Teachers' Readiness for Leadership: A Strategy for School Development

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 10
  In Roundtable Session: Distributive Leadership Perspectives: Effects on School Culture and Development

Abstract

Teacher leadership is a powerful concept in school development. However, teachers’ readiness to take on the leadership role is rather delicate. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between teachers’ readiness for leadership and two main factors that affect it: distributed leadership and school culture. Quantitative data from teachers (n = 480) in 16 schools were gathered through a questionnaire regarding teachers’ readiness for leadership, their perceived distributed leadership and school culture. The results indicated that teachers in schools where distributed leadership dimensions were perceived higher evaluated their readiness for leadership higher. We also found that teachers evaluated their readiness for leadership higher in schools where innovation and change-oriented school culture were perceived higher

Authors

• Piret Oppi, Tallinn University

• Eve Eisenschmidt, Tallinn University

• Anna-Liisa Jõgi, Tallinn University