Building Teacher Leadership Capacity Through School-Level Supports and Professional Development: Teachers' and Principals' Perspectives

The job of principals is demanding and evolving; consequently, they cannot lead alone. Teacher leaders can be a valuable resource if principals know how to build leadership capacity in teachers and practice distributive leadership. Understanding principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of their needs and how to best meet these needs can aid principals in building, and sustaining teacher leadership capacity. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative study was to identify principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of their need and efforts to build teacher leadership capacity through school-level supports and professional development as well as principals’ and teachers’ perceptions of their ability to act as teacher leaders having participated in school-level professional development. Existing literature on building teacher leadership and sharing leadership responsibilities as it relates to the role of the principal, professional development, and sustainability was reviewed. Qualitative data were collected from 18 teachers and six principals in teacher focus groups and individual principal interviews in six high schools in one division in southeastern Virginia. At the conclusion of the data collection process, the researcher examined the perceptions of the teachers and the principals. The analysis revealed principals’ and teachers’ perceptions about the following areas: formal and informal leadership roles; professional development opportunities, teacher leadership structures in schools, strategic plans for building teacher leadership, mentor relationships between principals and teachers, barriers to teacher leadership, and recommendations for improved professional development opportunities. The study reinforced the notion that school-level supports and professional development need to be systematic and strategic. Building Teacher Leadership Capacity Through School-Level Supports and Professional Development: Teachers’ and Principals’ Perspectives Lisa A. Harding GENERAL AUDIENCE ABSTRACT In the past forty years, significant pressure has been placed on school principals to manage schools, provide quality instruction, and raise student achievement. One person cannot accomplish this alone. Rather, school leadership succeeds when teachers take on leadership roles to assist the principal. In order for teachers to become teacher leaders, they need to receive professional development and opportunities to lead at the school level. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of principals and teachers as they relate to teacher leadership, leadership opportunities provided by the principal, and professional development. Six high school principals were interviewed individually and eighteen high school teachers, three per focus group, were interviewed in one school division in southeastern Virginia. The interviews revealed principals’ and teachers’ perceptions about the types leadership roles offered, the quality of the professional development opportunities available, the teacher leadership structures in the school, the types of mentor relationships between principals and teachers, the barriers to teacher leadership, and the recommendations for improved professional development opportunities. The study reinforced the notion that school-level supports and professional development need to be systematic and strategic.