A grounded theory approach for exploring shared leadership: evidence from urban primary schools in Pennsylvania

Abstract

ABSTRACT Shared leadership among school principals and teachers has been touted as a means to enhance student achievement. Using grounded theory, we interviewed six principals and 20 urban elementary school teachers, in Pennsylvania, to examine their perceptions about federal and state mandates on shared leadership. Results indicate that although teachers desire to participate in shared leadership the pressures they encounter regarding state testing mandates, their expressed aversion to this accountability, and their lack of autonomy affected their capacity to participate in shared leadership. Principals viewed improving standardized test scores as best for students, but many teachers do not. Teachers believe they should make instructional decisions regarding students, but feel they cannot due to the mandates around standardized testing. Understanding the perceptions of principals and teachers regarding the impact of federal and state mandates on sharing the leadership role and the connection between accountability, shared leadership, and students’ best interest may assist policymakers and practitioners in the field to make decisions more attuned to the concerns of stakeholders, and thus are potentially more likely to succeed.