Teacher leadership within a districtwide STEM teacher professional network

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research sought to investigate teacher leadership in a districtwide STEM professional network using a previously developed community of practice teacher leadership identity model (CoPTLM). A qualitative research design with semi-structured interviews was used for the identified teacher leaders, teacher collaborators, and network staff members. Collected interview data were analyzed with the CoPTLM in four stages (i.e. identifying and clustering ‘units of meaning’, reviewing profiles, and synthesizing across cases). The research revealed that leadership identity authoring for this professional network occurred as teachers engaged in four pursuits: (a) proposing, planning, and facilitating professional development, (b) collaborating with peers, (c) mentoring other teachers, and (d) communicating in a large group or to the public. Further, the research revealed the multiple identities teacher leaders take up as they engage in different communities of practice and how teacher leaders’ roles and identities are dynamically shaped by and help shape the professional learning of other teachers. The outcomes of this research provide insights into the complex and dynamic roles of teacher leadership in the districtwide STEM teacher professional network, while also providing insights into how other contexts (e.g. schools, community settings) can more thoughtfully create conditions under which TL can emerge and flourish.