Fostering Science Teacher Leadership for Sustainable Change

• In Event: 46.046 - Teacher Leaders' Influence on Content Instruction

Abstract

This paper presents interim findings from a two-year, qualitative study of K-12 science teachers involved in a grant funded professional development fellowship program. Aiming to foster sustainable change in districts and support emergent teacher leadership, our fellows collaboratively reflected on practice and developed as teacher leaders. We sought to understand how fellows framed their work as science teacher leaders through their program participation. Data indicate four significant issues that arise around the roles of science teacher leaders: the ways in which science teacher leader models parallel teaching beliefs; their roles as salespeople to a variety of audiences; their committed focus on science pedagogical knowledge; and finally how school culture and administrative support can make or break science teacher leadership.

Authors

• Monica Taylor, Montclair State University

• Emily J. Klein, Montclair State University

• Mika Munakata, Montclair State University

• Jason McManus, Montclair State University

• Kristen Trabona, Montclair State University

• Zareen Rahman, Montclair State University