity For Mentors And Mentees At The Beginning Of A Yearlong Teacher Residency, Channing Parfait

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In order to prepare pre-service teachers for their roles in the classroom, it is important to examine the rigor and purpose of the mentoring experience. This study explored the aspects of co-planning conversations that helped experienced and novice teachers expand their expertise and develop a mutually beneficial mentoring relationship at the beginning of a yearlong teacher residency model. While research on co-planning during the student teaching/residency experience exists, this research illuminated the importance of mentoring conversations early on in the teacher residency experience. Using a single case study design, observations, one-on-one interviews, and artifacts from four mentor-mentee dyads, data were …

Perceptions Of School Through The Lens Of Black Male Elementary Students: A School Climate Study, Erica Peek

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

This qualitative case study focused on the perceptions of 5^th grade black males at a suburban neighborhood elementary school in the southeastern United States. The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how the participants felt about their teachers and school community. The theoretical frameworks that informed this study were Critical Race Theory and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Several data gathering techniques (qualitative questionnaire, focus group meeting, and student journals) were utilized and analyzed to describe the participants’ experiences regarding school climate at TES. From the data collected, several themes emerged such as Building Relationships & …

Cultivating Culturally Responsive Elementary Teachers In A Suburban Title I School, Angela L. Mack

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

Research suggests increased enrollment of students with diverse cultural, racial, linguistic, and social backgrounds will continue in schools across the United States over the coming years; thereby, imposing a challenge for some teachers with differing backgrounds to instruct culturally and linguistically diverse students. Without adequate professional development focused on culturally responsive teaching, it has been purported teachers will continue to adopt deficit perceptions and subpar practices that negatively impact students of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Thus, this study aimed to explore how a series of in-service professional development focused on culture, race, and pedagogy may influence teacher perceptions and …

Teacher Leadership In The Context Of Chinese Education, Chudi Zhou, Qian Yang, Ying Dong, Xiaoying Wang

Dissertations

In response to addressing the increasing requirements to enhance the competencies of students and teachers, as well as the quality of schools in the global environment, the need for fostering teacher leadership has been proposed by many scholars and practitioners. School context is regarded as an important influence on the successful development of teacher leadership. While many studies related to teacher leadership have been reported in Western countries, a limited number of studies have been reported within the Chinese educational context. We also observed that among the limited studies, there was a lack of empirical research on how schools provide …

The Effects Of A Shared Vision Of Teacher Leadership On Classroom Teachers’ Instruction, Tiffany L. Bockelmann

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

Many models of instructional teacher leadership exist in schools with various outcomes for teachers. The aim of this illustrative case study was to understand systemic alignment in a formal teacher leadership system and how this alignment impacted instructional change. This dissertation was framed by three research questions: 1) How do the rationales of teachers, teacher leaders, and administrators regarding teacher leadership in their school align? 2) How does the coherence of a system of leadership impact classroom teachers’ abilities to engage with formal teacher leaders? 3) How does the coherence of a system of leadership impact classroom teachers’ abilities to …

“We’Ve Been Forgotten”: First-Hand Perspectives On Teacher Leaders And Teacher Leadership In Urban Schools, Meredith L. Wronowski, James Olive, Wesley Henry, Bryan Vangronigen

Thomas C. Hunt Building a Research Community Day

The use of teacher leadership in PK-12 education has experienced a resurgence since the late 1990's as school leadership models have evolved to include the engagement of diverse stakeholders in school and district leadership processes aimed at positive change and improvement efforts. Despite the recent evolution of school leadership, there remain several barriers to understanding the nature of the work that teacher leaders engage in and the contributions that they make to improvement efforts. This grounded theory study examined teacher perceptions of teacher leadership, the types of work teacher leaders should engage in and the boundaries of that work, and …

Peace Building Through Teacher Leadership, Jill Bradley-Levine, Seema Zainulabdin Lasi

Human Development Programme

This case study examines the motivations of, and processes used by teacher leaders to establish a peace program at their middle school. These teacher leaders creatively engaged students in transforming school culture using empowering strategies to build positive peace among students, administrators, and teachers. Theories of peace education are used as a framework to facilitate analysis of the data, which was collected through qualitative methods including observations and in-depth interviews. This study contributes to understandings of how teacher leaders promote positive peace in K-12 schools and their communities.

The Social Capital In Teacher Leadership Activities, Kristen Trabona

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

This dissertation presents findings from a qualitative case study of two K-12 science teacher leader fellows involved in a corporate grant funded professional development program. I specifically examined how teacher leaders used social capital as they facilitated professional development in their schools. I explored the following question: How do teacher leadership activities facilitated by novice teacher leaders who participate in a grant funded teacher leadership professional development program rely on social capital to enact change? The following main themes emerged in the data: (a) intentionality plays a critical role in teacher leadership; (b) teacher leadership activities require an introspective lens; …

Leadership Preparation Of Preservice Teachers, Kelly Lenarz

Ed.D. Dissertations

Educator preparation providers are passionate about developing the best teachers. It is important for teacher preparation programs to explore how teacher leadership can help attract and retain a diverse and quality educator workforce, however research on teacher leadership at the preservice level is limited. This quantitative study examined the preparation of preservice teachers for leadership. One hundred student teachers completed an online survey using Survey Monkey® to determine the relationship between teacher licensure area (elementary, secondary, K-12, and special education) and leadership behaviors, opportunities, and aspirations. Data analysis was completed using measures of central tendency and variance. No statistically significant …

Leadership Preparation Of Preservice Teachers, Kelly A. Lenarz

Scholar Week 2016 - present

Educator preparation providers are passionate about developing the best teachers. It is important for teacher preparation programs to explore how teacher leadership can help attract and retain a diverse and quality educator workforce, however research on teacher leadership at the preservice level is limited. This quantitative study examined the preparation of preservice teachers for leadership. One hundred student teachers completed an online survey using Survey Monkey® to determine the relationship between teacher licensure area (elementary, secondary, K-12, and special education) and leadership behaviors, opportunities, and aspirations. Data analysis was completed using measures of central tendency and variance. No statistically significant …

Elementary School Teacher's Beliefs, Organizational Change, And Stem Implementation: Factors Impacting Teacher Leadership, Shelante Patton

Doctor of Education in Teacher Leadership Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine organizational change as it related to the implementation of STEM as perceived by elementary educators in an urban school in an urban city. The barriers, challenges and supports provided to teachers regarding STEM implementation in an urban school were investigated This study looked to include teachers and teacher leaders over a six-week period in an elementary school in a large urban School District., As a result of this study, some dialogue was generated in reference to STEM instructional practices and integration. Teachers also shared how they can increase change implementation …

Daring Greatly: School-University Partnerships And The Development Of Teacher Leadership, René Roselle, Robin E. Hands, June Cahill

Education Faculty Publications

This survey-based self-study explored how teachers’ commitments to a formalized lead teacher role in relationship with a university partnership impacted their perceptions of themselves as educational leaders and as agents of change; and how these perceptions impacted P-12 student learning. The study showcases the importance of creating an infrastructure that includes a lead teacher component when establishing professional development school (PDS)-university partnerships and demonstrates the value and impact that teacher leaders bring to partnership work. Through this study, the authors hope to further professionalize and exonerate the role of lead teacher in order to encourage others to “dare greatly” by …

Who Am I Now? Teachers’ Development Of Leadership Identity A Phenomenologically-Informed Qualitative Research Study, Kimberly Alicia Richardson

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Due to the complexity of schools and more challenges to teaching and learning, teacher leadership is an answer to reform that addresses both improving teaching and restructuring of schools (Smylie & Denny, 1990). While empirical research exists that speaks to teacher leadership work, what teacher leaders do and why particular teachers emerge as leaders. An expanding body of research (e.g., Day and Harrison, 2007; Day, Kington, Stobart, & Sammons, 2006; Lord and Hall, 2005) advocates the acceptance of coupling identity and leadership, and the acknowledgment of the influence on leader’s development and behaviors. This phenomenological study examined the leadership identity …

Teacher Leaders: Transforming Schools From The Inside

Occasional Paper Series

Teacher leadership is "hard." Many of the reasons are obvious: Teaching is a highly labor-intensive profession to begin with, leaving little downtime for work with other adults. School schedules are notoriously stingy with space for adult collaboration. Teachers are rarely paid to exercise leadership; when they are, they are never paid enough. This volume is a modest attempt to restore the issue of teacher leadership to the prominence it deserves and requires. Although there is considerable overlap among the essays, they have been organized loosely into three categories: "mentoring," to address the essential question of teacher helping teacher; "transforming school …

Unlocking The Potential For Every Teacher To Lead: A Phenomenological Study Of Informal Teacher Leadership, Jennifer M. Martin

Educational Studies Dissertations

This qualitative study of informal teacher leaders used a phenomenological method of research to investigate the lived experiences of teachers who have led in schools without a formal title or position of leadership. The study used a mixed methods approach to gathering data including a survey of 111 secondary educators in Eastern Massachusetts and 10 interviews with informal teacher leaders at the high school and middle school levels. The study inquired about how informal teacher leaders understand the concept of teacher leadership, what motivates and prepares them for leadership, the factors and conditions that encourage or discourage engagement in informal …

Thick And Thin: Variations In Teacher Leader Identity, Julianne A. Wenner, Todd Campbell

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recently, there has been more focus on issues related to the professional development of teacher leaders (TLs), but there is still much to learn. Situated within a larger study, the purpose of this research was to understand the ways in which individuals participated in teacher leadership and how participation and identities shaped and were shaped by communities of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Specifically, this study focuses on two TLs and the manifestation of what we are describing as ‘thick’ and ‘thin’ TL identities. Based on our findings, we see thick identity – that is, a TL identity that is …

Maximizing Teacher Time: The Collaborative Leadership Role Of The Principal, William L. Sterrett, Michele A. Parker, Kris Mitzner

Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership

Using data from the 2014 North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions (NCTWC) biennial survey researchers identified a sample from over 2,500 principals. The researchers surveyed 68 principals; 24 principals participated in a 19-item survey containing 5 demographic questions, 7 Likert-scale questions, and 7 open-ended questions. The descriptive analyses revealed that the principals in the study had the highest agreement with time constructs related to “reasonable class size” and “protecting teachers from duties that interfere” and lowest levels of agreement with “efforts made to minimize routine paperwork.” The qualitative analyses shared further principal perspective regarding specific strategies with the seven time constructs. …

Taking The Lead: Enhancing Student Learning And Professional Collaboration Through Action Research, Meredith Lynch, Lindsey Weycker

Instructional Modules for Professional learning Responding to Opportunities and Valuing Educators (IMPROVE)

The purpose of this module is:

To empower teachers in leadership development and leadership roles

To foster mutual respect and communication between adults working together

To encourage action research as a daily classroom practice

View professional learning module.

From Following To Leading: Experiencing The Phenomena Of Becoming A Teacher Leader, Alan L. Carter

Dissertations

Teacher leadership is not a new idea. It has become popular in waves over the last century, and has been used primarily to make change in schools on a grassroots level. Though teacher leaders rarely gain degrees in this field of work or accept formal positions as teacher leaders, they acquire knowledge, skills, insights, and strategies that help change, shape, and mold their current school environments. Additionally, teacher leader positions, while normally informal, offer greater potential for influence than a normal classroom teacher may have or can offer to their colleagues.

The purpose of this study was to examine charter …

The Theoretical And Empirical Basis Of Teacher Leadership: A Review Of The Literature, Julianne A. Wenner, Todd Campbell

Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

The current review examined teacher leadership research completed since York-Barr and Duke published the seminal review on teacher leadership in 2004. The review was undertaken to examine how teacher leadership is defined, how teacher leaders are prepared, their impact, and those factors that facilitate or inhibit teacher leaders’ work. Beyond this, the review considered theories informing teacher leadership, teacher leadership within disciplinary contexts, and the roles of teacher leaders in social justice and equity issues. Within this review, the most salient findings were (a) teacher leadership, although rarely defined, focused on roles beyond the classroom, supporting the professional learning of …