The Impact of School Leaders on Teachers’ Engagement in School Improvement Through an Intergenerational Diversity Lens

Abstract

The aim of the research study is to analyse how the leadership of school leaders could encourage teachers to participate more effectively in school improvement, taking into account the different generations of teachers and the specificities of those generations. The scientific literature suggests that a specific focus on intergenerational diversity is necessary to better understand differences in teacher engagement in school improvement. A qualitative methodology was chosen to provide a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the participants’ real-world experiences and their subjective interpretations of those experiences. Fifteen school leaders from general education schools in Lithuania participated in the focus group discussion, and provided insights on how school leaders’ leadership may impact teachers’ engagement in school improvement initiatives, with the focus on addressing generational diversity. The proposed study does not aim to promote intergenerational stereotypes, but rather to focus on unique intergenerational values, behaviours and skills. The findings would be useful in developing research-based recommendations for school leaders’ practices (e.g. recruitment and retention, job satisfaction, career development, motivation and empowerment, teacher role and performance, leadership, etc) for encouraging groups of teachers of different generations to become more engaged in school improvement.