Teacher leadership development from novice to veteran years

Reflections and observations of teachers and school managers

Abstract

The call for teacher leadership is explicitly embedded within South African educational policies, and amidst an ever-increasing educational crisis, effective teacher leadership development has never been more urgent. Drawing from leader self-development theory, roles of teacher leaders, and servant leadership theory, this study aimed to explore how teacher leaders and school management team members understood and experienced teacher leadership development. The purpose of the study was to determine what lessons could be learnt on how ordinary teachers could be developed into effective leaders. Using a qualitative case study design, data was generated through semi-structured individual interviews with two effective teacher leaders and two school management team members from a secondary school in the eThekwini region of KwaZulu-Natal. The interview data was supplemented with reflective journal entries and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings suggested that while opportunities for teacher leadership development presented themselves within and beyond the school to all teachers, what sets effective teacher leaders apart from ordinary or reluctant teachers is their positive response to opportunities and initiative for leadership development. Aspiring teacher leaders who seek to acquire leadership skills should consciously take responsibility and take the initiative for their own development and leadership learning, engage in deep reflection and critique, and constantly strive to improve their practices. If teachers are willing to use what they have to initiate and nurture their development, while looking upon situations as growth opportunities, then teacher leadership development becomes a possibility, even in challenging contexts.