Teacher Leadership: Concept and Research Themes

Abstract

Accurately defining the concept and connotation of teacher leadership is the basis for carrying out related theoretical and empirical research. Thus, this study analyses how teacher leadership is conceptualised from its subjects, objects, and the situations in which it takes place. It is realized from the literature that formal teacher leaders and informal teacher leaders are the main subjects of teacher leadership. It is also found that teacher leadership essentially exerted influence on students, the teacher leaders themselves, colleagues, schools, and the broader academic community. The influence usually happens within the classroom or outside the classroom. In fact leadership can emerge from anywhere in the school and is not confined to the formal leaders of the organization. Yet, there has been little investigation into the relationship between teacher leadership and student learning. Nonetheless, a comprehensive literature review shows that the research themes of teacher leadership include influencing factors, promoting strategies, training program, research model, perception of teacher leadership, school improvement and decision making, definition, and the relationship between teacher leadership and student learning. On the basis of the current research themes, the literature suggests that more quantitative research should be conducted to explore how teacher leadership promotes student learning and academic performance.

Keywords:  teacher leadership; concept; research themes; review