THE ROLES OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP IN PRIMARY SCHOOL

Abstract

The main motivation behind this study was the gap between strong theoretical support for teacher leadership and the low-levels of practice in schools. The purpose was to explore the perceptions of teachers on teacher leadership in primary schools. This was significant for understanding teachers’ perceptions and in helping to come up with practical approaches to promote and encourage teacher leadership, which has been associated with improved school effectiveness and educational achievement. The study found that primary school teachers support teacher leadership roles, as well as that support is greater among female teachers and teachers with 5-10 years’ experience, female teachers also have a stronger support for roles that influence fellow teachers, and that teacher-leadership training programmes improve the effectiveness of leadership by preparing teachers for leadership roles, equipping them with essential knowledge and skills on all aspects of leadership. The implications of these findings indicate a greater emphasis on encouraging and motivating teachers and increasing their support and participation in teacher leadership. The main limitation was the focus on a single research site, which limited statistical support of the findings beyond the study population. Article visualizations: