Leadership is the ability to guide people toward a shared goal. In order to cultivate leadership among students, educational leadership from the teaching staff is required. Such leadership can empower students, prepare them for challenges in their lives, and equip them with tools to cope with complex realities. These tools may enable them to achieve personal accomplishments, develop confidence in themselves, and examine the values that guide their actions.
Research indicates that teacher leadership may contribute to schools in a wide range of ways, including improving students’ academic achievement. Teacher leadership also contributes to teachers’ commitment to the school, their personal empowerment, increased motivation, and a reduction in teacher attrition. A teacher who initiates and leads serves as a role model and source of inspiration for students, encouraging them to develop leadership qualities and skills such as cognitive flexibility, openness and creativity, determination and perseverance, listening and inclusion, and problem-solving abilities. The implementation of educational innovation, particularly complex projects, requires intrinsic motivation and personal interest, expressed in a willingness to initiate, lead, and devote the necessary time and energy required to carry out tasks and advance the project. For these reasons, the success of implementation depends to a large extent on educational leadership.
Citizen science projects often require collaborations and partnerships with external actors such as scientists and community stakeholders, as well as coordination with internal actors within the school (for example, coordinating schedules within the school system, communicating with other teachers, organizing activities outside the classroom, and more). These projects may also involve the use of technological tools, the adoption of new pedagogical practices, and the development of additional skills that require educational leadership. Educational leadership is therefore essential for participation in citizen science initiatives. The teacher leading the project has a key role in how it is implemented and in mobilizing support from school leadership, fellow teachers, and parents.
Deepening and Expansion ▼
What is teacher leadership?
Teacher leadership refers to activities that have a collective dimension and benefit students and the school, extending beyond the boundaries of the classroom, subject area, teaching team, or even the school itself. It includes formal leadership roles such as coordination and management, as well as informal leadership roles such as leading working teams, supporting colleagues, or conducting action research. It may also include initiatives such as organizing extracurricular activities, developing new curricula, and coordinating educational projects. Teachers’ desire to create meaningful, engaging, and experiential learning environments reflects intrinsic motivation and a sense of professional mission. Such teachers often demonstrate autonomy and a strong sense of self-efficacy, which may be expressed in their search for diverse teaching approaches and their willingness to cope with challenges such as the lack of teaching materials, guidance, knowledge, or other forms of support (Evers et al., 2002; Muijs et al., 2013).
The contribution of teacher leadership
Research indicates that teacher leadership, both formal and informal, contributes to school improvement in many aspects and is associated with improved student learning outcomes. Teacher leadership also contributes to teachers’ commitment to the school, personal empowerment, increased motivation, and reduced teacher attrition. The roles that teachers assume serve as indicators of their professional development and influence their satisfaction within the profession (Ado, 2016; Johnson & Birkeland, 2003; Muijs et al., 2013).
Supporting teacher leadership
Teachers who take on leadership roles do not always receive sufficient support from their supervisors. Sometimes a gap exists between the motivation and sense of mission that teachers bring to the profession and their ability to translate these aspirations in practice. A report conducted in the United States that surveyed 865 teachers found that 71% entered the profession for social and value-based reasons, expressing a desire to teach and support disadvantaged children. However, 54% of those teachers reported that they did not receive sufficient support from their supervisors (Honawar, 2007).
References ▼
Bar-Zohar, B., & Yosefsberg Ben-Yehoshua, L. (2020). Programs for cultivating teacher leadership and teacher entrepreneurship in schools in socially and geographically peripheral areas. Information Center, Mofet Institute. Retrieved from http://library.macam.ac.il/study/pdf_files/d13293.pdf
Ado, K. (2016). From Pre-Service to Teacher Leader: The Early Development of Teacher Leaders. Issues in Teacher Education, 25(1), 3–21.
Evers, W. J., Brouwers, A., & Tomic, W. (2002). Burnout and self-efficacy: A study on teachers' beliefs when implementing an innovative educational system in the Netherlands. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 72(2), 227–243.
Honawar, V. (2007). Gains Seen in Retooled Teacher Education. Education Week, 27(10), 1–13.
Kali, Y. (2006). Collaborative knowledge-building using the Design Principles Database. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 1(2), 187–201.
Johnson, S. M., & Birkeland, S. E. (2003). Pursuing a “sense of success”: New teachers explain their career decisions. American Educational Research Journal, 40(3), 581–617.
Muijs, D., Chapman, C., & Armstrong, P. (2013). Can early career teachers be teacher leaders? A study of second-year trainees in the Teach First alternative certification program. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 41(6), 767–781.