Shifting to Shared Leadership: How Principals and Teacher Leaders Conceptualize Their Changing Roles

• In Event: Hilton Roundtable Session 8
  In Roundtable Session: Teacher-Initiated Change: Empowerment, Engagement, and Shared Leadership

Abstract

Using a theory of action framework (Argyris, 1997), this qualitative study focuses on teacher leaders’ and principals’ theories of shared leadership and how each group applies those theories to their work. We find that gaps exist between principals’ and teacher leaders’ espoused theories and theories-in-use. It also seemed that neither group realized this gap suggesting that stagnation rather than change is likely to occur. This research is significant because it shows that teacher leaders’ and principals’ report internalizing conversations around shared leadership and teacher empowerment, but do not seem to carry these beliefs into their behavior. It also suggests a need to design leadership training to have participants grapple with such gaps to better build shared leadership in schools.

Authors

• Jennie Weiner, University of Connecticut

• Alexandra Lamb, University of Connecticut - Storrs