Towards a Model of Teacher Leadership in ELT: Authentic Leadership in Classroom Practice

Abstract

This study investigates how the model of Authentic Leadership applies to language teaching and its implications for future directions in teacher education programmes. Data was collected from 56 native-speaking English teachers through an online survey consisting of specific open-ended and short answer type questions. The results of the study suggest that currently the concept of classroom leadership is not at the forefront of teachers’ conscious thought, but is, to some extent, embedded in various teaching practices and characteristics. This could be attributed to the absence of explicit discussion of teacher leadership in teacher education programmes despite principles of leadership being strongly connected to the act of teaching itself. It is argued that a clear model of leadership would better help teachers face the unique challenges of EFL teaching and the model of Authentic Leadership provides an excellent framework for this context as the principles of self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing, and internalized moral/ethical perspective have direct links to core concepts in ELT. This article contends that by applying the principles of Authentic Leadership in classroom practice, both novice and experienced teachers will be better able to manage the challenges of language teaching, enhance and enrich their skillsets, and achieve greater professional success.