Teacher Leadership in Professional Development Schools: Emerging Conceptions, Identities, and Practices

Abstract

This is a study of emerging teacher leadership in professional development schools. Twelve teachers describe how they reconceptualized leadership as they gained new experiences, confidence, and shifted their identities as teachers by working with colleagues within the school and in the university. These emerging leaders assumed responsibilities for school change and evoked leadership in others. They learned that engaging and persuading people in their schools to move toward change went beyond simply getting the job done. The findings reframe traditional notions of leadership from role and authority dependent to reciprocal, purposeful learning among adults in community. These new conceptions enabled participants to develop approaches whereby power, authority, responsibility, and resources can be redistributed in classrooms, schools, districts, and social organizations.