Re -Assessing the School Factors Hindering the Application of Teacher Leadership in Improving School Performances

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the school-related factors that are impeding the application of teacher leadership in an attempt to improve academic rural performance of learners. The study included 8 purposely chosen schools that used a qualitative case study design. In the data collection process, interviews, observations, and various documents were used as instruments. Previous studies on factors, as well as the theoretical frameworks of Distributed leadership theory and symbolic interactionalism theory, were used to compare and contrast the study findings. The findings re- assured that teacher leadership practices even in rural schools compared to urban schools were hindered by the lack of cooperation and collaboration, lack of incentives and recognition and the lack of motivation and support. However, the study finds arising factors such as ; negative attitude, ignorance, lack of self-esteem and self-confidence, time limitation, traditional leadership structure and lack of leadership skills as new hindering factors as contribution to the discourse of teacher leadership.