The Restricted The Restricted Reality of Teacher Reality of Teacher Leadership: A Leadership: A South African South African SurveySurvey

University of KwaZulu-NatalUniversity of KwaZulu-Natal

Callie Grant, Karen Gardner, Farhana Callie Grant, Karen Gardner, Farhana Kajee, Ronnie Moodley and Sharila Kajee, Ronnie Moodley and Sharila SomarooSomaroo

What is teacher What is teacher leadership?leadership?

Harris and Lambert Harris and Lambert (2003)(2003)

Teacher leadership is a model of Teacher leadership is a model of leadership in which teaching staff leadership in which teaching staff at various levels within the at various levels within the organisation have the opportunity organisation have the opportunity to lead.to lead.

Gronn Gronn (2000) (2000) Leadership as an Leadership as an emergent process emergent process

South African contextSouth African context

MethodologyMethodology

What are teachers’ perceptions about What are teachers’ perceptions about leadership in schools?leadership in schools?

To what extent is teacher leadership To what extent is teacher leadership happening in schools and what roles happening in schools and what roles do teachers take up?do teachers take up?

What are teachers’ perceptions of the What are teachers’ perceptions of the leadership context and culture in their leadership context and culture in their schools?schools?

DistrictsDistricts

Umgungundlovu Umgungundlovu (70%)(70%)

No fee schools 7%No fee schools 7%

Umzinyathi (24%)Umzinyathi (24%) No fee schools 31%No fee schools 31%

Umkhanyakude Umkhanyakude (6%)(6%)

No fee schools 84%No fee schools 84%

Research designResearch design

Group research projectGroup research project 1055 completed questionnaires1055 completed questionnaires

54% primary 54% primary

39% secondary 39% secondary

7% combined schools7% combined schools Sampling: purposive and convenientSampling: purposive and convenient Interpretive paradigm/quantitativeInterpretive paradigm/quantitative Data entered using SPSSData entered using SPSS

Teacher leadership Teacher leadership modelmodel

TEACHER LEADERSHIP First level of analysis: Four Zones

Second level of analysis: Six Roles

One In the classroom

One: Continuing to teach and improve one’s own teaching

Two Working with other teachers and learners outside the classroom in curricular and extra-curricular activities

Two: Providing curriculum development knowledge Three: Leading in-service education and assisting other teachers Four: Participating in performance evaluation of teachers

Three Outside the classroom in whole school development

Five: Organising and leading peer reviews of school practice Six: Participating in school level decision-making

Four Between neighbouring schools in the community

Two: Providing curriculum development knowledge Three: Leading in-service education and assisting other teachers

FINDINGS : TEACHERS’ FINDINGS : TEACHERS’ VIEWS ABOUT SCHOOL VIEWS ABOUT SCHOOL LEADERSHIPLEADERSHIP

Majority (75%) -not only SMT should Majority (75%) -not only SMT should leadlead 72% - confident and capable of leading72% - confident and capable of leading 8% - SMT should make decisions8% - SMT should make decisions Perceptions reinforced by Task TeamPerceptions reinforced by Task Team level of rhetoric – support for level of rhetoric – support for distributed and distributed and teacher leadershipteacher leadership

FINDINGS : FINDINGS : TEACHERS’ VIEWS TEACHERS’ VIEWS ABOUT SCHOOL ABOUT SCHOOL LEADERSHIPLEADERSHIP

QUALIFICATION AND TEACHER QUALIFICATION AND TEACHER PERCEPTION ABOUT ABILITY TO LEAD:PERCEPTION ABOUT ABILITY TO LEAD:

62%: under-qualified 62%: under-qualified 77%: 4 year diploma or degree 77%: 4 year diploma or degree 72%: 5 year qualification or more 72%: 5 year qualification or more Higher qualification – greater Higher qualification – greater

confidenceconfidence Data suggests – teachers perceive Data suggests – teachers perceive

themselves as leadersthemselves as leaders

THE EXTENT OF THE EXTENT OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP TEACHER LEADERSHIP IN SCHOOLSIN SCHOOLS PURPOSE : HOW TEACHER LEADERSHIP PURPOSE : HOW TEACHER LEADERSHIP

HAPPENSHAPPENS Emergent or delegated?Emergent or delegated? 61% - always or often took the initiative61% - always or often took the initiative Initiative per districts:Initiative per districts: 64% - Umgungundlovu64% - Umgungundlovu 57% - Umzinyati57% - Umzinyati 46% - Umkhanyakude46% - Umkhanyakude Variation – contextual issuesVariation – contextual issues Question: How does socio-economic status of Question: How does socio-economic status of

a community impact on teacher initiative?a community impact on teacher initiative? Zones and roles model – level of involvementZones and roles model – level of involvement

ZONE 1: Leading ZONE 1: Leading within the classroomwithin the classroom

Focus- leadership within the classroomFocus- leadership within the classroom Attempts to elevate stds. of teaching.Attempts to elevate stds. of teaching. 77% - often or always critically reflected77% - often or always critically reflected 72% - often or always updated knowledge72% - often or always updated knowledge Data – teachers engaged in activities that Data – teachers engaged in activities that

promoted teaching and learningpromoted teaching and learning Strong correlation – Umgungundlovu and Strong correlation – Umgungundlovu and

UmzinyatiUmzinyati Data from Umkhanyakude – contradictoryData from Umkhanyakude – contradictory Perceptions – not realityPerceptions – not reality

ZONE 2: Outside the ZONE 2: Outside the classroomclassroom

Focus : Focus : Provision of curriculum knowledgeProvision of curriculum knowledge Managing in-service trainingManaging in-service training Providing assistanceProviding assistance Performance evaluationPerformance evaluation Highest % of often or always –Highest % of often or always –

peer evaluation – 38%peer evaluation – 38%

ZONE 2: Outside the ZONE 2: Outside the classroomclassroom

Mostly involved in :Mostly involved in : Extra- mural Extra- mural Text book selectionText book selection

Leadership restricted – Leadership restricted – Emphasis on maintenance and Emphasis on maintenance and

administrative processesadministrative processes Leadership – exception rather than normLeadership – exception rather than norm

ZONE 3: Outside the ZONE 3: Outside the classroom in whole classroom in whole school developmentschool development

Comprises two roles:Comprises two roles: Participation in school level Participation in school level

decision makingdecision making Organising and leading reviews of Organising and leading reviews of

school practiceschool practice

Findings: Teachers - seldom fully Findings: Teachers - seldom fully involved in decision making involved in decision making processesprocesses

ZONE 3: Outside the ZONE 3: Outside the classroom in whole classroom in whole school developmentschool development

Limited participation in designing Limited participation in designing staff development programmesstaff development programmes

Harris and Muijs (2005) – lack of Harris and Muijs (2005) – lack of confidence and leadership skillsconfidence and leadership skills

Need for meaningful professional Need for meaningful professional development experience – development experience – Katzenmeyer and Moller (2001)Katzenmeyer and Moller (2001)

ZONE 4: Leading ZONE 4: Leading between neighbouring between neighbouring schoolsschools

Focus-Focus- Providing curriculum development Providing curriculum development

knowledge across schoolsknowledge across schools Leading in-service educationLeading in-service education Assisting teachers across schoolsAssisting teachers across schools

Participation in zone 4 not common Participation in zone 4 not common practicepractice

Highest level of participation in extra-Highest level of participation in extra-mural activities: 25%mural activities: 25%

Findings concur with Rajagopaul Findings concur with Rajagopaul (2007) and Khumalo (2008)(2007) and Khumalo (2008)

TEACHER LEADERSHIP TEACHER LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL AND SCHOOL COMMITTEESCOMMITTEES

DATA ANALYSED TO DETERMINEDATA ANALYSED TO DETERMINE::

Extent of teacher leadershipExtent of teacher leadership

Roles assumedRoles assumed

Composition of committeesComposition of committees

How teachers became membersHow teachers became members

TEACHER LEADERSHIP TEACHER LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL AND SCHOOL COMMITTEESCOMMITTEES

NAME OF COMMITTEE NAME OF COMMITTEE

CATERINGCATERING SPORTSSPORTS CULTURALCULTURAL TIMETABLETIMETABLE SCHOOL GOVERNING BODYSCHOOL GOVERNING BODY SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT TEAMSCHOOL DEVELOPMENT TEAM MAINTENANCE COMMITTEEMAINTENANCE COMMITTEE

SAFETY AND SECURITYSAFETY AND SECURITY

DISCIPLINEDISCIPLINE TEACHER UNIONTEACHER UNION

TEACHER LEADERSHIP TEACHER LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL AND SCHOOL COMMITTEESCOMMITTEES

HOW EDUCATORS WERE PLACED IN COMMITTEES

NOMINATED BY COLLEAGUE

43%

DELEGATED BY SMT20%

VOLUNTEERED37%

CONTEXT AND CONTEXT AND CULTURECULTURE AIM:AIM: To determine teachers’ perception of the To determine teachers’ perception of the

school context and culture- barrier or school context and culture- barrier or facilitator facilitator

SMT barrier – distributive leadership and SMT barrier – distributive leadership and collegialitycollegiality

29% felt SMT trusted their ability to lead29% felt SMT trusted their ability to lead Majority – not fully acknowledgedMajority – not fully acknowledged 27% - SMT valued their opinion27% - SMT valued their opinion Concurs with existing research (Concurs with existing research (Ntuzela Ntuzela

(2008), Rajagopaul (2007), Singh (2007)(2008), Rajagopaul (2007), Singh (2007)

CONTEXT AND CONTEXT AND CULTURECULTURE OTHER BARRIERS:OTHER BARRIERS:

Lack of professional development – Lack of professional development – 32% satisfied32% satisfied

Colleagues – 19% no resistanceColleagues – 19% no resistance

ConclusionConclusion

Teacher leadershipTeacher leadership

Leading in zonesLeading in zones

School Management TeamSchool Management Team

Teachers themselvesTeachers themselves

Context and cultureContext and culture

The futureThe future

Instruction: Place a CROSS in the column that most closely describes your opinion on Instruction: Place a CROSS in the column that most closely describes your opinion on

the role of teacher leadership in your school. the role of teacher leadership in your school.

Scale: 5= Always 4= Often 3= Sometimes 2= Seldom 1= NeverScale: 5= Always 4= Often 3= Sometimes 2= Seldom 1= Never

I believeI believe

11. Only the SMT should make decisions in the school.11. Only the SMT should make decisions in the school.

12. All teachers can take a leadership role in the school.12. All teachers can take a leadership role in the school.

13. That only people in positions of authority should lead.13. That only people in positions of authority should lead.

14. That men are better able to lead than women14. That men are better able to lead than women

QuestionnaireQuestionnaire

QuestionnaireQuestionnaire

Scale: 5= Always 4= Often 3= Sometimes 2= Seldom 1= NeverScale: 5= Always 4= Often 3= Sometimes 2= Seldom 1= Never

Which of the following tasks are you involved with?Which of the following tasks are you involved with?

15. I take initiative without being delegated duties.15. I take initiative without being delegated duties.

16. I reflect critically on my own classroom teaching.16. I reflect critically on my own classroom teaching.

17. I organise and lead reviews of the school year plan.17. I organise and lead reviews of the school year plan.

18. I participate in in-school decision making.18. I participate in in-school decision making.

19. I give in-service training to colleagues.19. I give in-service training to colleagues.

20. I provide curriculum development knowledge to my 20. I provide curriculum development knowledge to my colleagues.colleagues.