Telling principals' leadership stories: administrative perceptions of promoting teacher leadership.

Abstract

Numerous definitions, leadership roles, and methods of approaching teacher leadership are discussed in various areas of research; however, no efforts have been made to analyze the administrators who consciously cultivate it in their staff. Using a phenomenological design, this study identified twelve administrators—four elementary, four middle school, and four high school principals—who were found to cultivate teacher leadership, and explored both how these leaders defined teacher leadership, as well as examined how they worked to consciously cultivate it among their staff. Burns’ Transformational Leadership Theory (1978) is the study’s theoretical framework. The findings of the study outline a new definition for teacher leadership, and report on both what principals believe about teacher leadership (relationships matter, trust teachers, honor time, the importance of school culture, and the power of administrative mentorship) and the structures principals use to promote teacher leadership (formal school structures and systems, professional learning communities, teacher-facilitated professional development, and teacher feedback systems). Ultimately, this study has implications for both researchers and practitioners by providing examples of structures, experiences, and systems that promote building-level teacher leadership efforts.