Teacher Leader as Secret (Change) Agent: Navigating School Culture and Context in Pursuit of Change

• In Event: Sheraton Roundtable Session 2
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher Leaders as Change Agents

Abstract

This mixed-methods case study examined the impact of teacher leadership preparation on participants in a master’s degree program for experienced teachers. Participants were recruited from a teacher leadership course, then surveyed and interviewed about their leadership beliefs and practices since leaving the program. Graduates identified program influences on their beliefs, skills, and practices around teacher leadership. Data suggested that leadership preparation encouraged participants to define leadership on their own terms and find paths to leadership in unexpected ways. Additionally, findings suggested that participants’ familiarity with change theories may influence how they enact leadership and experience success. Finally, evidence highlighted the importance of attending to local context in preparing teachers for leadership work, as these contextual factors greatly affected leadership activities.

Author

• Lauren Tarabokia Kendall, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill