GYMNASIUM TEACHERS’ LEADERSHIP EXPRESSION: ANALYSIS OF PECULIARITIES
Authors: Gumuliauskienė Aušrinė , Martusevičienė Laura 
Published: May 2021

In 2013, a research on gymnasium teachers’ and students’ leadership expression in education practice was conducted. The results of the research on gymnasium students’ lead-ership expression were presented in the international scientific–methodological journal “Ed-ucation: Politics, Management, Quality” Vol. 2 (2013, No. 2 (14), P. 7–30). The results on gymnasium teachers’ leadership expression are presented in this edition of the journal.
In “The model of Leadership Development” (2011), it is emphasized that “systemic development is possible only in case of effective leadership at school and school leadership. The basis of successful teaching and learning is school leadership. Leadership for learning – purposefully acting in education system leaders who by their own activities, posed aims for themselves and others and concentration on learning promote everyone’s potential” (2011, p.14). “Education Leadership Development Guidelines” (2012) indicate that “an education leader is a responsible, creative, focused on principles of sustainability, continuous education and development professional, whose activities are based on solid values, who actively and publicly concentrates personal and communities’ attention on the assurance of teaching and learning quality. (2012, p. 1). Modeling of leadership development at school is related to creating preconditions and conditions for all school community to take part in the processes of leadership culture education, the development of leadership competences and the imple-mentation of leadership models, seeking effective systemic and qualitative school changes. The need for teacher leadership development is associated with the complexity of this group activities (a teacher takes part in various school internal and external processes, performs a lot of functions and roles) and significance (teacher personality, personal example, activities that have direct or indirect impact on teaching/learning results, colleagues, pupils’ parents, social partners, school processes and their quality, school culture, school development, etc.).
An empirical research (N=100) on gymnasium teachers’ leadership expression re-vealed prevailing affirmative gymnasium teachers’ attitudes towards leadership. Gymnasi-um teachers are more oriented to professional leadership and are less likely to take the role of a formal leader (having a position in administration), to develop actively their leadership competences at in-service training events. Teachers positively assess leadership expression in the following areas: self-evaluation, reflection, continuous education and ability to study, and chances of leadership development at school. The variables of these leadership expres-sion areas are rated at high scores. A little less obvious, but also positively assessed leader-ship expression features are indicated in team work area. They depend on teachers’ qualifi-cations and duration of pedagogical experience. Psychological condition working in a team is influenced by gymnasium teachers’ age.
Gymnasium teachers positively, though not unanimously, evaluate the preconditions for leadership development at their schools; this leads to the idea that each gymnasium has a different context for leadership development.
Key words: leadership, leadership expression, leadership development.