Running head: ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP

ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP INFLUENCED THROUGH
PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP

A Doctoral Capstone Project
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies and Research
Department of Secondary Education and Administrative Leadership

In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Education

Jason D. Hutchinson
California University of Pennsylvania
July 2020

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iii

Acknowledgements
Completing my Ed. D. program would not have happened if it weren’t for the
support of my family and committee members. First, I’d like to thank my two boys,
Noah and Ryder for encouraging my efforts and remaining patient throughout this
process. Thank you for the numerous times when you allowed me to sit and work so I
could complete an assignment or paper. I would also like to thank my mom and dad for
their encouraging words during this journey. In addition, thank you to the number of
friends who provided their wisdom, encouragement, generosity, and support in helping
me complete my Ed. D. program.
I am also extremely grateful for my Faculty Capstone Committee Advisor, Dr.
Kevin Lordon, for guiding and pushing me throughout my entire Capstone process. In
addition, I appreciate you seeing the potential in me and encouraging me throughout.
Thank you, also, to my external committee member, Dr. Edward Zelich for the countless
phone calls and reminders that the process is a grind, and that I must continue to grind as
in life itself. Your feedback and encouraging words made this personal journey possible.
Thank you everyone for your never-ending support and continuing to believe in me
throughout this process.

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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements

iii

List of Tables

vii

List of Figures

viii

Abstract

ix

CHAPTER I. Introduction

1

Background of the Study

1

Purpose of the Study

1

Significance of the Study

2

Research Questions

2

Procedures

2

Desired Outcomes and Potential Impact

3

Financial Implications

3

Summary

4

CHAPTER II. Literature Review

6

Background and History of Teacher Leadership

6

Defining Teacher Leadership

8

Roles of Teacher Leaders

11

Importance of Teacher Leadership

13

Facilitating Teacher Leadership

15

Principal Role in Teacher Leadership

17

Barriers to Teacher Leadership

21

Measuring Teacher Leadership

24

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Mentoring Program for Teacher Leadership

26

Teacher Preparation/Characteristics

28

Distributed Leadership

30

Sustainability

32

Culture Within Schools

33

Effects on Teachers and Students

35

Summary

36

CHAPTER III. Methodology

38

Overview

38

Purpose

38

Research Questions

41

Setting

41

Participants

45

Research Plan

46

Methods of Data Collection

48

Timeline

51

Ethical Considerations

52

Limitations

53

Communication of Findings

53

Potential Contributions

54

Validity

55

Summary

57

CHAPTER IV. Data Analysis and Results

58

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Overview

58

Participant Description

59

Characteristics of the Teacher Leaders in the District

61

Open-ended Survey Question Results

67

Discussion

74

Summary

79

CHAPTER V. Conclusions and Recommendations

80

Introduction

80

Conclusion

81

Recommendations

95

Summary

98

References

100

APPENDIX A. Letter to Institutional Review Board

116

APPENDIX B. Waiver Letter

117

APPENDIX C. Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment Survey

119

APPENDIX D. Institutional Review Board Approval Letter

127

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List of Tables
Table 1. Data Collection Instruments

50

Table 2. Capstone Budget

54

Table 3. Grade Level Taught

59

Table 4. Level of Education

60

Table 5. Teaching Experience (Years)

61

Table 6. Communication

64

Table 7. Communication

65

Table 8. Leading Change

65

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List of Figures

Figure 1. Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment Scale

63

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ix

Abstract
The world of education is constantly evolving with increased accountability and
mounting responsibilities from Superintendents, to administrators, to classroom teachers.
All stakeholders must work together in order for a school district to run efficiently for
their students. Teacher leaders are essential in today’s schools if provided with an
environment that encourages them to lead. Principals cannot move a building forward
without teacher leadership. The purpose of this study is to explore teacher leadership
influenced through principal leadership. A qualitative method approach will be used for
this action research project. Data collection will consist of survey questions given to both
principals and teachers. Participants will complete the Teacher Leadership SelfAssessment created by Katzenmeyer and Katzenmeyer (2004) survey and open-ended
responses. All eight schools in the district located in Southwestern Pennsylvania will
participate in this research study. Results indicated that the teachers in the district
frequently engaged in behaviors that support self-awareness, diversity, and instructional
proficiency. They least often engaged in behaviors related to communication, continuous
improvement, and leading change. Communication has to improve in the district in order
for teachers to improve as leaders. In addition, teachers want to feel supported and
encouraged by their principals. Professional development regarding teacher leadership
needs to be supportive, systematic, and strategic in order for teacher leaders to emerge in
the district. Principals must communicate, support, build confidence, and motivate
teachers in order to begin to build teacher leadership in the district.

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CHAPTER I
Introduction
Background of the Study
The Albert Gallatin Area School District has struggled to cultivate teacher
leadership in the eight school buildings that comprise this small rural district. The
struggle to cultivate teacher leadership has created an environment in which the principal
versus teacher philosophy is evident amongst the faculty within the district. Due to this
philosophy, few teacher leaders have emerged within the district and its buildings. In
addition to the principal versus teacher philosophy, teachers simply do not feel
comfortable taking on leadership roles in their buildings due to animosity for such efforts
from their colleagues. Recently, the teachers were without a contract for over 425 days.
This did not help to boost morale or foster teacher leadership in the district. If the
principals and teachers cannot work together, the Albert Gallatin schools and students
will not flourish.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to explore teacher leadership influenced through
principal leadership. Teachers’ perceptions and attitudes are key in developing teacher
leadership. Also, administrators should understand how they can improve in order to
promote teacher leadership within their buildings and the district. Valuable data will be
collected and analyzed in order to improve teacher leadership influenced through
principal leadership. By gaining an understanding of teacher leadership and the influence
of principal leadership, these participating individuals will provide valuable qualitative
data for the Albert Gallatin Area School District to cultivate these relationships.

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Significance of the Study
This study is relevant to the researcher. In my current educational role as principal
at the high school and the secondary supervisor for the district, I have witnessed very few
teachers step forward to take on leadership roles. Before becoming a high school
principal, I served as an elementary principal in the district for three years. Principals’
responsibilities continue to increase therefore making the need for teacher leaders
imperative to building-level success. Evidence that teacher leaders create a better
atmosphere in schools is what our district needs to move relationships forward. Our
district recently settled a teacher’s contract but removed all department chairs at the high
school. This was done due to financial hardship within the district; however, this move
did not help the initiative of promoting teacher leadership within the district. Gathering
pertinent data from the teachers regarding teacher leadership influenced through principal
leadership is necessary for moving our district forward in these pivotal times.
Research Questions
1. What is the teacher’s perception of teacher leadership?
2. How do we build teacher leadership?
3. How do principals improve teacher leadership?
Procedures
The action research study will focus on improving teacher leadership through
principal leadership. This will be done by using a qualitative research method to collect
and analyze data regarding teacher leadership throughout the district. Qualitative research
was conducted using the Katzenmeyer & Katzenmeyer Teacher Leadership SelfAssessment Survey from 2004. This survey examines teacher self-assessment in seven

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categories: Self-Awareness, Leading Change, Communication, Diversity, Instructional
Proficiency, Continuous Improvement, and Self-Organization. Three open-ended
questions were used to gain additional information in improving teacher leadership
through principal leadership. Google Forms was used to create the survey, which was
distributed to both principals and teachers. All teachers and principals in all eight
buildings had the opportunity to participate in the survey. The open-ended questions of
the survey responses will be analyzed, and the data will be sorted by themes,
relationships, similarities, and differences regarding promoting teacher leadership
influenced through principal leadership in the district.
Desired Outcomes and Potential Impact
The potential impact of this study could benefit all students, staff, and
administrators in the Albert Gallatin Area School District. If implemented, all
stakeholders will have a better understanding of the teacher’s perceptions of teacher
leadership. Administration and teachers can work together to build teacher leadership
throughout the district. By working together as a team, and building teacher leadership in
the district, our students will undoubtedly benefit. This study could be the beginning of
teachers and administrators working together to create and establish teacher leaders
throughout the district. In addition, the district will considerably improve their
relationships with all stakeholders and create a more positive working environment for
all.
Financial Implications
As all educators know and understand, Professional Development is critical to
implementing any kind of change in the school system. $3,000 was allotted for the

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elementary, middle, and high school staff to build teacher leadership. This $9,000 for
Professional Development will be used for resources, point people training, as well as full
staff training. Additionally, $2,000 was allotted for the elementary, middle, and high
school staff for teacher supplies. These supplies may be necessary to implement teacher
leadership improvement initiatives in the Albert Gallatin Area School District. These
supplies will be budgeted for teachers needing anything to enhance their leadership in the
schools. A total of $15,000 was allocated for this research study.
It is anticipated that most of the costs of this study will be indirect costs.
Teachers and administrators will need to use their own time to complete the survey
questions. I will need to invest my own time to collect and analyze data from all of the
schools. I will utilize Google Forms for the survey questions, which will allow the
teachers to complete the survey on their computers. Computers should be the only
equipment needed for this study. Completion of this study should not require any
additional supplies or unforeseen overhead. However, teacher supplies were budgeted for
when the study is completed to ensure resources are available for teachers to be
successful in developing teacher leadership. The findings will be presented to all eight
schools, the Superintendent, administrators, and the school board.
Summary
This study could be beneficial to all stakeholders in the Albert Gallatin Area
School District. Chapter 1 detailed an overview of the study through a description of the
background, the purpose of the study, the significance of the study, research questions,
procedures, desired outcomes, potential impact, and financial implications of the study.
The purpose of the study is to gain information on teacher leadership influenced through

ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP
principal leadership. This study can begin to uncover why administrators and teachers
struggle to unite to work together for the betterment of the district. By exploring teacher
leadership influenced through principal leadership, the Albert Gallatin Area School
District can begin to move forward to foster these relationships. In the end, the students,
schools, teachers, administrators, and community can benefit from these findings. This
could be the beginning of a continued partnership in the district for years to come.

5

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CHAPTER II
Literature Review
Background and History of Teacher Leadership
The background and history of teacher leaders dates back to the 19th century when
teachers taught in the one room schoolhouse and their primary role was as an
organizational leader. During the past 20 years teacher leadership has become an
established feature of educational reform in the United States (Smylie, Conley, & Marks,
2002). The idea of teachers as leaders is not a new concept, as teachers have always been
leaders within their classrooms and, for a long time, fulfilled school leadership roles such
as department heads, union roles, curriculum writers, and grade level team leaders (Muijs
& Harris, 2005). This was considered the first phase of teacher leaders and occurred
more than five decades ago. These teacher leaders assumed the role of managers. When
teachers assumed the manager role, it was a position of power, often creating tension
among the other teachers. Similar to the tension that administrators and teachers may
experience in today’s schools.
By having teachers assuming the manager role for the first wave of teacher
leadership and recognizing the limitations, a second wave of teacher leadership emerged.
This second wave may have been caused by the first waves’ neglect of instructional
leadership. The second wave created positions such as team leader, curriculum
developer, and staff development positions for teachers (Smylie et al., 2002). This wave
has yielded a host of new initiatives that seek to restructure schools, redefine the roles
and responsibilities of teachers and administrators, decentralize decision making, and
enhance local autonomy and accountability (Smylie & Denny, 1990). This second wave

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broke down the hierarchy that the first wave created. Teachers began working together
and sharing their individual knowledge with their colleagues. Empowering the teachers
in and out of the classroom led to the third wave of teacher leadership.
The third wave of teacher leadership moved from a focus of first order change to
second order changes that would benefit our schools’ organizations. First order change
during the second wave offered little changes that focused on trying to improve the
efficiency and effectiveness of practices within an existing culture. The move toward
second order change were more systematic that would lead to fundamental changes in the
organization. Wasley (1991) defines the third wave of teacher leaders as those who
enable their colleagues to improve professional practice by doing things they would not
ordinarily do on their own. This would include engaging in problem solving, mentor
colleagues, and provide professional growth activities for their peers. According to this
conceptualization of teacher leadership, teacher leaders would “slide the doors open” to
collaborate with other teachers, discuss common problems, share approaches to various
learning situations, explore ways to overcome the structural constraints of limited time,
space, resources, and restrictive policies, or investigate motivational strategies to bring
students to a deeper engagement with their learning (Smylie et al., 2002).
Teacher leadership gives the teacher the opportunity to provide their knowledge
outside of their classroom. They are not working in isolation within their classroom.
Teacher leadership development is more of an organizational change than a reallocation
of tasks and duties, and therefore patterns of practice and belief mold teacher leadership
roles (Smylie & Denny, 1990). Teacher leadership is a complex task that involves more
than a shift in roles and responsibilities and developing teachers for a task (Smylie &

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Denny, 1990). Little research existed until recently on how teachers experience teacher
leadership or the role the structure of the organization has upon teacher leadership
(Smylie & Denny, 1990).
Defining Teacher Leadership
Most of the researchers involved in exploring the concept of teachers as leaders
agree that it is distinctly different from administrative or managerial concepts of
leadership (Wynne, 2001). Wynn (2001) found the majority agree that teacher leaders:
demonstrate expertise in their instruction and share that knowledge with other
professionals, are consistently on a professional learning curve, frequently reflect
on their work to stay on the cutting edge of what’s best for children, engage in
continuous action research projects that examine their effectiveness, collaborate
with their peers, parents, and communities, engaging them in dialogue of open
inquiry/action/assessment models of change, become socially conscious and
politically involved, mentor new teachers, become more involved at universities
in the preparation of pre-service teachers, and are risk-takers who participate in
school decisions (p. 2-3).
It appears that in many schools teachers remain in their classrooms often left out of
leadership decisions within their schools. Schools need to embrace the idea of teachers
as leaders.
There is a plethora of definitions regarding teacher leadership, however, they all
relate to leadership outside the traditional classroom setting. Lambert (1998) defines
teacher leadership for school capacity building as broad-based, skillful involvement in the
work of leadership. She suggests this perspective requires working with two critical

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dimensions of involvement-breadth and skillfulness: Broad-based involvement-involving
many people in the work of leadership. This involves teachers, pupils, community
members, LEA personnel, and universities. Skillful involvement-a comprehensive
understanding and demonstrated proficiency by participants of leadership dispositions,
knowledge and skills. Ogawa and Bossert (1995) explain that leadership is an
“organizational quality”: Leadership flows through the networks of roles that comprise
organizations. The medium leadership and the currency of leadership lie in the personal
resource of people. Leaders shape the systems that produce patterns of interaction and
the meanings that other participants attach to organizational events. (p.225) Yukl’s
(1998) definition of leadership, drawn from his review of decades of leadership study:
A process wherein an individual member of a group or organization influences the
interpretation of events, the choice of objectives and strategies, the organization
of work activities, the motivation of people to achieve the objectives, the
maintenance of cooperative relationships, the development of skills and
confidence by members and the enlistment of support and cooperation from
people outside the group or organization. (p.5)
Characteristics of teacher leaders vary, while teacher leadership was defined in October
1999 as teachers that function in learning communities to impact student achievement,
contribute to school improvement, model and incite professionalism, and support the
empowerment of colleagues and stakeholders to participate in organizational
improvements (Moller, Childs-Brown, and Scrivner, 2001) Beachum & Denith (2004)
posited that teacher leadership is an expanded view of leadership beyond the typical
boundaries presented by the classroom.

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In May of 2008, a group of concerned educators convened to examine the current
research regarding the critical leadership roles that teachers play to create a dynamic
teaching profession for the 21st century. This group expanded into the Teacher
Leadership Exploratory Consortium. This expanded group developed model standards
for teacher leadership in August 2008. The purpose of these standards, like all model
standards, is to stimulate dialogue among stakeholders of the teaching profession about
what constitutes the knowledge, skills, and competencies that teachers need to assume
leadership roles in their schools, district, and the profession. (Teacher Leadership Model
Standards, 2011) The teacher leader model standards are:
Domain I: Fostering a Collaborative Culture to Support Educator Development
and Student Learning.
Domain II: Accessing and Using Research to Improve Practice and Student
Learning
Domain III: Promoting Professional Learning for Continuous Improvement
Domain IV: Facilitating Improvements in Instruction and Student Learning
Domain V: Promoting the Use of Assessments and Data for School District
Improvement
Domain VI: Improving Outreach and Collaboration with Families and
Community
Domain VII: Advocating for Student Learning and the Profession
Teacher leadership remains somewhat underdeveloped currently in our schools.
There is a lot of research regarding teacher leadership, however, a lot of the research

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lacks strong supporting evidence. There are few studies that reflect how teachers engage
with other leaders and how this impacts organizational culture (Smylie and Denny, 1990).
Roles of Teacher Leaders
The roles of teacher leaders seem to look different in schools across the country.
What all schools must understand is the expectations and roles of teachers as leaders.
Leadership roles for teachers were a common reform strategy in the 1980s and early
1990s. In the USA, the number of teacher leadership programs and initiatives has grown
strongly over the past decade and the notion of teacher leadership is now widely accepted
by practitioners and researchers alike (Smylie, 1995). Teacher leadership is practiced
through a variety of formal and informal positions, roles, and channels of communication
in the daily work of schools (York-Barr & Duke, 2004). Some teachers may serve roles
in formal leadership positions, that might include union representative, mentor,
curriculum specialist, or department head. Roles of teacher leaders can be demonstrated
in informal ways, like working with colleagues in small groups or teams, modeling or
coaching instruction, and encouraging parent engagement. Regardless of the roles of
teacher leaders, one common goal that exists is that teacher leaders are important sources
of knowledge, expertise, and information. Teacher leaders should be able to work
collaboratively with peers, observing one another’s lessons and discussing pedagogy
(Seashore-Louis, Kruse et.al. 1996).
In the current wave of teacher leadership, however, teacher leaders derive their
authority from their experience in the classroom (Silva, Gimbert, & Nolan, 2000). The
formal teacher leader roles still exist, of course, but more teachers lead informally by
revealing their classroom practices, sharing their expertise, asking questions of

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colleagues, mentoring new teachers, and modeling how teachers collaborate on issues of
practice (Ackerman & Mackenzie, 2006). In support of more informal roles, an in depth
multiple-case study of three teacher leaders from different regions of the country and
different grade levels of practice revealed significant tension between teacher leaders in
formal positions and their colleagues (Wasley, 1991). Informal roles of teacher leaders
proved positive results regarding some studies. Dozier’s (2007) survey of 300
accomplished teacher leaders revealed their personal beliefs of contribution included their
work of building relationships through professional development facilitators, working in
curriculum development, serving as department chairs, grade chairs, and mentors to other
teachers. Muijis and Harris’ (2007) case study argued that implementation of teacher
leadership, lead to shared decision making, opens paths for innovation and change, and
enhances curricular work directed toward school improvement.
The roles of teacher leaders possess endless possibilities depending on formal or
informal methods, because teachers can lead in a number of ways. Harrison and Killion
(2007) listed ten roles for teacher leaders:
The suggestions are: the Resource Provider, which help their colleagues by
sharing instructional resources; the Instructional Specialist, which helps
colleagues implement effective teaching strategies; the Curriculum Specialist,
who understands content standards, how various components of the curriculum
link together, and how to use the curriculum in planning instruction and
assessment, is essential to ensuring consistent curriculum implementation
throughout a school; the Classroom Supporter, who works inside classrooms to
help teachers implement new ideas, often by demonstrating a lesson, coteaching,

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or observing and giving feedback; the Learning Facilitator, who can facilitate
professional learning opportunities among staff members; Mentors serve as role
models, acclimate new teachers to a new school, and advise new teachers about
instruction, curriculum, procedures, practices, and politics; the School Leader
means serving on a committee and sharing the vision of the school; the Data
Coach can lead conversations that engage their peers in analyzing and using this
information to strengthen instruction; the Catalyst for Change poses questions to
generate analysis of student learning; the Learners model continual improvement,
demonstrate lifelong learning, and use what they learn to help all students
achieve; the Roles for All incorporates formal and informal roles that shape the
culture of their schools, improve student learning, and influence practice among
their peers (pp.74-75).
Much of this evidence points to the importance of teachers opening up their doors,
sharing their knowledge, and collaborating with colleagues. Successful teacher leaders
display confidence in their practice, work well with colleagues, and continue to grow in
their field. Roles of teacher leaders may vary, but what is evident is the importance of
teacher leadership.
Importance of Teacher Leadership
The importance of teacher leadership seems to cover many facets of the school
setting from interacting with colleagues, to the impact on the school itself, to the
community. For so long teachers have been isolated in their classrooms. With the
evolution of teacher leadership, teachers are given the opportunity to collaborate with
colleagues and participate in decision making within the school. However, not all

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collaboration is always positive. Weiss et al. (1992) conducted an intensive investigation
in six high schools. A noticeable finding was the presence of conflict between teachers
and within teachers involved in shared decision-making. Weiss et al. (1992) also
indicated that there was much confusion on the locus of final decision-making authority.
There are some other studies that show a positive effect on the importance of
teacher leaders. Smylie’s (1994) review of research on redesigned teacher work and its
effect on classroom practice explored a variety of contexts for teacher leadership practice.
Smylie drew two primary conclusions. First, changes in the classroom practice were
more likely to occur among the teachers whose work was redesigned. Second, changes in
the classroom practice were more likely to occur when initiatives were collective, as
opposed to individual, and when initiatives targeted changes in the instructional practices
of teachers as opposed to organizational-level practices.
A twenty-year study of literature conducted by York-Barr and Duke (2004)
concerning teacher leadership found that teacher leadership promotes “continuous
improvement of teaching and learning…with the result being increased achievement for
every student” (p.255). York-Barr and Duke’s (2004) literature review determined four
categories of benefits of teacher leadership. The first being teacher participation in
decision making which promotes ownership. The second benefit is that of teacher
expertise. Third, is teacher recognition and growth. The last benefits from the first three,
which is student achievement. As Smylie (1995) clearly identifies, teacher leadership can
improve teacher effectiveness in a number of ways. Teachers that continue to learn and
excel in teaching can improve the quality of teachers, while spreading good practice to

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colleagues can lead to an increase in expertise throughout the school. Teachers are more
willing to take risks and experiment with new and innovative teaching methods.
It is clear that the importance of enhancing teacher leadership can help schools
improve teacher quality and provide teachers the opportunity for professional growth.
Danielson (2007) provides just a few examples where teacher leaders extend their reach:
in school wide policies and programs, teaching and learning, and communication and
community relations. The teacher leadership research continues to be idiosyncratic in
nature, lacking an overarching conceptual framework and common or complementary
theoretical underpinnings. These are some of the reasons why definitive answers to the
question “What is known about teacher leadership?” are difficult to ascertain (York-Barr
& Duke’s, 2004).
Facilitating Teacher Leadership
Facilitating teacher leadership in schools is crucial to the success of any education
reform. Teachers are key components in the classroom and have a perspective that we
can’t get from anyone else. By helping good teachers become great leaders our students
will benefit from a better education. Smylie, Conley, and Marks’ (2002) research stated
that teachers reported enhanced feelings of contributing to the school when collaborating
was evident. The teachers grew professionally as a result of their leading. School
districts must create strategies to develop potential teacher leaders and support facilitating
teacher leadership. Rosenholtz (1985) found that increasing collaboration improves
student achievement, which ensures teacher identity. This resulted in greater teacher
efficacy and established the path to teacher leadership.

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Training is a must for teachers to become leaders. Two ways school districts can
facilitate teacher leadership are through learning communities and peer coaching. These
types of methods fall under the distributive leadership method. Both methods require an
investment of time and professional development for the individuals leading the learning
communities and fulfilling the peer coaching roles. For this to occur, school leaders who
encourage trust and caring within their buildings must support teacher leadership
(Beachum & Dentith, 2004).
Learning communities provide teachers a common interest and find ways of
engaging activities together, typically because individuals may have questions and other
individuals have important information to share. Certain individuals establish themselves
as leaders according to the value they bring to the community. Teachers need to be
provided autonomy in order for teacher leadership to exist. Administrators should
provide support and encouragement for teacher leaders to make decisions and value the
opinions of teacher leaders (Beachum & Dentith, 2004). Printy’s, 2008 study revealed
the level of participation within various learning communities and the extent of
interactions across these communities have implications for teachers’ efficacy beliefs and
for their instructional choices. The social learning they experienced in both designed and
emergent communities shaped their professional identities and practice in important
ways.
Schools need to build a climate of collaboration premised upon communication,
sharing and opportunities for teachers to work together. The term professional learning
community is one that implies a commitment not only to teacher sharing but also the
generation of a school-wide culture that makes collaboration expected. A professional

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community, therefore, is one where teachers participate in decision making, have a
shared sense of purpose, engage in collaborative work, and accept joint responsibility for
the outcomes of their work (Harris, 2003).
Collaborative peer coaching can support teachers inquiry into practice and build
leadership capacity (Charteris & Smardon, 2014). Peer coaching is a form of
professional development. Peer coaching can be described as a system of reciprocal
learning and support, so teachers are empowered to construct knowledge in a safe
environment (Zepeda, Parylo, & Ilgan, 2013). Through peer coaching as leadership there
can be collaborative opportunities to surface what is complex to allow for new thinking.
Adults become more complex in their thinking, more respectful, more flexible, and open
toward new experiences when they actively engage in reflective dialogue (Lambert,
2003). The findings from teacher leadership literature highlight how collegial
relationships promote inquiry-oriented practice and generate an environment of
continuous improvement. This effectively relinquishes the notion of structure as a means
of control, viewed rather as a vehicle for empowering others (Lambert, 1998).
Principal Role in Teacher Leadership
It must be acknowledged that the principal plays a significant role in fostering
teacher leadership. School leaders can influence teacher leadership both directly and
indirectly. The changing role of the teacher and the principal are central to the
development of teacher leadership. It seems that the role of the principal has continued to
change, and responsibilities have also increased compared to years ago. The job of the
building principal has become more complex with the high demands of accountability of
test scores and student achievement. According to the Metlife Survey of The American

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Teacher: Challenges for School Leadership 2013, job satisfaction among principals has
declined to its lowest point in over a decade. Fewer principals today than in 2008 say
they are very satisfied with their job (59% vs. 68%), the lowest point since 2001. Stress
is related to job satisfaction for principals. 48% of principals feel under great stress
several days a week or more. Principals feel their jobs are too complex. Therefore, the
need for teacher leadership exists. Schools cannot operate with a top down model of
leadership. The school climate begins with administration and the lack of support
provided to teachers through administration has been shown to increase job
dissatisfaction in teachers (Sass et al., 2010). The teachers usually outlast the principal in
their prospective schools, so the need for creating teacher leadership in a school is
critical. Teachers and principals must therefore learn to develop a collaborative
relationship where leadership is shared.
Successful organizations depend on multiple sources of leadership. In schools,
for this to happen principals and teacher leaders must work collaboratively for school
change. Before this can happen, principals must invest time in reflecting on their
personal beliefs about leadership and the empowerment of others (Bowen, Moller, &
Scrivner, 2000). The principal must understand the need for teacher leadership and be
comfortable with shared management, open and honest two-way communication, and
creating a shared vision for their school. The principal must embrace shared leadership
and allow others to help lead. Teacher leaders may need to develop the necessary skills
to encourage principals to support initiatives or changes they deem necessary (Taylor et
al. 2011).

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Murphy and Smylie (2009) identified that leadership work and administration are
not only the responsibility of the principals; they are aspects of everyday teaching that all
teachers need to understand. Principals must realize their overall responsibilities in
today’s schools and the importance of issues that directly impact teachers in the
classroom and work to meet their needs. Teachers want to know that principals
understand the teacher leader role and find it important. Principals cannot expect
teachers to assume leadership roles without preparation or mentoring (York-Barr &
Duke, 2004). Unfortunately, most current principal programs do not prepare principals
for creating teacher leaders. The creation of teacher leaders within their school buildings
is done primarily on their own. Under the current school structure, the principal takes on
the major responsibility for expanding positive teacher leadership (Bowen, Moller, &
Scrivner, 2000). The principal has to adapt into the leader of leaders.
Principals have a huge undertaking when moving toward teacher leadership in
addition to the daily duties and responsibilities. When shifting to teacher leadership, the
role of the principal is paramount in creating and establishing infrastructures to support
the teacher leadership roles successfully. Teacher leadership may bring principals and
teachers who assume leadership roles into “collaborative play” for the first time and place
both parties in ambiguous positions with respect to accountability (Bowen et al., 2000).
Principals and teacher leaders must put their past disagreements behind them and work
on building new relationships in order for teacher leadership to be successful. Principals
must first learn how to develop teacher leaders. This is crucial in teacher leadership
because the teaching staff is more likely to remain in place, while the principal of a
building may come and go.

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In order for the principal to establish an environment that promotes teacher’s
leadership in the school setting, the principal needs time. The principal and teacher
leaders must spend quality time in and out of the classroom setting, discussing teaching
and learning, as well as the vision for the school. Also, teacher leaders need time to
interact with other teachers in order to help them learn. The principal must build an
organizational climate that encourages and supports teacher leadership throughout the
building. This welcoming environment that promotes teacher leadership should include:
providing a safe environment for risk taking, encouraging teacher leaders, eliminating
obstacles, specifically obstinate teachers, and offering meaningful, ongoing professional
development (Danielson, 2007). Bowen, Moller, & Scrivner (2000) suggest four
strategies to help transform leadership in schools which are: create opportunities for
teachers to lead, build professional learning communities, provide quality, results-driven
professional development, and celebrate innovation and teacher expertise. Teachers
should feel comfortable and encouraged to take risks in their opportunities to lead.
Encouraging risk taking in a safe environment builds teacher confidence for
expressing creative ideas to solve problems (Danielson, 2007). Encouraging autonomy
by reducing restrictions engages and influences teacher leadership (Bowen, Moller, &
Scrivner, 2000). When this type of atmosphere is created, teachers feel empowered and
establish a sense of ownership. Teachers need the opportunity to develop leadership
skills through professional development. Professional development is the leverage point
for building teacher quality through teacher leadership (Bowen, Moller, & Scrivner,
2000). This professional development for teacher leaders could include areas of data
analysis regarding school improvement data, developing school goals, and providing

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pivotal professional development to all teachers in their prospective buildings. Some
schools have reached out to gain partners for professional development by working with
faculty from a local university. The principal can encourage teacher leaders’ expertise
and celebrate innovation by simply using genuine praise. Principals can use verbal
acknowledgement and reinforcement with teacher leaders. They also can create
opportunities for teacher leaders to be recognized though rituals and ceremonies. As
teacher leadership becomes a widespread phenomenon within a school there is more
acceptance of individual teacher recognition (Bowen, Moller, & Scrivner, 2000). When
the principal can develop this inviting process for teacher leaders, teacher leadership is
likely to emerge.
Barriers to Teacher Leadership
With the research, it is clear that teacher leadership can be presented a number of
ways in different schools throughout our country. It relies on the individual teacher and
principal, as well as the school district to incorporate teacher leadership. With all the
effort in schools to promote teacher leadership, the process comes with some roadblocks
and barriers. All teachers face obstacles on a daily basis; however, teacher leaders may
encounter barriers to become teacher leaders. Schools’ stakeholders must work together
to overcome these barriers in order for teacher leadership to be successful in their
schools.
Some barriers that seem consistent in the literature include time, formal leadership
structures, and the principal’s leadership style (Thornton, 2010). Teachers do not have
enough time to spend on their daily responsibilities, so committing to leadership roles
seems difficult. In a survey of twenty-five superintendents, they acknowledged a concern

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regarding the lack of time to provide teacher leaders with professional development
(Wells, 2012). Since teacher leaders must spend a large amount of time in team planning,
collaborating, mentoring, and working outside their classrooms many teachers feel
overwhelmed. This overwhelming feeling may discourage many teachers from taking the
leap to become a teacher leader.
Another barrier to teacher leadership is the formal leadership structure in place at
many schools. The top down method still exists in many school districts. This type of
structure will not let teachers become leaders. Schools that demonstrate the top down
approach will struggle to develop teacher leaders because this type of leadership
suffocates teacher autonomy to assume leadership roles (Muijs & Harris, 2003).
Thornton’s (2010) study uncovered that leadership roles were often assigned to the same
teachers over and over again. These selected teachers often agreed with the direction the
principal had chosen, creating an atmosphere that the decisions have already been made.
Wasley (1991) found that teachers need to be involved in the process of deciding on what
roles, if any they wish to take on, and must then feel supported by the school’s principal
in doing so. This would alleviate any teachers becoming leaders by default, because no
other teacher wanted to do it.
Without a clear vision, change is seen as forced or ordered from a higher authority
(Thornton, 2010). If the formal leadership structure is not clear to all teachers and
teacher leaders, this could cause severe tension in the building. Colleagues could
undermine professional equality and professional working relationships. Teachers could
easily build resentment, jealousy, and animosity toward teacher leaders. These bitter
feelings toward teacher leaders are likely to hinder the progress of teacher leaders

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(Helterbran, 2010). Troen and Boles’ (1992) study found that sometimes teachers felt
less connected to peers when participating in teacher leadership activities. If this type of
toxic culture occurs, the teaching staff may simply shut down the idea of teacher
leadership. Teachers may refuse to participate in leadership activities, become close
minded to new ideas and initiatives, hinder enthusiasm, discourage peer conversations,
and refuse to participate in problem solving (Helterbran, 2010). Yendol-Silva and Dana
(2004) did an ethnographic study to explore teacher leadership and found that the reason
teachers struggle in sharing ideas with others could be directly correlated to micropolitics of their existing environment and culture. Challenging teachers are present in
many buildings. The principal must work with these teachers so that they do not sabotage
the teacher leadership role. This is the principal’s responsibility if they want teacher
leadership to be successful in their building. If the principal establishes clear
collaborative practices teacher leadership will be more successful and beneficial.
Evidence shows that strong peer connections are a key source of support for teacher
leadership (Zinn, 1996).
The principal’s leadership style can be beneficial or a huge barrier to teacher
leadership development. The primary role of the principal is to be an instructional leader
who mobilizes the energy of teachers by supporting them in their endeavors (Fullan,
2002). The principal’s leadership style is a key component regarding teacher leadership.
Depending on the principal’s leadership style, teacher leadership can either be successful
or unsuccessful in the building. Ash (2002) states that principal’s need to become the
leader of leaders, continuously working on developing relationships of trust with the staff
and promoting leadership and autonomy throughout the school. “Principals who were

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reported as engaging in collaborative leadership were seen as better equipped to both
understand and support the leadership of others in the school” (Thornton, 2010, p. 41). It
is obvious through the research that a number of barriers exist regarding teacher
leadership, or teachers becoming leaders. It is important for principals and teacher
leaders to understand these barriers and address these challenges if they expect teacher
leadership to be successful in their schools.
Measuring Teacher Leadership
A common challenge in the study of teacher leadership is its measurement. The
idea of teacher leadership is largely qualitative and significantly dependent on the
individual fulfilling the teacher leader role. Additionally, the grade level in which the
individual is currently teaching also influences the type of leadership role the individual
teacher leader assumes. Another consideration is whether teacher leader roles are formal
or informal. “While factors of shared leadership, shared expertise, and supra-practitioner
are informal teacher leadership constructs, the factor of principal selection is a construct
of formal leadership” (Angelle & Teague, 2014, p. 742). Additionally, despite extensive
research on the topic, there are few measurement tools in existence. Angelle, Tayler, and
Olivier, leading researchers in the field of teacher leadership, developed the Teacher
Leadership Inventory (TLI). This inventory originated as a 25-item instrument and was
later reduced to 17 items and a four-factor model (Angelle, 2016, p. 87). Several
derivations of the 17 item and four factor model exist. The four factors in the TLI include
Sharing Leadership, Sharing Expertise, Supra-Practitioner, and Principal Selection
(Angelle, 2017, p. 87).
Angelle’s (2017) study explains the four-factor model as follows:

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Sharing Expertise focuses on perceptions of teachers’ pedagogical and classroom
management skills as well as their willingness to share those skills with their
fellow teachers. The second factor, Sharing Leadership describes reciprocal
relationships between the principal and the teachers in a school…The perceptions
of teachers’ willingness to go above and beyond their prescribed roles are
indicated by the third factor, Supra-Practitioner. The final factor, Principal
Selection measures the teachers’ perceptions that the principal controls which
teachers may participate in leadership activities.
Katzenmeyer and Katzenmeyer (2005) developed their version of a teacher
leadership survey called the Teacher Leadership School Survey (TLSS). This survey
includes 49 items that require teacher reflection of leadership beliefs and behaviors. Each
item is scored on a 5-point Likert-scale ranging from ‘never’ to ‘always’ and include
seven categories. These seven categories include developmental focus, recognition,
autonomy, collegiality, participation, open communication, and positive environment
(Katzenmyer & Katzenmeyer, 2005). These seven categories provide insight into the
most frequently engaged leadership behaviors and the least frequently engaged leadership
behaviors based on teacher responses to the survey. This allows for principals and
administrators to assess the results of the survey and better promote teacher leadership in
their school buildings as well as district wide.
Additional factors to consider when measuring teacher leadership include
collective efficacy of the faculty. A faculty working in an environment that embraces
teacher leadership at all levels will produce results that differ significantly from a faculty
working in an environment that considers teacher leaders as a threat to the status quo. The

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size of the school district also impacts measurement of teacher leadership. Larger school
districts often follow a hierarchical philosophy of leadership. This philosophy often limits
the availability of teacher leadership opportunities. Within each school building, principal
support is also critical to the effectiveness of teacher leadership and its measurement
(Angelle & Teague, 2014, p. 746). Many of the studies included in this literature review
are impacted by variables that are largely influenced by factors that can differ greatly
within school districts as well as within individual school buildings. According to
Angelle and Schmid (2007) role identity in teacher leadership was recognized differently
according to grade level. Shared decision making was often referenced in elementary and
middle school settings, while high school teacher leadership was often referenced in a
top-down hierarchy.
Mentoring Programs for Teacher Leadership
It is evident that teacher leadership cannot take place without the proper
professional development in place for teacher leaders. York-Barr and Duke (2004)
believe that professional development provides teachers with authentic collaboration,
inquiry, and decision-making experiences. Providing professional development to
teacher leaders can increase their confidence to become future leaders. However,
teachers currently have very few opportunities to develop skills to become teacher
leaders.
Teacher leadership seems to finally be building some momentum throughout
universities and institutions across the country. These programs are focusing on
strengthening teacher content preparation and preparing teachers with content pedagogy.
Higher education needs to develop in depth training programs to prepare teacher leaders

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and to educate school communities about their important roles within the schools. Three
universities that have strong teacher leadership programs are Johns Hopkins University
School of Education, the University of Washington College of Education, and Virginia
Commonwealth University School of Education. If teachers are provided more
opportunities to learn about becoming teacher leaders, the result may produce more
effective teacher leader initiatives. Sherrill (1999) has advocated for the implementation
of nationwide standards to provide clear guidelines for teacher leadership.
Yoon, Duncan, Lee, Scarloss, and Sharply (2007) in a review of 1,300 studies
indicated that despite the need for high quality professional development, it simply does
not exist. Since these programs are not readily available to teachers, teacher leaders can
explore other options to improve their teacher leadership skills. Some of the accredited
programs may include The National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, the
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and National Board
Certification. By teachers attending these structured learning opportunities, they can
develop the skills necessary to become a valuable teacher leader. It is clear, that teachers
have few opportunities to develop the skills required to become an effective teacher
leader (Dozier, 20007).
Schools must provide an abundant amount of professional development within
their own walls for teacher leaders to be successful. Teacher leader training can come
from local education associations (unions), state associations, principals, teachers, central
office administrative staff, and non-profit organizations. School districts must provide
successful strategies for teacher leadership to exist. However, teachers must want to take
advantage of the district’s support and resources so the build their teacher leadership

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skills. Schools play a vital role in providing teachers high quality professional
development for teacher leaders. Moller, Bowen, and Scrivner (2001) indicates that
leadership can thrive amongst teachers if teachers are involved in planning and the
delivery of professional development. This can be incorporated through study groups,
mentoring teachers, professional conversations, and new ways to improve teacher
instruction.
Programs to enhance teacher leadership in the early years came from familiar
work design, such as, career ladders, head teachers, and mentor teacher roles. Recently,
however, other opportunities have progressed for teachers to become leaders. These
include programs of curricular and instructional innovation, new approaches to teacher
preservice and in-service education, and the development of new school structures and
professional communities (Smylie, 1995). The research seems to be inconsistent
pertaining to professional development and teacher leaders. Despite the growing amount
of research regarding teacher leadership, significant gaps still remain, making it very
difficult for schools and districts to know what will lead to successful teacher leadership
(Mangin & Stoelinga, 2009). Therefore, for a school or district to benefit from teacher
leadership, the implementation must be well thought out and informed for all
stakeholders involved in the process.
Teacher Preparation/Characteristics
In order for teachers to prepare for teacher leadership roles, teachers must have
some characteristics that come from within as teachers. Teacher leaders are both teachers
and leaders in their schools. Teacher leaders should be motivated. Roger (2005) found
that motivation is a disposition that particularly distinguishes leaders from non- leaders.

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Motivation is key in the progression from teacher to teacher leader because high
motivation almost always results in taking action (Hunzicker, 2017). Teacher leaders
should be willing to take risks and have an understanding that they may be vulnerable.
This is necessary when facing challenging issues with their peers or administration and
making tough decisions as teacher leaders. LeBlanc and Skelton (1997) indicated that
teacher leaders often experience conflict between their leadership duties and their need
for connecting and belonging to their peer group. Teacher leaders believe in themselves
and stand up for what they believe is in the best interest of the students.
Teacher leaders have been preparing to be leaders in their own classrooms.
Sound teacher leaders are those teachers with significant teaching experience, recognized
as being excellent teachers, and are well respected by their peers. Some factors quality
teachers display to show that they are prepared to become teacher leaders might include:
excellent professional teaching skills, a clear and well-developed personal philosophy of
education, being in a career stage that enables them to give to others, having an interest in
adult development, and being in a personal life stage that allows one time and energy to
assume a position of teacher leadership (York-Barr & Duke, 2004). Moller, Bowen, and
Scrivner (2001) claim that in order to fill the role of a teacher leader, the teacher leaders
should have these characteristics and skills: maintain a constant focus on student
learning, seek lifelong learning, skillfully use facilitation and presentation skills, develop
and maintain relationships, lead change, plan and organize, and understand politics,
power, and authority.
All teachers are not prepared or have the characteristics to become teacher
leaders. However, it is clear that those teachers that strive to be teacher leaders should

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have a solid foundation of teaching experience and expertise. Opportunities for teacher
leaders seem to grow out of being a successful teacher in the classroom, seemingly
because teachers who are successful in the classroom setting can more easily gain the
trust and respect of colleagues, which is crucial to effective leadership among their peers
(York-Barr & Duke, 2004). No matter how much a teacher is prepared to step into a
teacher leadership role, all teacher leaders need the ongoing support of their principal
along with a building culture that is prepared for teacher leadership.
Distributed Leadership
When reviewing the different types of leadership styles regarding teacher leaders,
distributed leadership appears to have a major impact on teacher leaders. This impact is
because of the collaboration that takes place between the principal and staff to
accomplish goals together. Muijs and Harris (2003) explain the distributed leadership
theory as:
First, it incorporates the activities of multiple groups of individuals in a school
who work at guiding and mobilizing staff in the instructional change process.
Second, it implies a social distribution of leadership where the leadership function
is stretched over the work of a number of individuals and where the leadership
task is accomplished through the interaction of multiple leaders. Third, it implies
interdependency rather than dependency, embracing how leaders of various kinds
and in various roles share responsibility (p. 440).
This type of leadership uses the teachers in the decision-making process, along
with the principal. However, the principal has to be an instrumental guide to ensure
distributed leadership is done properly. Distributed leadership can be excellent for

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teacher leaders, if the principal understands that supporting those teacher leaders is
imperative, along with providing them the opportunity to lead. Gronn (2000) has
identified that distributed leadership implies a different power relationship within the
school where the distinctions between followers and leaders tend to blur. The distributed
model of leadership focuses upon the interaction, rather than the actions, of those in
formal and informal leadership roles (Harris & Spillan, 2008).
Although distributed leadership is not anything new, it is now gaining ground in
the school systems. However, distributed leadership comes with some challenges.
Distributed leadership can cause tension because of the shift in power, authority, and
control. Teachers may feel overwhelmed with more responsibilities in the decisionmaking process. Another challenge may be how the power and control are distributed. In
some cases, distributed leadership has been used to undermine formal authority and to
negate the influence of the principal (Harris, 2013). Trust can be a challenge when
establishing distributed leadership. Trust must be established so that distributed
leadership is authentic and not simply delegating responsibilities.
Schools today must begin to move away from the top down approach, begin
collaborating with teachers, and moving toward creating teacher leaders. Principals must
understand distributed leadership and be willing to change their leadership practices.
More recent empirical evidence shows that distributed leadership is positively correlated
to the certain conditions within the organization, including staff morale, which in turn
relates positively to student behavior and student learning outcomes (Harris, 2013). The
principal plays a vital role in making a difference in not only the overall school building,
as well as the successful implementation of distributed leadership.

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Sustainability
The word sustainability means the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or
level. Schools do not have a problem creating a new program or initiative. They do have
a problem when it comes to sustaining them. Hargreaves and Fink (2003) found that
sustainability in educational change comprises five key and interrelated characteristics:
1) Improvement that sustains learning; not merely change that alters schooling.
2) Improvement that endures over time.
3) Improvement that can be supported by available or achievable resources.
4) Improvement that doesn’t impact negatively on the surrounding environment
of other schools and systems.
5) Improvement that promotes ecological diversity and capacity throughout the
educational and community environment (p. 5).
Lambert (2003) believes that to begin and sustain teacher leadership, begin and
sustain the conversations. Some of the conversations come in many different forms:
Coaching questions asked or ideas shared in one-on-one conversations, data
dialogues in inquiring conversations, exploring action research, engaging with
parents and community members in partnering conversations, and long-range
planning in sustaining conversations, all evoke values, experiences and
increasingly skillful actions (p. 426).
By having these conversations, professionals feel that their thoughts and feelings
regarding themselves and their concerns are valued. This is a strong component for
sustainability. This is why distributed leadership can play an important role in teacher
leaders. Principals and administrators can transition to other job opportunities, which

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could cause a challenge to sustainability. However, schools with distributed leadership
and a shared vision can work to sustain initiatives by preparing for the transitions and
hiring leaders that share the same vision.
Although principals and key leaders may come and go, they are instrumental for
sustaining school improvement. In a study that included six schools involved in school
improvement, Hargreaves and Fink (2003) concluded school leaders can contribute to
sustainability by committing to and protecting deep learning in their schools, supporting
others in their learning, providing shared leadership, and creating lasting improvements
for all stakeholders.
Sustainability takes time and effort from many stakeholders in order for it to last
over time. Principals and teacher leaders must concentrate on leadership skills for the
future, not just the present. Principals, teacher leaders, and distributed leadership can
lead to successful leadership and sustainable leadership. Without these components in
place, sustainability will not happen. Successful leadership equals sustainable leadership.
Culture Within Schools
A school’s culture affects everyone affiliated with the school, from the principal,
to the teachers, students, non-professional staff, and the community. The quality of a
school’s culture depends on the interactions with all stakeholders. Teacher leaders have
the opportunity to shape and change a school’s culture through their opportunities to lead.
Teachers in the leadership role at their schools can be successful in promoting a culture
change. Teacher leaders can help break down barriers that may exist in the building and
build trust between colleagues. When teacher leaders work extensively inside and
outside of the classrooms, the culture of the building moves toward a more collaborative

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one, instead of being an exclusive place to learn. Beachum and Dentith (2004) referenced
when teachers work is held in high regard and is the standard throughout the building, the
school culture can shift from authoritative to collaborative. Teacher leaders, who work in
a culture where the expectations are at a high level, believe their leadership skills
contribute to their school’s improvement.
For teacher leadership to be successful, high expectations need to be established.
Collaboration, proper professional development, shared decision-making, and trust are all
necessary when creating a culture that promotes teacher leadership. Teacher leadership
tends to grow in a healthy work culture of trust and support where both principal and
teachers share the same goals or purpose (Moller, Childs-Bowen, & Scrivner, 2001). A
school culture that focuses on communication, collaboration, and collegiality will
produce a strong teacher leadership environment. Some research regarding teacher
leadership found teachers being instrumental when improving the culture of schools
when enacting meaningful change (Angelle, 2007; Muijs & Harris, 2005).
It is evident that teacher leadership takes a commitment from all members of the
school community in order for it to have a successful impact on the culture of the school.
In addition, the school culture can be a huge barrier when implementing teacher leaders.
Teacher leadership can have a positive influence on the school’s culture by promoting
collaborative working relationships that facilitate teachers sharing professional
experiences and providing their expert knowledge. In addition, York-Barr and Duke
(2004) found that the knowledge and expertise of teacher leaders could be effectively
used to increase school improvement and student achievement. This would benefit the
school’s culture for teachers and students, as well as the community. In order for teacher

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leadership to be facilitated properly, the building should have a shared vision,
developmental focus, autonomy, collegiality, collaboration, participation in decisionmaking, administrative support, and a trustworthy work environment.
Effects on Teachers and Students
The research surrounding teacher leadership confirms that the strongest effects of
teacher leadership have been on the teacher leaders themselves. Teacher leaders can
improve their teaching skills, pedagogy, and their personal motivation. Smylie (1994)
points out those teacher leaders can improve their instructional practices because of their
leadership roles. Teacher leaders can be exposed to new information and have more
opportunities to interact with teachers regarding instructional best practices.
Empowering teachers to take on a leadership role can enhance their motivation, selfesteem, and work satisfaction.
Teacher leadership can contribute to teacher effectiveness, which can lead to
school improvement. Teacher leaders working hand-in-hand with teachers in their
building can do this. Some key benefits for teachers and improving their schools with
teacher leaders are encouragement of continuous learning, sharing best practices,
increased teacher confidence, higher teacher expectations and motivation, and the greater
ability to innovate in the classroom (Harris & Muijs, 2002). However, not all research is
positive regarding teacher leaders and their colleagues.
Teacher leaders can become distant from their colleagues because of the time and
responsibilities required to be an effective teacher leader. This can also lead to undue
stress on the teacher leader, particularly if they feel that the burden of school
improvement is solely on their shoulders. A study of three teacher leaders completed by

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Wasley (1991) uncovered high levels of tension, resistance, and resentment permeated
with colleagues. It is difficult to balance the role of teacher leaders and the teacher when
building relationships. Therefore, clear expectations must be established for all
stakeholders to buy into teacher leadership.
There is little evidence that teacher leadership has an effect on the students, which
is the most important product in schools today. The research seems unclear with the
direct link between teacher leaders and student outcomes. However, what most literature
confirms, is when teacher leadership focuses on the classroom instead of the
organization, a greater probability exists for a positive impact on student learning
outcomes (Harris, 2005). When teacher leaders and teachers have the opportunity to
collaborate and participate in school decision making regarding educational practices, a
better learning environment exists for students. These opportunities could include
decisions about curriculum, scheduling, and policy making to improve the school. This
could have an overall effect on the students and student outcomes.
Summary
Teacher leadership can be enhanced and influenced through principal leadership.
The principal plays a vital role in enhancing teacher leadership. The principal and
teacher leaders must develop a collaborative relationship where leadership is shared. The
principal must embrace shared leadership and allow others to assist with leading. It is the
responsibility of the principal to build and establish an organizational climate that
encourages and supports teacher leadership throughout the building. An environment
that promotes teacher leadership should consist of: a safe place for risk taking, encourage
others to be teacher leaders, eliminate barriers, and offer meaningful professional

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development (Danielson, 2007). When the principal is the catalyst for teacher leadership,
it can be successful and meaningful.
Teacher leadership gives the teacher the opportunity to provide their knowledge
outside their classroom, and eliminates the closed doors that teachers are accustomed too.
Teacher leaders are an important source of knowledge, expertise, and information.
Teachers that continue to learn and excel in teaching can improve the quality of teachers,
which could be contagious throughout their building. By providing teacher leaders the
opportunity in decision making, they feel more ownership in their product, which are the
students. This could benefit the school environment and may lead to improving student
achievement. However, teacher leadership remains underdeveloped currently in most
schools. In closing, the research regarding teacher leadership is abundant; however, a lot
of the research lacks strong supporting evidence. Educators must continue to research
teacher leadership, to develop evidence for the future, and determine if it is truly effective
in today’s schools.

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CHAPTER III
Methodology
Overview
The literature is abundant with reasons for advancing the concept and practice of
teacher leadership. Successful organizations depend on multiple sources of leadership. In
schools, this notion of leadership assumes that significant and continuous improvement
happens when leaders, both at administrative and instructional levels, work
collaboratively for school change (Bowen, Moller, & Scrivner, 2000). Of course, teacher
leadership is not something new. What is new are increased recognition of teacher
leadership, visions of expanded teacher leadership roles, and new hope for the
contributions these expanded roles might make in improving schools (Smylie & Denny,
1990).
The Albert Gallatin Area School District has struggled to cultivate teacher
leadership in the eight school buildings that comprise this rural district. The struggle to
develop teacher leadership has created an environment in which the principal versus
teacher philosophy is evident amongst the faculty within the district. Due to this
philosophy, few teacher leaders have emerged within the district and its buildings. In
addition to the principal versus teacher philosophy, teachers simply do not feel
comfortable taking on leadership roles in their buildings due to animosity for such efforts
from their colleagues. Recently, the teachers were without a contract for over a year. This
did not help to boost morale or foster teacher leadership in the district. If the principals
and teachers cannot work together, the Albert Gallatin schools and students will not
flourish.

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Purpose
A review of the literature on enhancing teacher leadership has revealed benefits to
the organizations; however, implementing this initiative needs all stakeholders to be fully
invested. Teacher leadership development is more of an organizational change than a
reallocation of tasks and duties, and therefore patterns of practice and belief mold teacher
leadership roles (Smylie & Denny, 1990). Teacher leadership can promote continuous
teaching and learning, ownership in decision making, teacher expertise, and teacher
recognition and growth.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore enhancing teacher leadership
influenced through principal leadership. The study examined how teachers in the district
view teacher leadership through self-assessment. The study also explored how teachers
in the district define teacher leadership and ways that principals can improve teacher
leadership. The results of this study can provide the district with a better understanding
of teacher leadership and how to improve it. The realization of the impact of teacher
leadership and the efforts implemented to enhance teacher leadership will positively
impact the students, schools, teachers, administrators, and the community.
This study is relevant to the researcher as they are the principal at Albert Gallatin
High School as well as the Secondary Supervisor. As principal, developing teacher
leaders in the building has been a constant struggle. In the 2012-2013 school year, the
high school received the School Improvement Grant. This was a three-million-dollar
grant over three years.

The grant promoted teacher leadership and gave teacher leaders

a stipend for taking on the challenging role. However, it was very difficult to find willing
participants for those leadership roles. The backlash from other staff members and the

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resulting repercussions participants faced daily proved challenging. The potential leaders
preferred to stay in their classrooms and work with their students rather than venture into
the leadership role. It was evident that there was a disconnect between teachers and
administrators. For the district to move forward, more teacher leaders were needed. This
study will begin to uncover the reasons why teachers do not want to become leaders in
the district.
The desired outcome of this study is to gain a better understanding of teacher
leadership influenced through principal leadership. Teachers’ perceptions and attitudes
are key in developing teacher leadership. Also, administrators should understand how
they can improve in order to promote teacher leadership within their buildings and the
district. By collecting and analyzing valuable data, the district can begin to take initial
steps to improve teacher leadership influenced through principal leadership. By gaining
an understanding of teacher leadership and the influence of principal leadership, these
participating individuals will provide valuable qualitative data for the Albert Gallatin
Area School District to cultivate these relationships.
The complexity of educational organizations seems to be at its highest with
standardized tests and increased accountability for all employees. The teaching
profession is constantly changing with state mandates, and teacher's responsibilities
continue to expand beyond the delivery of content. Our existing administrative
structures, often the top-down approach, our value systems, and our professional training
programs conflict with the kind of systemic change that the times demand (Ash &
Persall, 2000). Old assumptions seem to constrain many schools today. Therefore,
school leaders have to build more collaborative and democratic arrangements with

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41

teachers and others to achieve the enormous ambitions of schooling and respond to
students' diverse needs (Beachum & Dentith, 2004). School leaders can no longer afford
to serve as the only person with all the power regarding all decision making in the school
setting. Hence, the principal and teacher leaders must work together to play a vital role in
creating teacher leadership.
Research Questions
The focus of this research study was to have a better understanding of enhancing
teacher leadership influenced through principal leadership. This study attempts to
determine teachers’ self-assessment regarding teacher leadership. Also, the study
explored how the district can improve teacher leadership.
Research Question 1 (RQ1): What is the teachers’ perception of teacher
leadership?
Research Question 2 (RQ2): How do we build teacher leadership?
Research Question 3 (RQ3): How do principals improve teacher leadership?
Setting
The Albert Gallatin Area School District is located in southwestern Pennsylvania
and spans 144 square miles of rural territory containing four boroughs and four
townships. The LEA employs 230 teachers and serves 3,313 students in its five
elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school. A majority of the LEA's
student population is Caucasian (92.81%); however, the district also serves a small
proportion of Black (4.03%), Multi-Racial (3.25%), Hispanic (.76%), Asian (.09%),
American Indian/Alaskan Native (.03%) and Native Hawaiian (.09%) students. The
district has a low percentage (.06%) of English Language Learners. More than 54% of
the district's student population is economically disadvantaged.

The portion of the

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population who receives special education services comprises nearly 22% of the total
student population. The district has an attendance rate of 93% and a mean graduation
rate of 88%.
The Albert Gallatin Area School District is located in Fayette County, where
approximately 87.4% of the adult population graduated from high school (US Census
Bureau, 2017). The adult population who hold a bachelor’s degree or higher over the age
of 25 is 14.7%. The primary industry is retail trade, and the median household income is
$40,511. Fayette County has had a 3.7% decline in its population from 2010 to 2017.
Additionally, according to the Pennsylvania Early Learning Reach and Risk Assessment
(2011), children from Fayette County are at high risk of school failure.
Beginning in January 2018, a new Superintendent was appointed. Also, a new
federal programs coordinator was appointed to administration. The district has one
Special Education Director who manages and coordinates special education services for
the large population of students who qualify for support services in all eight buildings.
The district was also forced to realign building-level administrative positions for various
reasons. The Albert Gallatin Area School District is a Phase 3 district, and its
Comprehensive Plan is due for revision. The current plan met requirements for the years
2015 through June 2018. It was determined that certain components of the previous plan
would be maintained as part of the new plan in addition to the many areas in need of
revision to meet current federal and state requirements.
The eight schools of the Albert Gallatin Area School District are an essential part
of the community they embody. Partnerships are necessary to meet the needs of all our
students effectively. The board of education and administration work collaboratively to

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ensure that programs and initiatives are in place that prioritizes the students. Indicators
outlined in the Future Ready PA Index will increase accountability and will inherently
require the district to review current programs and initiate provisions that will reflect the
standards for college and career success. The district realizes it must maintain programs
that parallel the Standards Aligned System and monitor this alignment regularly.
Moreover, to enhance economic prosperity in the region, the Albert Gallatin Area School
District will need to ensure preparedness for the types of occupations available in the
area. Financial concerns both present and long-term continue to be a part of the decisionmaking process. The district realizes that to continue providing quality programs while
meeting the demands of federal and state requirements, infrastructure changes will need
to be considered. However, constituents have raised concerns over proposed changes,
specifically the realignment of schools. The community looks to the schools to provide a
variety of services. It is believed that the community wishes to continue the uniqueness of
each school and the neighborhood it serves.
Each elementary school is unique and serves its corresponding community
according to that uniqueness. Three elementary schools feed into one middle school,
while the other two elementary schools feed into the other middle school. Masontown
Elementary school has an enrollment of 236 students from kindergarten through fifth
grade. It maintains a 69.5% economically disadvantaged population and a 20.3% special
education population. Friendship Hill Elementary school has an enrollment of 220
students in grades kindergarten through fifth. The economically disadvantaged population
at this school is 56.4%, and the special education population is 18.2%.

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Smithfield Elementary School's enrollment is 312 students from grades
kindergarten through fifth. The school has an economically disadvantaged population of
49% and a gifted student population of 4%. There current special education population is
19.6%. Each of these elementary schools is located within the communities they serve
and are comprised of varying populations. These elementary school students move on to
Albert Gallatin South Middle School, which serves grades six through eight. South
Middle School has an enrollment of 385 students and a gifted population of 4.9%. This
middle school has an economically disadvantaged population of 49.9% and a special
education population of 26.2%.
The other two elementary schools in the district are George J. Plava Elementary
School and A.L. Wilson Elementary School. They are both buildings that serve
kindergarten through fifth grade, with the majority of these students moving to Albert
Gallatin North Middle School to attend grades 6-8. George J. Plava Elementary School
has an enrollment of 330 students. The economically disadvantaged population is 56.7%,
and the special education population is 19.7%. A. L. Wilson Elementary School's
enrollment is 390 students with an economically disadvantaged population of 47.7%.
The special education population is 13.1%, while the gifted population is 1.8%. Albert
Gallatin North Middle School has an enrollment of 388 students in grades 6-8. The
economically disadvantaged population is 46.4%. The gifted population is 4.4%, and the
special education population is 22.7%. All of the schools listed above have a gender
enrollment of approximately 50% males and 50% females. All elementary schools are
Title 1 Schools, while the middle schools and high school are not.

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The Albert Gallatin High School is in the center of the 144 square miles of the
district. The high school serves grades 9-12 with an enrollment of 1,052 students. The
economically disadvantaged population is 48.6% and includes a special education
population of 19.3%. The gifted population at the high school is 3.2%. Of the 1,052
students enrolled at the high school, 232 students in grades 10 through 12 attend the CTI
for a minimum of half a day. The Albert Gallatin Area School District is a rural school
district with a high transient student population. The district supports each student in
reaching his or her optimal potential by creating a safe and respectful environment that
fosters academic success, social development, and lifelong learning.
Participants
The study's participants were teachers and administrators from the Albert Gallatin
Area School District. The demographics represent a rural community with a high poverty
population. The district has experienced a decline in student enrollment over the past ten
years. It currently has five elementary schools serving grades kindergarten through fifth,
two middle schools serving grades six through eight, and one high school serving grades
nine through twelve. The survey participants consist of 230 teachers and seven
principals. All teachers and administrators are certified in grades kindergarten through
twelfth grade.
Before recruitment for participants began, the researcher received approval from
the district's superintendent (See Appendix A) and the school board directors.
Recruitment of participants was through an email inquiring about teacher leadership
throughout the district. This survey was to determine whether teacher leadership
engagement existed within the district. The teachers in this sample were asked to
complete an online survey. A consent form was sent via email to all district teachers and

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46

principals explaining the procedures of the survey. In the consent form (See Appendix
B), the researcher reassured the participants that their responses would be anonymous,
and that there would be no way for the researcher to determine the origins of their
responses. Participation in the study was voluntary, and by completing and submitting
the survey, participants were giving their consent to participate.
This consent form provided participants with a link to the survey through Google
Forms. The web-based survey research title was Enhancing Teacher Leadership
Influenced Through Principal Leadership (See Appendix C). The survey was emailed to
230 participants, of which 73 completed and returned to the researcher. This is a 31.7%
participation rate from a possible 230 participants.
Research Plan
The purpose of collecting qualitative data for this study is to address the research
questions in a meaningful way. A qualitative method approach will be used for this action
research project. Data collection will consist of survey questions given to both principals
and teachers. All schools will have the opportunity to participate in this research study.
By gaining an understanding of teacher leadership and the influence through principal
leadership, these participating individuals will provide valuable qualitative data for the
Albert Gallatin Area School District to move forward to build these relationships.
Although this study can only reveal teachers' self-assessment and their perception of
teacher leadership, it may encourage school leaders to create opportunities for teacher
leadership practices in the district, which could lead to better communication, increased
autonomy, and improved decision-making.

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In the past, principals in traditional schools were the sole decision-makers.
Today, schools are beginning to move away from those traditional beliefs and are sharing
leadership roles. Based on an analysis of ideas present in the literature review, teacher
leadership can have an impact on all stakeholders. Shared leadership includes
collaboration, empowerment, and shared agency, where the belief is that all participants
are capable of leading (Muijs & Harris, 2003). In fact, leadership must be shared or
distributed to be effective (Gronn, 2000).
However, this research plan could be hindered by the current culture of the
district. There is a history of animosity between teachers and administrators in the
district. Teachers have the misconception that some principals, past and present, are
working against the teachers rather than with them. This was particularly evident in the
teachers' recently settled contract. The teachers worked with a status quo contract of over
400 days. Teachers further communicated their animosity toward administration by
declaring work to rule in an effort to reach a contract agreement. The teachers' reached a
tentative agreement in October 2019. The survey was distributed to the district in
December of 2019. The short period of time between the tentative agreement and the
distribution of the contract may lead to slightly skewed answers concerning perceptions
of teacher leadership. This is due primarily to the fact that during contract negotiations,
few individuals were willing to entertain teacher leader roles as a negotiation tactic.
These strained relationships appear to have influenced the culture in the district. This
was also evident in Smylie and Denny's (1990) study of the relationships between teacher
leaders and their colleagues. As analyzed in the literature review, barriers to teacher
leadership do exist. All stakeholders must work together to overcome the barriers in

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order for teacher leadership to be successful. The teachers and principals in the district
must understand that the top-down method will not foster teacher leadership. Schools
that demonstrate the top-down approach will struggle to develop teacher leaders because
this type of leadership suffocates teacher autonomy to assume leadership roles (Muijs &
Harris, 2003). Principals and teachers will have to change their mindset and the culture
in order for teacher leadership to grow. In this research plan, the district will have a
better understanding of the teachers' self-assessment regarding teacher leadership. Also,
the open-ended questions in the survey can determine the teachers' perceptions of what
they believe teacher leadership is and how principals can improve teacher leadership in
the district.
The fiscal implications are minute in comparison to the reward the district could
experience with this study. Most of the costs of this study will be indirect costs. The
teachers and administrators will need to use their own time when completing the survey.
The researcher will have to invest their time in collecting and analyzing the data from all
of the schools. Google Forms will be used for the survey questions allowing the teachers
to complete the survey on their computers. Computers should be the only equipment
needed for this study. During the study, there should not be the need for any additional
supplies or unforeseen overhead for its completion. However, teacher supplies were
budgeted for when the study is completed to ensure proper materials can be provided if
teachers feel they need them to be successful in developing teacher leadership.
Methods of Data Collection
To explore improving teacher leadership influenced through principal leadership,
a qualitative research approach was used for this study. This study relied on one survey

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with three open-ended questions that would narrow the understanding of the research
questions. The survey began by asking the teachers their grade level taught, their
education level, and years of teaching experience. The survey was the Teacher
Leadership Self-Assessment (TLSA) created by Marilyn and Bill Katzenmeyer (2004). It
was used to explore how teachers viewed themselves regarding their teacher leadership
beliefs as well as provide a measurement instrument for teacher leadership. According to
the survey from Katzenmeyer and Katzenmeyer (2004), the elements of teacher
leadership include:
Self-Awareness: The teacher has an accurate picture of self in terms of strengths, values,
philosophy, and behaviors.
Leading Change: The teacher uses effective strategies to facilitate positive change.
Communication: The teacher exhibits effective listening, oral communication,
presentation skills, and expression in written communication.
Diversity: The teacher demonstrates respect for and responds to differences in
perspectives.
Instructional Proficiency and Leadership: Teacher possesses and uses professional
knowledge and skills in providing the most effective learning opportunities for students
and adults.
Continuous Improvement: The teacher demonstrates a commitment to reaching higher
standards and readiness to take action to improve.
Self-Organization: The teacher establishes a course of action and implements plans to
accomplish results.

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The 42 Likert scale items in the survey (Appendix C) were combined and
examined by the researcher to have an understanding of the district teachers' selfassessment regarding teacher leadership. Each item was scored using a 5-point Likertscale ranging from "never" to "always." The self-scoring procedure had the survey
broken down by the questions on the Likert scale.
The questions were categorized as follows: questions one through six were regarding
self-awareness; questions seven through twelve addressed leading change; questions
thirteen through eighteen addressed communication; diversity was addressed in questions
nineteen through twenty-four; questions twenty-five through thirty covered instructional
proficiency; continuous improvement was the focus of questions thirty-one through
thirty-six; and questions thirty-seven through forty-two were regarding self-organization.
Participants were given the link to the Google Forms survey through email (see Table
1).
Table 1 Data Collection Instruments
Research Question
1. What is the
teacher’s perception
of teacher
leadership?
2. How do we build
teacher leadership?
3. How do principals
improve teacher
leadership?

Data Collection Method
Survey
Open-Ended Questions

Instrument
Teacher Leadership SelfAssessment

Survey
Open-Ended Questions
Survey
Open-Ended Questions

Researcher Developed
Questions
Researcher Developed
Questions

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The researcher used the qualitative approach to investigate the quality of improving
teacher leadership influenced through principal leadership. Qualitative research involves
the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, largely narrative and visual in nature,
to gain insights into a particular phenomenon of interest (Mertler, 2019).
To initiate the study, the researcher gained approval from California University of
Pennsylvania Institutional Review Board (IRB) (See Appendix D for IRB approval).
Participation in the survey was voluntary and confidential. Prior to the distribution of the
survey, the researcher received approval from the superintendent (See Appendix A). The
consent form (See Appendix B) along with the survey link was sent to all survey
participants on December 12, 2019. The survey (See Appendix C) was administered, and
participants' responses were managed using an online data collection in Google Forms.
Thirty-seven participants completed the survey by January 14, 2020, resulting in a 16%
completion rate. An email was sent to all participants on January 14, 2020, to remind the
participants of the survey and its ending date of January 17, 2020. After the reminder, 73
total participants participated in the study, resulting in a completion rate of 31.7%. The
survey gave the researcher an overview of teacher leadership perceptions in the district.
The researcher recorded all open-ended responses. Responses were tallied and studied to
identify codes and themes. This process involved compiling the data, disassembling the
data, and then reassembling it (Hendricks, 2017).
Timeline
The following is a timeline of dates that the researcher proposed as an identifiable
model for collecting data.
Phase One: December 2019 to January 2020

ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP
•

Send out survey with consent forms

•

Collect surveys through Google Forms

52

Phase Two: February 2020 to March 2020
•

Collect and analyze data

Phase Three: March 2020 to May 2020
•

Analyze data to identify patterns for improving teacher leadership
influence through principal leadership.

Ethical Considerations
The researcher for this qualitative research study established ethical
considerations. The researcher explained the reason for the research study, made
participants aware of the potential risks or harm, provided an informed consent form, and
reassured participants of the anonymity and confidentiality established in the research
study. The researcher stressed that due to the web-based nature of the survey, there exists
a minimal possibility that individuals not involved with the study could intercept
responses. Usually, there is no risk of subjecting participants in an educational research
study to physical harm, but there certainly is the potential of psychological harm,
including undue stress, embarrassment, retribution, and the like (Mertler, 2019). The
participants were provided all pertinent information regarding the study and the
approximate time needed in order to complete the survey. No individuals other than the
participant would know if they participated in the study. Participants' responses to the
survey were honest and open. The researcher clarified that the participants would not be
contacted for any further information.

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Limitations
The first limitation of this study might be the extent to which teachers who taught
in other districts had exposure to professional development regarding teacher leadership.
Some teachers may have taught in other districts before teaching in the current district
participating in the study. Throughout their varying education and experience with
professional development focusing on teacher leadership, different beliefs regarding
teacher leadership may exist for those teachers that taught in other districts. The second
limitation of this study is the sample size. The results of this study have limited
generalization surrounding improving teacher leadership influenced through principal
leadership compared to other populations. The third limitation was the location threat.
The study's setting was a limitation. The participants all worked in the same district;
however, participants have worked for different principals in different buildings and have
had different mentor teachers.
The fourth and final limitation is related to the researcher's bias toward the study.
The researcher currently works in one of the buildings in the district participating in the
survey as an administrator. To the best of his ability, the researcher limited all biased
tendencies during the research study. The researcher did not assume a personal agenda
during the research process. Assuming a personal agenda would have skewed the ability
to represent the data in a trustworthy manner.
Communication of Findings
The results were written in an overview that was accessible to all stakeholders in
the Albert Gallatin Area School District. The overview was distributed to all school board
directors. The data collected from the survey and the open-ended questions were

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54

included in the report. The results provide teachers, administrators, school board
members, and central office staff with considerations to help improve teacher leadership
influenced through principal leadership.
Potential Contributions
This study will contribute to the understanding of improving teacher leadership
influenced through principal leadership in the district. By exploring the results of this
survey, the teachers and principals can begin to break down barriers that exist to create
teacher leaders. This study can begin to uncover why administrators and teachers
struggle to unite to work together for the betterment of the district. By exploring teacher
leadership influenced through principal leadership, Albert Gallatin Area School District
can move forward to foster these relationships. In the end, the students, schools,
teachers, administrators, and community will benefit from these findings. This could be
the beginning of a continued partnership in the district for years to come.
Table 2 Capstone Budget

ACCOUNT

10-1110-329-443-10-21-002
10-1110-329-443-20-51-002
10-1110-329-443-30-80-002
10-1110-610-443-10-21-002
10-1110-610-443-20-51-002
10-1110-610-443-30-80-002
TOTAL

DESCRIPTION

Elementary Professional
Development
Middle School Professional
Development
High School Professional
Development
Supplies for Elementary
Supplies for Middle School
Supplies for High School

BUDGET

$3,000.00
$3,000.00
$3,000.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$15,000.00

As all educators know and understand, Professional Development is critical to
implementing any kind of change in the school system (see Table 2). The researcher

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allotted $3,000 each for the elementary, middle, and high school staff to support building
teacher leadership. This Professional Development could be used for resources, point
people training, as well as full staff training. The researcher has also placed $2,000 for
the elementary, middle, and high school staff to support the purchase of teacher supplies.
These supplies may be necessary to implement teacher leadership improvement in the
Albert Gallatin Area School District. These supplies will be budgeted for teachers
needing anything additional to enhance their leadership in the schools.
The researcher believes that most of the costs for this study will be indirect costs.
The teachers and administrators will use their own time when completing the survey
questions. The researcher will have to invest their own time in collecting and analyzing
the data.
The researcher utilized Google Forms for the survey questions allowing the teachers to
complete the survey on their computers. Computers should be the only equipment
needed for this study. During the study, there should not be a need for any additional
supplies or unforeseen overhead. However, the researcher budgeted for teacher supplies
for when the study is completed to ensure the availability of the proper materials needed
for the development of teacher leadership.
Validity
Qualitative analysis is a process by which particular tasks are carried out to manage,
organize, and validate the data. According to Hendricks (2017), the trustworthiness of the
study relies on Lincoln and Guba's trustworthiness criteria, which have been widely
referenced in qualitative research. These criteria are:

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56

Credibility: The plausibility of the research findings for the context that was
studied.

•

Transferability: The extent to which results would replicate to other contexts and
other individuals.

•

Dependability: The degree to which research results would replicate with the
same or similar participants and/or context.

•

Confirmability: Showing the results are an accurate representation of what
occurred rather than the result of the researcher's bias, motivation, or interest.

The researcher increased the validity by using the triangulate data source, by using
multiple sources of data, the credibility of the findings increases. The use of the survey
and open-ended questions not only validated the collected data but deepened the
understanding of the research study.
Katzenmeyer and Katzenmeyer (2004) established content validity for the Teacher
Leadership Self-Assessment through a panel of knowledgeable experts. The
knowledgeable expert consisted of education professionals with experience developing
teacher leaders or having served as teacher leaders. The participants identified items that
would be useful in self-reflecting teacher leadership. The group finalized the items, which
were placed in seven categories, or scales, using a heuristic factor analysis: SelfAwareness, Leading Change, Communication, Diversity, Instructional Proficiency,
Continuous Improvement, and Self-Organization. This created the 42-item Teacher
Leadership Self-Assessment.

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Summary
The purpose of this study was to understand improving teacher leadership
influenced through principal leadership. The available literature is evidence that
improving teacher leadership can have a positive outcome for schools. More recently,
other opportunities for teacher leadership have risen through programs of curricular and
instructional innovation, new approaches to teacher preservice and in-service education,
and the development of new school structures and professional communities (Smylie,
1995). Teacher leaders can help guide fellow teachers and the school at large toward
higher standards of achievement and recognition of individual responsibility for school
reform. Until this responsibility for teacher leadership is realized in every teacher, the
field of teaching will not change (Bowen, Moller, & Scrivner, 2000).
The research study explored the perceptions teachers have regarding teacher
leadership through self-assessment, ways of improving teacher leadership, and how
principals can improve teacher leadership. The qualitative data were coded and analyzed
for themes. The methods presented here attempted to gather sufficient data and employ
effective analysis techniques to draw conclusions, suggest common themes, and find
implications to practice in the future.

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CHAPTER IV
Data Analysis and Results
Overview
The purpose of this study was to explore the understanding of enhancing teacher
leadership influenced through principal leadership. The data was gathered from 73
participants in one district. This was done through a survey that contained three openended questions. The data was gathered, coded, categorized, and later analyzed to
determine how teacher leadership can be influenced by principal leadership. In
successful organizations, multiple sources of leadership are needed. In schools, this
notion of leadership assumes that significant and continuous improvement happens when
leaders, both at administrative and instructional levels, work collaboratively for school
change (Bowen, Moller, & Scrivner, 2000). The following research questions guided this
study:
Research Question 1 (RQ1): What is the teachers’ perception of teacher
leadership?
Research Question 2 (RQ2): How do we build teacher leadership?
Research Question 3 (RQ3): How do principals improve teacher leadership?
This chapter includes the presentation and discussion of individual teacher beliefs
about teacher leadership and assesses their leadership qualities. The three research
questions regarding teacher leadership in the district are also addressed. As previously
discussed, an online survey was used to gather information from teachers and principals.
In addition, three open-ended questions were used to gather qualitative responses

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regarding teacher leadership. Understanding these perceptions can guide future actions
by the district to improve teacher leadership influenced through principal leadership.
Participant Description
The 73 participants were to answer the first three questions on the survey
regarding their grade level taught, level of education achieved, and years of teaching
experience. Their grade level taught was broken down into four sections. The sections
included grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and grades 9-12. The participants teaching in grades
kindergarten through second totaled 6.9% of the participants (five teachers). The number
of participants currently teaching in grades three through five was 21.9% (16 teachers)
and 27.4% of the participants (20 teachers) teach in the middle schools which include
grades six through eight. The largest majority of participants 43.8% (32 teachers)
currently teach at the high school level, which includes grades nine through twelve (see
Table 3).
Table 3 Grade Level Taught

The level of education of the participants was categorized into four sections. The
sections were having a bachelor’s degree, having a master’s degree, having a master’s
plus additional credits, and having a doctorate degree. The majority of the participants

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(34) currently hold a bachelor’s degree which totaled 46.6%. The participants having a
master’s degree totaled 28.8% (21) and 21.9% (16) hold a master’s degree plus additional
credits. The smallest percentage of participant education level was the doctorate degree
which totaled 2.7% (2). Refer to Table 4 for a complete representation of the results for
this survey question.
Table 4 Level of Education

The third question in the survey pertained to years of experience or years teaching. The
four categories were separated into four groups: 0-5 years of teaching experience, 6-10
years of teaching experience, 11-15 years of teaching experience, and 15 plus years of
teaching experience. The participants that have 0-5 years of teaching experience totaled
6.9% (5 teachers). The participants that have 6-10 years of teaching experience totaled
13.7% (10 teachers) and 31.5% (23 teachers) have 11-15 years of teaching experience.
The largest group of participants, 47.9% (35 teachers), had 15 plus years of teaching
experience (see Table 5).

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Table 5 Teaching Experience (Years)

Characteristics of the Teacher Leaders in the District
The Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment (TLSA) survey provided information
about the types of leadership behaviors teachers engage in throughout the district. The
results of the 73 participants’ survey were recorded and calculated using a Google Form.
The data was transferred into an Excel spreadsheet. Each question was given its own
column and all 42 survey answers were given a numerical value. The numerical values
range from one to five following the standard Likert scale. The response possibilities
were as follows: 1 (Never), 2 (Rarely), 3 (Sometimes), 4 (Often), and 5 (Always). This
was completed using the coding method. Each question was analyzed for mean, median,
and standard deviation. The measures of central tendency and measure of dispersion
were also calculated. These behaviors are categorized into seven scales in the survey.
There were six questions in each of the seven scales totaling 42 closed-response
questions. They are listed below:
•

Self-Awareness: The teacher has an accurate picture of self in terms of
strengths, values, philosophy, and behaviors.

•

Leading Change: The teacher uses effective strategies to facilitate positive
change.

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•

62

Communication: The teacher exhibits effective listening, oral
communication, presentation skills, and expression in written
communication.

•

Diversity: The teacher demonstrates respect for and responds to
differences in perspectives.

•

Instructional Proficiency and Leadership: Teacher possesses and uses
professional knowledge and skills in providing the most effective learning
opportunities for students and adults.

•

Continuous Improvement: The teacher demonstrates a commitment to
reaching higher standards and readiness to take action to improve.

•

Self-Organization: The teacher establishes a course of action and
implements plans to accomplish results.

The figure below illustrates the average participant score of the Teacher Leadership SelfAssessment. The characteristics are summarized in Figure 1.

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Figure 1

Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment Scale
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The three behaviors with the highest characteristics were in the categories of SelfAwareness, Diversity, and Instructional Proficiency and Leadership. The scores totaled
29 for each of these three categories. The next highest score recorded was 28 in the
category of Self-Organization. In the category of Leading Change, the score recorded
was 27. The two lowest-scoring characteristics were in the categories of Communication
and Continuous Improvement, which recorded a score of 25. These results align with the
philosophy behind this research study, which indicate that teachers in the district are
comfortable with their abilities within the classroom but lack the necessary supports and
self-perception to evolve into teacher leaders.
The highest mean on the individual questions from the participants of the group
was from the category of Instructional Proficiency and Leadership. The behaviors most
frequently engaged in included,

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“I act with integrity and fairness when working with students and adults.” This
individual question had a mean of 4.86.

•

“I promote a positive environment in the classroom.” This individual question
had the second highest mean of 4.82.

•

“I have a reputation for being competent in the classroom.” This individual
question had the fourth highest mean of 4.70.

The third highest mean fell under the category of Self-Awareness on the Teacher
Leadership Self-Assessment. This question had a mean of 4.79 from the participants.
•

“At work, I behave in ways that are ethical and meet expectations for a high level
of professional performance.”

Participants as a group indicated that these were the teacher’s strengths in the district
supporting the idea that teachers are most comfortable in their classrooms instructing
students.
The lowest mean from the participants was under the category of Communication.
•

“When leading meetings I am able to get almost everyone to participate.” This
individual question had a mean of 3.73 (See Table 6).

Table 6 Communication
Q20. When leading meetings I am able to
get almost everyone to participate.

3.73

4

0.804

In addition, the question that tied for the fourth-lowest mean fell under this category as
well.
•

“I use electronic technology effectively to communicate with individuals and
groups.” This individual question had a mean of 3.99 (See Table 7).

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Table 7 Communication
Q21. I use electronic technology effectively
to communicate with individuals and groups.

3.99

4

0.979

The category of Leading Change was a weakness indicated through the participants’ selfassessment. Three out of the four lowest means came from this category. This category
assists with answering RQ1 (See Table 8).
•

“I involve colleagues when planning for change.” This question had the secondlowest mean of 3.88.

•

“I invite colleagues to work toward accomplishment of the vision and mission of
the school.” This question had the third lowest mean of 3.90.

•

“I lead others in accomplishing tasks.” This tied for the fourth-lowest mean of
3.99.

Table 8 Leading Change
Q10. I invite colleagues to work toward
accomplishment of the vision and mission of
the school.
Q11. I lead others in accomplishing tasks.

3.90

4

0.988

3.99

4

0.754

Q12. I involve colleagues when planning for
change.
Q13. I understand the importance of school
and district culture to improving student
outcomes.
Q14. I work toward improving the culture of
the school.
Q15. I am willing to spend time and effort
building a team to improve my school.

3.88

4

0.927

4.67

5

0.554

4.34

5

0.837

4.47

5

0.801

The most frequently engaged categories were Self-Awareness, Diversity,
Instructional Proficiency and Leadership, and Self Organization. Acting with integrity

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and fairness with both students and adults was a high-frequency behavior within the
aforementioned categories. Promoting a positive environment in the classroom was also
a behavior frequently referenced in the frequently engaged categories listed above.
Additionally, behaving in ways that are ethical and meet expectations for a high level of
professional performance was also a behavior included in the most frequently engaged
categories identified above. The emphasis of these categories suggests that teachers in the
district are most comfortable in their classrooms, instructing students, and focusing on
their skills and abilities as educators.
The least frequently engaged categories were Communication, Self-Organizing, and
Leading Change. There were four behaviors most often identified within these three least
frequently engaged categories. One of these four behaviors identified was, “when leading
meetings I am able to get almost everyone to participate.” Another identified behavior in
these categories was, “I involve colleagues when planning for change,” Additionally, “I
invite colleagues to work toward accomplishment of the vision and mission of the
school” and “I lead others in accomplishing tasks” were also identified behaviors in the
least frequently engaged categories. York-Barr & Duke (2004) concluded in their study
teacher leadership reflects teacher agency through establishing relationships, breaking
down barriers, and marshaling resources throughout the organization in an effort to
improve students’ educational experiences and outcomes. The results clearly indicate that
teachers in the district are not comfortable with leadership roles or the characteristics
identified as necessary to be an effective teacher leader. The need for establishing and
growing these characteristics within the teaching staff are evident after analysis of the
data.

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Open-Ended Survey Question Results
The Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment survey included three open-ended
questions that allowed the participants to expand on their perceptions regarding teacher
leadership influenced through principal leadership in the district. The qualitative data
was collected and addressed each of the research questions. The results for each openended question were first categorized into themes. This data was then broken down into
common answers then tallied and tracked. The qualitative results further supported the
need for this research study as teachers expressed their perceptions of teacher leaders as
well as the lack of necessary supports to encourage this behavior within the district.
The first open-ended question asked, “How do you define Teacher Leadership
(what is it/what does it look like)?” This open-ended question helps answer RQ1, which
addresses the teachers’ perception of teacher leadership. Three themes emerged from the
73 responses. The most prevalent response was, “teachers’ perception of teacher
leadership is someone who is a positive role model that takes on extra responsibilities
when need be.” Additional open-ended responses are included below.
•

“A good leader is a positive role model for those around him/her in all aspects of
professional duties/responsibilities at all times. Leadership also means you are
willing to take on additional responsibilities when needed and assist those who
may need it when presented with the opportunity to do so.”

•

“Teacher Leadership can be valuable to school climate and the #1 attribute is a
POSITIVE PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE which lends itself to school climate
improvement, not disintegration through various means, such as everyday politics,
blatant favoritism, and the ever-present “grapevine!” It looks like adult

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professionals that want to work here, and appreciate their position, and want to
affect change by being the change.”
•

“Teacher leadership is going above and beyond your daily classroom duties.
Teacher leadership is taking on extracurricular assignments, working alongside
colleagues on projects to guide, direct, and improve not only classroom
instruction, but also the school as a whole. To be a true teacher leader you must
have a true win/win mentality. You see the success for all and not just yourself.”

•

“Set of skills demonstrated by teachers who continue to teach students but also
have an influence that extends beyond their own classrooms to others within their
own school.”

Another theme regarding teachers’ perceptions of teacher leadership consisted of teachers
stepping forward to lead and encouraging others. Open-ended responses included in this
theme are listed below.
•

“Teacher leadership is the courage to step forward and lead regardless of how
other people perceive you. It is important to do your best to be positive and
encourage others to try new things. A teacher leader is someone who recognizes
the needs of their colleagues and building and works to address those needs in a
professional manner.”

•

“Leading others in a positive way to bring out the best in them.”

•

“Teacher leadership is when a teacher steps up and helps take control of a
situation, being cognizant of others while doing so. Teacher leadership involves
not only the duties of a regular teacher but adding to it. I think a good teacher
leader sees the big picture of things and helps others reach that goal. A proverb I

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read the other day,
“He who thinketh he leadeth and that no one following him is only taking a
walk.” – how about that for what a leader is/isn’t? Leadership is influence.”
The third theme from the responses collected stated a need for collaboration and
communication. Open-ended responses included in this theme are listed below.
•

“Teacher leadership does not worry about others and does what is best for
students with team building, communication, and collaboration.”

•

“I think teacher leadership is management and influence in and outside of the
classroom. Often teachers are in control of their classroom but remain focused on
their classroom only. Teacher leadership will spill over to their peers as far as
collaboration, planning, and leading are concerned.”

•

“Collaboration, Listening, and Listing Ideas.”

•

“Teachers working collaboratively in order to better prepare for instruction and
create a well-balanced, effective staff.”

Open-ended question number two asked the participants “How do we build Teacher
Leadership at the Albert Gallatin Area School District?” Question number two assisted
with answering RQ2. RQ2 seeks to find answers from the participants on how to begin
to build teacher leadership in the district. Of the 73 responses, three themes emerged
from the data collection. The overwhelming theme was the need for professional
development. Teachers feel that professional development training focused on teacher
leadership skills should be implemented. This will help change the culture to encourage
an environment where all stakeholders feel ownership in the process of leadership. Openended responses included in this theme are listed below.

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•

“Professional Development.”

•

“In order to build teacher leadership in the Albert Gallatin Area School District

70

we need extensive professional development, and daily reinforcement thereof, on
cooperative communication, principle-based, values and vision, as well as a
system that seeks and provides mutual benefits for all parties involved.”
•

“Professional development training focusing on Teacher Leadership skills could
be implemented. Leadership can be built by creating an environment where all
feel ownership in the process and the outcomes.”

The second theme that emerged was that teachers need to feel supported by the top
administration. The current people in administrative roles need to build a culture where
people have buy-in and are inspired. The negativity in the district must stop. Some
participant responses included in this theme are listed below.
•

“Better working relationships with administration.”

•

“With support from our existing leaders-build a culture where people have buy-in
and are inspired.”

•

“Veteran teachers supporting newer teachers. Sharing ideas; successful lessons.
Teachers being positive and encouraging with students. Encouragement; support;
building comfort and confidence in everyone (adults and students).”

The third prevalent theme was that the participants would like to have time to collaborate
with colleagues and to identify individual strengths and weaknesses in their teaching.
They feel more time is needed to collaborate on their own practices and time to reflect.
Responses included in this theme are listed below.

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“Give teachers time to work together in different groups. We are often grouped
solely based on departments. It may provide the opportunity for new ideas to be
developed to improve morale among the staff and students.”

•

“Sharing leadership and collaboration.”

•

“Sharing ideas and useful methods during built-in time.”

Open-ended question number three asked participants “How can principals improve
Teacher Leadership?” Question number three supports RQ3. Of the 73 responses, four
themes emerged from the participants responses. These four themes consisted of 30% of
the responses from the participants. The two main themes that emerged were better
communication and teachers having a voice. The participants feel that principals can
improve teacher leadership with better communication. Some responses are listed below.
•

“Open and honest communication.”

•

“Delegate, support, and communicate goals.”

•

“Better communication.”

The participants believe principals can improve teacher leadership by allowing teachers
to have a voice and show that they value their input. Teachers would like their voice to
be heard and their ideas embraced. Participants responses included in this theme are
listed below.
•

“They can ask teachers for their opinion and advice. Principals can listen;
teachers know when a principal is just going through the motions or actually
listening to the teacher’s input. Principals can prioritize and empower their
stronger teachers to help lead other colleagues in a professional learning culture.
Principals can be flexible; a principal cannot move a school alone and true

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partnership between principals and teachers is only a possibility when everyone is
adaptable and open to new approaches.”
•

“Ask and use or try to use teacher suggestions if they are appropriate.”

•

“Involve teachers in improving our schools and our district. Leadership in the
district should include all educational professionals, not just be top-down dictated.
Treat teachers as equals and professionals. There has been too much teacherbashing for too many years. That relationship needs to be rebuilt through genuine
professional interactions with teachers by administration.”

Another prominent theme was regarding how principals can improve teacher leadership
simply by listening. The participants felt principals should listen to teachers’ ideas and
suggestions for new ideas in their individual buildings. Some participant responses
included in this theme are listed below.
•

“Listen.”

•

“I think some principals can improve teacher leadership by actually listening to
what teachers say and backing them 100%. In my experience I have taught under
many different principals and have found the best ones to be the toughest and yet
the ones who would back me 100% when it came to being a teacher and knowing
what was best for my students. Those are the schools that have thrived because of
the true communication between teacher and principal—coming together on the
same level as adults in the best interest of the students.”

•

“Teacher leadership must be based on respect for fellow educators and engaging
in active listening when concerns arise.”

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The last theme that emerged was what participants believed principals could do to
improve teacher leadership which was show them support and provide them with
encouragement. Teachers want to feel supported from their principals. Some responses
to the open-ended question that are included in this theme are listed below.
•

“Support staff who present new ideas…encourage staff members to take the
lead…show appreciation when staff members do step up and take on a leadership
role.”

•

“By being available to support teachers and being open to try different approaches
to meet the needs of the building.”

•

“Support. Teachers need to know and feel that principals have their backs and
will stand with them in the face of adversity. Principals need to have an open
dialogue with teachers on what can make the student educational experience even
better. Being a classroom teacher is not easy. There are days when you feel like
you didn’t do enough and didn’t reach your students. That is where a principal
comes in and builds up those people to keep pushing encouraging them that they
are in a battle worth fighting.”

These three open-ended questions addressed each of the research questions. In each
question, themes were presented of how to improve teacher leadership influenced through
principal leadership. As with the quantitative data, the qualitative data supports the
philosophy that teachers need supports from their building principals and administration.
It also emphasizes the consistent themes that communication and professional
development are lacking in the district but are strongly desired by the teaching staff.

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Discussion
The purpose of this study was to explore enhancing teacher leadership influenced by
principal leadership. The research cited in this study supports the idea that teacher
leadership influenced through principal leadership can occur in the district. This study
was motivated by the researcher’s interest in creating more teacher leaders in the district
to improve the schools. The researcher sought to examine the following research
questions:
1. What is the teacher’s perception of teacher leadership?
2. How do we build teacher leadership?
3. How do principals improve teacher leadership?
This study utilized a survey to learn more about the teachers in the district, as well as
what the district can do to improve teacher leadership. A qualitative research approach
was used, and the findings are presented below.
The survey results from the Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment (TLSA)
indicated that teachers in the district frequently engaged in behaviors that support selfawareness, diversity, and instructional proficiency. The two most frequently engaged in
behaviors included acting with integrity and fairness when working with students and
adults and promoting a positive environment in the classroom. Both of these frequently
engaged behaviors fall under the category of instructional proficiency. It is clear that the
teachers in the district feel confident and comfortable in their classroom setting. Three
out of the four highest means came from instructional proficiency. Teachers are teaching
with their doors closed teaching in isolation and caring for their students in their

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individual classrooms. This is how the district has operated for years. The data clearly
supports the current culture of the district.
The least often engaged in behaviors related to communication, continuous
improvement, and leading change. The least frequently engaged in behaviors include,
“when leading meetings, I am able to get almost everyone to participate” and “I involve
colleagues when planning for change.” The five lowest means came from the categories
leading change and communication. Three out of the five lowest means came from the
category of leading change, including, “I involve colleagues when planning for change,”
“I invite colleagues to work toward accomplishment of the vision and mission of the
school,” and “I lead others in accomplishing tasks.” While the other two lowest means
were under the category communication. This included statements such as, “when
leading meetings I am able to get almost everyone to participate” and “I use electronic
technology effectively to communicate with individuals and groups.” Leading change is
when teachers use effective strategies to facilitate positive change. Communication is
when teachers exhibit effective listening, oral communication, presentation skills and
expression in written communication. This data indicates that the teachers and district do
not communicate well. Teachers, again, work in isolation and seldom work with their
colleagues to accomplish tasks. Teachers are uncomfortable leading others and involving
colleagues when planning for change or accomplishing tasks. This is a concern when
developing teacher leaders and may provide insight as to why the district struggles with
teacher leadership.
Continuous improvement relates to teachers demonstrating a commitment to
reaching higher standards and readiness to take action to improve. This was the lowest

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least often engaged in behavior tied with the category of communication. The data
indicates teachers’ unwillingness to participate in professional development and learning.
The teachers appear to be comfortable remaining stagnant in the district. They are
resistant to work side-by-side with colleagues, parents, and others to make improvements
in the school or district. This data refers back to the responsibility of district leadership
and their lack of teacher input for decision-making. They may believe it is not worth
bettering themselves because of no reward or incentive to become a better teacher or
leader in the district.
The survey results provided by the participants indicated their areas of strengths
and weaknesses regarding teacher leaders. It is clear that teachers in the district feel more
comfortable in their classrooms working with students than collaborating with their
colleagues. It is also evident that the participants in the survey struggle with
communication, continuous improvement, and leading change. The data provided the
researcher with a better understanding of the teacher leadership qualities from teachers
across the district.
The data analyzed from the three open-ended questions in the survey provided a
better understanding of each of the research questions presented in this study. The
participants defined teacher leaders as those teachers being positive role models and
taking on additional responsibilities outside of their normal classroom. Teachers defined
teacher leadership as individuals stepping forward and encouraging others. The majority
of literature related to the question “Who are teacher leaders?” indicated that teacher
leaders are or have been teachers with significant teaching experience, are known to be
excellent teachers, and are respected by their peers (York-Barr & Duke, 2004). What

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was interesting is some responses mention “No matter what others think,” or “regardless
of how other people perceive you.” The participants are referring to their peers or
colleagues. This is a concern for the district as it indicates that teachers that do step into
leadership roles are met with resistance and criticism. The survey also showed that
communication and collaboration are key when defining teacher leadership. There seems
to be a large disconnect in communication throughout the district. Without clear
communication and having transparent communication with all stakeholders teacher
leadership cannot exist.
The participants felt teacher leadership could be built in the district by focusing
on professional development for teachers that cultivates the skills necessary for effective
teacher leadership. Professional development is the leverage point for building teacher
quality through teacher leadership (Bowen, Moller, & Scrivner, 2000). This was an
overwhelming theme. This would be a positive step toward changing the culture in the
district where all parties feel ownership in the process of leadership. Also, teachers need
to feel supported by administration. The district recently went through some transition
with administration including the superintendent. It is very clear that teachers do not feel
enough support from the top down by administration. This supports the obvious
disconnect between teachers and administration. Another theme that emerged to build
teacher leadership was allowing time for teachers to collaborate with each other. There is
simply no time throughout the school day for teachers to collaborate. There is no
common planning time built in the middle schools’ or high school’s schedules. However,
in the elementary schools, teachers have common preparation periods for their individual
grade level.

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When asked, “How can principals improve teacher leadership?” participants
provided responses that better communication and listening to teachers is a way for
principals to improve teacher leadership.
Botha (2004) indicated to improve efficiency in factories, the supervisors
differentiated themselves from the assembly line workers. Schools structured
themselves in a similar fashion with the principal operating with the mindset of
the supervisor and the teachers as assembly line workers. Communication
became top-down, and principals detached themselves from the ultimate work of
schools-the development of young people. Today this model does not work either
in the business sector or in schools.
The data indicates that communication is an ongoing concern in the district.
Communication was the lowest total score on the TLSA. The lowest mean, which was
3.73, was also under communication, which was tied to the statement “When leading
meetings I am able to get almost everyone to participate.” This is also a reflection on
their colleagues, referring back to the comment of “regardless of how other people
perceive you.” Teachers in the district seem to have a disconnect amongst themselves,
which is a concern. The principals need to establish a better platform for teacher’s voices
to be heard in order to build teacher leadership. Principals can involve teachers more in
improving their schools. Principals can improve teacher leadership simply by listening.
Teachers feel that principals do not listen to them, or that they go through the motions of
listening to them, but not legitimately considering their input enough to include it in the
decision-making process for the building. This could reflect why teachers teach in
isolation and are the most comfortable in their own classroom. The last theme that will

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improve teacher leadership through the principal would be providing teacher support.
Teachers do not feel appreciated or encouraged enough in the district. By principals
providing teachers encouragement and support the participants in the study feel that
principals can improve teacher leadership.
Summary
In this examination of improving teacher leadership influenced through principal
leadership multiple findings and implications for practice emerged. It became evident
that better communication must exist. Communication has to improve in the district in
order for teachers to improve as leaders. In addition, teachers want to feel supported and
encouraged by their principals. In order for teachers to become leaders, they need to
have teachers that are positive role models and that take on challenges outside their
normal responsibilities. This needs to start with better communication for all
stakeholders. Professional development regarding teacher leadership needs to be
supportive, systematic, and strategic in order for teacher leaders to emerge in the district.
Principals play a vital role in influencing teacher leadership in the district. Principals
must communicate, support, build confidence, and motivate teachers in order to begin to
build teacher leadership in the district.

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CHAPTER V
Conclusions and Recommendations
Introduction
This chapter provides a review of the purpose of this study and research
questions, followed by conclusions, future directions for research, and a summary. The
purpose of this study was to explore teacher leadership influenced through principal
leadership. The research cited in this study supports the idea that such an understanding
may offer some insight into the nature of teacher leadership influenced through principal
leadership. This study was motivated by the researcher’s interest in promoting teacher
leadership influenced through principal leadership in the district. This will begin an
integral chapter of school improvement efforts for the Albert Gallatin Area School
District. Teacher leadership contributions are critical to improving teacher quality and
ensuring that educational reform efforts work. When teachers participate in improving
education, changes are more likely to succeed. Without teacher leadership, the status quo
will continue in classrooms (Bowen, Moller, & Scrivner, 2000). The researcher sought to
examine the following research questions:
Research Question 1 (RQ1): What is the teachers’ perception of teacher
leadership?
Research Question 2 (RQ2): How do we build teacher leadership?
Research Question 3 (RQ3): How do principals improve teacher leadership?
A qualitative research approach was used, and the researcher increased the validity by
using the triangulate data source.

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Conclusion
The effectiveness of the intervention was average. The effectiveness of the
intervention provided the researcher with new knowledge and a starting point to improve
teacher leadership influenced through principal leadership in the school district. The 42
items in the Likert scale survey from Katzenmeyer and Katzenmeyer (2004) provided
data on how teachers in the district view teacher leadership. This provided the researcher
with a better understanding of the teacher’s perception of teacher leadership. However,
only 73 teachers participated in the study out of 230 total teachers in the district, which is
a 31.7% completion rate. This number does not represent the majority of the staff, which
could be negatively interpreted when reviewing the effectiveness of the intervention. The
survey analyzed the participant’s areas of strengths and weaknesses through survey
questions that were categorized into seven elements.
The three open-ended questions at the end of the survey addressed each research
question. This approach provided a qualitative look at the teacher’s perceptions of
teacher leadership. This was effective when considering the intervention. However, the
effectiveness of the intervention may have been strengthened had the researcher selected
participants and conducted interviews. The district had recently settled the teacher’s
contract after over a year of negotiations. The survey method seemed to be the
appropriate approach at the time given teacher morale. Tensions within the district, at the
time of contract negotiations, were high between administration and teachers. As
indicated by the low participation rate, this tense environment may have influenced
teacher participation in the survey.

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The effectiveness of the intervention was average because it answered the
researcher’s questions but did not provide a deep understanding of how to improve
teacher leadership influenced through principal leadership in the district. However, it
does provide a foundation of where to begin when improving teacher leadership
influenced through principal leadership. It is important to note that the literature in the
area of teacher leadership has only begun to emerge. In fact, the common conception of
leadership in education still traditionally rests in the hands of school administrators and
professionals with non-teaching responsibilities (Silva, Gimbert, & Nolan, 2000). This
suggests that the development of teacher leadership lies within the influence of
administration. Implementing administrative supports to cultivate teacher leadership
should be included in further research.
The results of the study provided the researcher with ways to improve teacher
leadership influenced through principal leadership. The survey indicated three key
behaviors teachers in the Albert Gallatin Area School District possess in the categories of
Self-Awareness, Diversity, and Instructional Proficiency and Leadership. This supports
the idea that teachers in the district feel most comfortable inside their classrooms with the
door closed. This is has occurred in the Albert Gallatin Area School District for years.
Teachers teach without expanding their knowledge and expertise outside of their own
classrooms. The participants believe they are competent and promote a positive
environment inside their classroom.
An alarming finding from the survey was the perception that teachers could not
get their colleagues to participate in meetings that were led by individual teachers. This
is concerning for any administrator intent on cultivating teacher leadership; however, it is

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the current state of teacher leadership in the district. The two lowest-scoring
characteristics were in the categories of Communication and Continuous Improvement.
Teachers do not have respect for one another and do not listen to one another. This is a
philosophy deeply rooted in the Albert Gallatin Area School District from years of topdown decision making and lack of collaboration and mutual respect between
administration and teachers. The participants indicated they do not communicate with
individuals and groups. An environment of collaboration and communication is critical to
the successful cultivation of teacher leadership within a school.
Another conclusion that is supported by the results provided comes from the
category of Leading Change. This was a weakness indicated through participant
responses to the survey. Teachers do not include colleagues when planning for change or
invite colleagues to work toward the accomplishment of the vision or mission of the
school. They also do not lead others in accomplishing tasks. This again represents the
philosophy of teachers primarily feeling comfortable in their classroom in front of their
students. By completing the Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment, the participants
provided a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the teachers when it
comes to teacher leadership.
The results to the open-ended questions provided data in support of each research
question. The participants defined teacher leadership as a teacher who is a positive role
model that takes on extra responsibilities when necessary. These extra responsibilities in
the district fall under formal leadership positions, which include union representatives,
teacher mentors, department heads or grade-level chairs, providing in-service training for
other teachers, and curriculum development. Ash and Persall (2000) view this as

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traditional approaches to teacher leadership. These roles are not created to engage
teachers in establishing schools as democratic societies. The Albert Gallatin Area School
District lacks informal leadership, such as working with colleagues in small groups or
teams, providing modeling or instructional coaching, and encouraging parent
engagement. Teachers’ perceptions of teacher leadership include teachers stepping
forward to lead and encourage others. Currently, those teachers who step forward to lead
are often met with tension, resistance, and resentment by their colleagues. These teachers
are often hesitant to step into leadership roles because of this. They are concerned with
how other teachers perceive them when acting as a teacher leader. Therefore, those
teachers likely to take on leadership roles often step back and retreat to teaching in their
classroom with the door closed. Additionally, teachers willing to step into leadership
roles often work quietly with administration, so their peers have no knowledge of such
collaboration.
Little (1990) suggests that collegial interaction at least lays the groundwork for
developing shared ideas and for generating forms of leadership. Participants stated the
need for collaboration and communication. The results indicate communication must
improve in the district between all stakeholders. Collaboration between teachers has
been found to be a necessary concomitant of school improvement and change as well as a
contributory factor to school effectiveness (Little, 1990). These conclusions are
supported by the results provided in the survey addressing teachers’ perceptions of
teacher leadership.
In order to build teacher leadership in the district, the participants overwhelmingly
agreed that professional development training focused on teacher leadership skills should

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be implemented. There has been no professional development in the district regarding
teacher leadership. The literature supports that professional development is a huge part
of creating successful teacher leadership. Training is necessary for teachers to become
leaders. Professional development is the leverage point for building teacher quality
through teacher leadership (Bowen, Moller, & Scrivner, 2000). The district must begin
to provide professional development to teacher leaders, which could increase their
confidence and skill set to become future leaders. The district has to begin to establish
professional development within its walls for teacher leaders to be successful.
To begin to build teacher leadership participants need to feel supported by
administration. The tension between teachers and administration has always existed in
the Albert Gallatin Area School District. Wasley (1991) found that teachers need to be
involved in the process of deciding which roles if any, they wish to take on, and must
then feel supported by the school’s administration in doing so. For teacher leadership to
be successful, administrators should provide support and encouragement for teacher
leaders to make decisions and value the opinions of teacher leaders (Beachum & Dentith,
2004). In the district, principals have reliable staff members they repeatedly turn to when
leadership is needed. Unfortunately, these teachers most often find themselves the target
of resentment from their peers.
The survey participants also emphasized that time to collaborate with colleagues
could build teacher leadership in the district. Other than their planning time, the district
currently does not have any scheduled time during the day for teachers to collaborate.
Collaboration is at the heart of teacher leadership, as it is the premise upon a change that
is enacted collectively. Teacher leadership is premised upon a power re-distribution

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within the school, moving from hierarchical control to peer control (Harris & Muijs,
2002). Common planning time amongst colleagues could foster the idea of peer control
and encourage more than just the usual participants in leadership roles.
The last conclusion that was supported by the results provided was how principals
can improve teacher leadership. The participants stressed that ways principals can
improve teacher leadership involved communication and teachers having a voice in
decision making. Communication within the district is poor. The survey and open-ended
responses provided data that strongly suggested communication in the district needs to
improve for all stakeholders. Principals must communicate better with the teachers and
teachers must communicate better with their colleagues. For teacher leadership to
improve in the district, communication will play a critical role in the process.
Participants want to feel that their voice is being heard and that they are supported. This
theme was consistent in the responses provided by teachers as being a key component to
building teacher leadership within the district. Principals have to listen to and encourage
staff members to lead and provide them with encouragement when teachers have new
ideas or want to take risks. Principals must understand the need for teacher leadership
and be comfortable with shared management, open and honest communication, and the
creation of a shared vision for each school. Danielson (2007) suggests a welcoming
environment that promotes teacher leadership should include: providing a safe
environment for risk-taking, encouraging teacher leaders, eliminating obstacles, and
offering meaningful ongoing professional development.
The conclusions above are supported by the results provided in this study. To
begin to enhance teacher leadership influenced through principal leadership in the

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district, the district should focus on these areas of improvement. The principals and
teachers need to improve communication throughout the district. In addition, they must
support and encourage each other with roles and responsibilities. Positive attitudes and
role models are needed in teacher leader positions. Teachers in the district need time to
collaborate and communicate in order to build or enhance their teacher leader skills.
Professional development is a key component in the research literature, as well as in this
study, for fostering teacher leaders. The district needs to explore professional
development for teacher leaders within the district.
Clear communication needs to be established before teacher leadership can begin.
The data supports that communication is a concern in the district. This is not surprising;
however, steps must be taken to improve the flow of communication in the district.
Teachers feel most comfortable in their classrooms with their students and least
comfortable when working with or communicating with their colleagues. Statements
made in the open-ended responses to the survey suggest that some teacher leaders do step
forward and lead regardless of how their colleagues perceive them or what other teachers
think of them. In addition, it was stated that these teacher leaders do not worry about
another colleague’s criticism. This is evident in the district’s current culture as there are
few teacher leaders that not only step forward but that also exhibit this behavior. There
have been many that have attempted leadership roles, only to find themselves on the
receiving end of peer criticism. This often leads to the leadership attempt to not only be
their first attempt at being a teacher leader, but their last attempt as well. Most teachers
do not want to step outside of their classrooms to become leaders because of this
backlash and criticism from their peers. Their peers relentlessly tear the teacher leaders

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down until they retreat to the safety of their classroom and close the door. Without a
better understanding of the big picture, the teacher leader does not embrace the
complexity of being a teacher leader because of the lack of communication between all
stakeholders.
This theory was further supported during the Coronavirus Pandemic in
Pennsylvania on March 13, 2020. The Albert Gallatin Area School District was 1:1 with
Chromebooks in grades 6-12 at the time of the crisis providing for the technology
necessary to successfully implement distance learning. The teachers left their buildings
on March 13th and surprisingly would not return for the remainder of the year. The
district prepared to move toward virtual learning with the students and teachers working
from home. Virtual learning began on March 30, 2020 and lasted through June 3, 2020.
During this pandemic, the communication between teachers and administrators at
the secondary level appears to have improved tremendously. Staff communicated better
behind the computer than face-to-face. One teacher’s quote in an email stated, “In
closing, I’d like to say how happy I feel about the way everyone worked for our district;
from administration to teachers to other support personnel, it has really been positive and
helpful during this time. We’re planning and communicating better now in this foreign
environment than I can ever remember. It’s a true team effort, and I’m proud to be a part
of it. Truly!” Another teacher stated, “On a positive note, I can honestly say this, I’ve
never been prouder to be a part of the high school. The teachers have been amazing and
jumped right in the with this new learning platform with no complaints (at least that I’m
hearing), and in my opinion, they are really knocking it out of the park. Communication
has been so productive and so frequent.” The teachers are communicating and sharing

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more than ever during this trying time. This communicating does not happen during a
regular school day when teachers see each other daily. Is it because they have more time
to collaborate and communicate since the students are learning virtually? Or is it because
they are like many in today’s society and feel more comfortable communicating from an
electronic device? Regardless of the reasons why the district must continue to foster the
communication between teachers and principals. Although the COVID-19 situation is
unprecedented, this seems to be a positive learning experience with communication.
However, the district must be careful not to take a step backward when face-to-face
learning resumes. The district must use the COVID-19 learning opportunity regarding
improvement in communication and continue to move forward. By understanding the
culture in the district and improving teacher leadership influenced through principal
leadership a steady long-term plan must be implemented for improvements to be made.
The data collected in this research study will provide important information for future
improvements in the district.
In the review of the survey data, the implementation of a three-year plan for
improving teacher leadership is recommended. The first year of the teacher leadership
improvement plan would begin with opening the lines of communication between central
office personnel, administrators, teachers, and support staff. The research study indicated
that communication was a significant barrier amongst the participants. However, due to
the COVID-19 crisis, the secondary schools appear to be communicating better than ever.
This has been identified as a positive result of the pandemic and will serve as a building
block for the future of improving teacher leadership in the district. At the end of this
school year, a survey will be administered to all secondary staff regarding their thoughts

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on the district’s communication before COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This will be done using Google Forms. The survey responses will be analyzed, and the
data will be sorted by themes, similarities, and differences regarding the communication
before and during the COVID-19 crisis at the secondary level. This will provide
secondary principals with a better understanding of communication in the district and the
perceptions of the teachers during this unique school year. The secondary principals will
use this data and create one communication goal for the 2020-2021 school year to
improve communication in both middle schools and the high school. The goal will be the
same to ensure consistency throughout the schools and district at the secondary level.
The principals will share the results from the survey with all secondary teachers at the
beginning of the school year. Sharing the results with the teaching staff will show that
the district is trying to improve communication by using the results of their completed
survey. It shows that administration is listening to what the teachers have to say
providing them with the confidence that they have a voice and that all stakeholders are
working together to improve communication in the district at the secondary level.
The five elementary principals will also create one communication goal for the
2020-2021 school year. This communication goal should be the same or very similar to
the goal set forth at the secondary level. The elementary students were not 1:1 with
technology going into the pandemic. During the COVID-19 crisis, paper packets were
distributed to the students at each elementary building. Due to this, communication at the
elementary level through all channels was significantly different than at the secondary
level. The district recently agreed to provide Chromebooks to elementary students in
third through fifth grade and provide iPads to elementary students in kindergarten

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through second grade. This investment will allow for more consistent communication
channels amongst all stakeholders in the district.
The building principals will discuss the communication goal during their monthly
staff meetings. The Superintendent, Elementary Supervisor, and Secondary Supervisor
will also discuss the common communication goal during administration meetings. At
the end of the 2020-2021 school year, administration will meet and discuss the outcomes
of the communication goal. A follow-up survey will be administered to all secondary
teachers regarding any noticeable improvements and discrepancies regarding
communication in the district. In addition, an initial survey will be administered to all
elementary teachers seeking their insight regarding improvements in the district’s
communication. Administration will meet in the summer to analyze and discuss the
survey results to try to continue to improve communication within the district. These
findings will be discussed at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year with all the
teachers in the district.
In the second year of the teacher leadership improvement plan, the district will
continue to work to improve communication but also establish a team of teacher leaders
in each building. This team of teacher leaders will consist of three to five teachers,
depending on the size of the building, interested in teacher leadership. These teachers
should be positive role models for their peers and have excellent attitudes toward the
teaching profession. These should be respected teachers by all stakeholders. By
establishing a group of teacher leaders, they may feel more comfortable with having
colleagues alongside them during this experience, rather than stepping out on their own to
begin their journey with teacher leadership. The roles and expectations of the teacher

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leadership teams will be established to maintain consistency throughout the district. This
will help to promote a climate of collaboration premised upon communication and
opportunities for teacher collaboration. The team of teacher leaders will be introduced to
the teacher leadership model standards (Teacher Leadership Model Standards, 2011).
Domain I: Fostering a Collaborative Culture to Support Educator Development
and Student Learning.
Domain II: Accessing and Using Research to Improve Practice and Student
Learning
Domain III: Promoting Professional Learning for Continuous Improvement
Domain IV: Facilitating Improvements in Instruction and Student Learning
Domain V: Promoting the Use of Assessments and Data for School District
Improvement
Domain VI: Improving Outreach and Collaboration with Families and
Community
Domain VII: Advocating for Student Learning and the Profession
These domains will stimulate dialogue amongst the team members about what constitutes
the knowledge, skills, and competencies that teachers need to assume leadership roles in
the district.
During the second year of the teacher leadership improvement plan, the teacher
leader teams will meet with each principal monthly to review a domain from the teacher
leadership model and discuss any concerns, suggestions, or ideas. They will also have
the opportunity to meet during in-service or Act 80 days according to the district
calendar. The principals will need to be receptive to this new initiative and learn to

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become better listeners and supporters of the teacher leadership team. Some items that
could be discussed during these meetings include communication, curriculum, preparing
for in-service days, instructional modeling, and fostering parent engagement. This will
continue to build on the communication component of the plan in the district. The
Superintendent and administration will meet with the district teacher leadership team
quarterly. This will begin to create a collaborative environment allowing the district to
move away from the traditional top-down approach. The district will continue to work on
improving communication and maintaining teacher leadership teams. This will hopefully
open the teachers’ classroom doors to encourage knowledge transfer and collaboration
amongst colleagues. Such growth among stakeholders would be monumental for the
students of the Albert Gallatin Area School District.
In the third year of the teacher leadership improvement plan, the district and the
teacher leadership team members will have the opportunity for continued growth. The
team members will be asked if they would like to continue to be a teacher leader from
their previous year of experience. If the members are willing to continue to participate,
the district will begin to introduce teacher leaders to the district. In year three, extensive
professional development will be provided to all teacher leaders in the district. Training
is necessary for teachers to become leaders. Therefore, in-depth professional
development will be the focus of year three of the improvement plan. Teacher leaders
will also have time to collaborate with other teacher leaders in the district. Collaboration
time is highly desired amongst teachers in the district as evidenced by the survey data.
During this time, principals and teacher leaders will begin to work closely together to
support one another throughout this endeavor.

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The current atmosphere and culture within the district necessitate the
establishment of a three-year plan to improve teacher leadership influenced through
principal leadership. These tangible improvements to the district involve communication,
collaboration, support, and professional development to build teacher leadership. A
steady, multi-year approach establishes the foundation for sustainability of the plan’s
components. It requires an investment of time and resources by all stakeholders and
represents the construction of a solid commitment to changing the leadership structure
within the district. Collectively, these efforts will improve the district and move toward
developing teacher leadership influenced through principal leadership in the district for
years to come.
As proven in the research literature, professional development is critical to
implementing any kind of change within the school system. Participants of the study
strongly agreed that professional development was critical in order to build teacher
leadership in the district. A total of $15,000 was allocated for this research study, with
$9,000 earmarked for professional development. The professional development funds
can be used for resources, point people training, and full staff training. Since
communication was a concern in the study, professional development should be used to
improve communication in the district before being used for teacher leadership training.
If the lines of communication are not improved, teacher leadership will not exist. The
data shows it is evident that a communication barrier is present in the district. However,
this will be addressed by creating a communication goal in the first year of the teacher
leadership improvement plan. In addition, $6,000 was allotted for the elementary,
middle, and high school for teacher supplies. If the allotted amount is higher than the

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anticipated need, and teacher supplies do not reach $6,000, the additional money would
be used for professional development as well. For teacher leadership to be successful,
proper professional development is necessary when creating a culture to promote teacher
leadership.
Recommendations
There are a variety of reasons why teacher leadership is important in schools
today. By incorporating teacher leadership teachers can communicate and interact with
colleagues, provide a positive impact on the school setting and community, and
participate in decision making within the school. It creates an environment in which all
stakeholders feel their voice is heard and included in decision making. Teacher leadership
encourages a collaborative environment. One in which teachers feel supported by their
administration and colleagues alike. By enhancing teacher leadership schools can help
improve teacher quality and provide the opportunity for professional growth.
The first recommendation is for all stakeholders in the district to improve
communication. Based on the literature, no teacher leadership will take place if clear
communication and expectations are not established. The data suggests there is a barrier
to communication throughout the Albert Gallatin Area School District. Poor
communication with teachers, administrators, and other staff members was apparent in
the study. Central office administration and principals must begin to improve
communication. Once better lines of communication are established the school district
can shift their efforts to creating teacher leaders.
Another recommendation would be that the district concentrate on how to
improve the means to participate in teacher leadership roles for its teaching staff. The

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district only utilizes, at best, teacher leaders in formal ways. These teachers are
compensated at the end of the year for their formal duties. However, this does not
provide other teachers with an opportunity to lead. These positions are bid within the
union with the most senior teacher receiving the position. The survey participant’s
perception of a teacher leader is a positive role model who takes on extra responsibilities
regardless of how other people perceive them. Administration must work with the
teacher’s union in order to change the current language regarding teacher leaders in
formal ways. There is currently no training in place for teachers to improve their
leadership skills. Teacher leadership teams could be established throughout the district,
instead of the same teachers receiving formal leadership roles just simply because of
seniority.
The third recommendation would be to incorporate professional development to
enhance teacher leadership. The majority of professional development training comes
from within the district. Teachers usually have very little, if any, leadership classes when
receiving their teaching degree. Only teachers choosing to continue their education by
achieving principal certification would experience leadership classes. Therefore, the
district must work with neighboring universities and the Intermediate Unit to establish
professional development for teacher leadership roles. This would be beneficial to all
stakeholders actively involved and could benefit other school districts in the surrounding
area. This professional development could inspire teachers to become teacher leaders.
Lastly, it must be understood that the principal plays a vital role in establishing
teacher leadership. For the principal to establish an environment that promotes teacher
leadership the principal needs strong communication, quality time to collaborate, and

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strategic professional development. All stakeholders must put their past disagreements
behind them and work on building new relationships for teacher leadership to be
successful. Principals need to encourage building environments that foster peer
collaboration, constructive feedback, and respectful communication. Teachers need to
feel a sense of safety when stepping into leadership roles. They need to feel that they not
only have the support of their building principal, but their fellow teachers as well.
In many schools today, teachers are working together with teacher leaders in an
effort for school improvement. The literature supports that teacher leadership is the
groundwork in school improvement efforts (York-Barr & Duke, 2004). Although teacher
leadership influenced through principal leadership is different in every district, future
research on the principal’s role in planning and facilitating professional development
opportunities to build teacher leadership capacity is necessary. Most of the literature
claims that professional development currently comes from within the walls of the school
district. Therefore, districts should implement professional development intended to
enhance teacher leaders. Professional development is an integral part of the teacher
leadership role.
Collaboration is a critical component of teacher leadership. Teachers need to feel
comfortable sharing ideas with colleagues and administration. If an environment of
respectful collaboration is encouraged teachers will be more inclined to venture outside
their classrooms. Future research designed to understand key components of
collaboration in teacher leadership roles would be beneficial to all levels of educational
professionals. Throughout the literature, collaboration was linked with time, of which
many educators never have enough. Narrowing the focus to the fundamental skills of

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successful collaboration would enhance teacher leadership and address the ever-present
issue of availability of collaboration time.
Lastly, schools need to develop a shared vision of what teacher leadership is and
should look like. The data suggested that the participants indicated teacher leaders take
on duties other than those expected within the classroom. This has been established in
the district and, according to the data, consistently shared as others’ perceptions of
teacher leaders. Formal and informal roles of teacher leadership have existed for years
without the proper training for those teacher leaders. Therefore, formal and informal
leadership roles need to be understood by all stakeholders. If these roles are clearly
defined, more teachers may understand the role of a teacher leader and may be interested
in becoming a teacher leader in the district.
Based on this study, future research may include the impact that teacher
leadership has on student achievement. Currently, the research indicates the benefits for
teachers, but very little solid research indicates the impact teacher leaders have on student
achievement. This is something that could be recommended for future research.
Summary
In summary, this research attempted to develop a better understanding of
enhancing teacher leadership influenced through principal leadership. This research
focused on the teacher’s perception of teacher leadership, how to build teacher
leadership, and how principals can improve teacher leadership in the district. Teacher
leadership was reported in the literature as having positive effects on schools. For
teacher leadership to begin to take place in the district, the communication barrier has to
improve. The participants indicated this as a major concern in the district. Clear

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communication is critical for successful teacher leadership. The district must set clear
expectations of the formal and informal roles of teacher leaders and establish guidelines
for future teacher leaders. Ongoing professional development needs to be incorporated
when developing future teacher leaders with full support from the principal. In an effort
to strengthen teacher leadership in the district, collaboration between teachers and
administrators needs to be appropriately addressed and thoroughly researched in order for
it to be successful and sustained.
Lasting and meaningful school improvement comes from teachers. The
completion of this research project provided insight by exploring teacher leadership
influenced through principal leadership in the Albert Gallatin Area School District. The
research study provided the information necessary to begin efforts to improve the
relationship between teachers and administrators. Data analysis allowed for the
emergence of themes critical to the growth and success of the district and its
stakeholders. This study could lead to progress toward school improvement efforts. In
the end, the students, schools, teachers, administrators, and community can benefit from
these findings. This could be the beginning of a continued partnership in the district for
years to come.

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APPENDICES

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Appendix A
Letter to Institutional Review Board
8/26/2109

Dear Institutional Review Board,

As Superintendent for the past year and a half in the Albert Gallatin Area School District,
I am always looking for ways to try and improve our district. I support Mr. Hutchinson’s
Web-based survey study titled “Enhancing Teacher Leadership Influenced Through
Principal Leadership,” and grant permission to survey our district. The study is to
examine how teachers and principals can build and improve teacher’s leadership in the
Albert Gallatin Area School District. I am looking forward to findings in this study.
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at
Christopher.Pegg@agasd.org or (724) 564-7190.

Best Regards,
Mr. Christopher Pegg
Superintendent

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Appendix B
Waiver Letter
Dear Albert Gallatin Teacher/Principal,
I am currently conducting a Web-based survey research study titled “Enhancing
Teacher Leadership Influenced Through Principal Leadership,” the purpose of
which is examine how teachers and principals can build and improve teacher’s leadership
in the Albert Gallatin Area School District.
Your superintendent has granted approval for teachers and principals in our district to
participate in the study. The purpose of this email message is to ask for your
participation in the study. I am asking you to participate in the study by simply
completing the survey as honestly and openly as you can. The survey should only take
about 10-15 minutes to complete. When you have completed the survey, simply click on
the SUBMIT button located at the bottom of the page to send your responses to me.
Please make sure you submit your responses only once! Additionally, please complete
the survey by January 17, 2020.
Please be assured that your responses will be anonymous. There will be no way for me to
determine the origin of your responses. You will not be contacted for any further
information. No one other than you will know if you have or have not participated in this
study. Additionally, no individual information will be shared; only aggregate results will
be reported. Finally, due to the Web-based nature of the survey, there exists a minimal
chance that your responses could be intercepted, by individuals not involved with this
study, while being transmitted.
Your participation in this study is voluntary. By completing and submitting the survey,
you are giving your consent to participate. Please be assured that your decision to
participate or not participate in this study will have no impact on your relationship with
your respective school district. If you do not wish to participate, simply disregard this
message. If you have any questions regarding the survey study, I may be contacted at
(724) 322-8499 or HUT8870@calu.edu. You may also contact my faculty sponsor from
California University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Kevin Lordon at lordon@calu.edu if any
problems or concerns arise during the course of the study.
I would like very much for you to participate in the study by completing the brief survey
which can be found by clicking on the following link:
https://forms.gle/pDYcBSYTthNgsmhV7
In advance, thank you very much for your participation in this research endeavor and best
of luck in the remainder of your school year!

ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP
Best Regards,
IRB

117
APPROVED – Cal U. of Pa
Effective 08/28/2019

Jason Hutchinson

Expires 08/27/2020

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118

Appendix C
Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment Survey

Teacher Leadership Self-Assessment (Katzenmeyer &
Katzenmeyer, 2004)
Please respond in terms of how frequently each statement is descriptive of your professional
behavior. 1 = Never
2 = Rarely
3 = Sometimes
4 = Often
5 = Always
* Required

1. Grade Level Taught * Mark

only one oval.
K-2
3-5
6-8
9-12
2. Level of Education * Mark

only one oval.
Bachelor's Degree
Master's Degree
Master's +
Doctorate
3. Teaching Experience

(Years) * Mark only one
oval.
0-5
6-10
11-15

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119

15 +
4. I understand how my

strengths and needs for
development will impact
my new role as a leader in
my school. * Mark only one
oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

5 I reflect on what I do well and also how I can improve as a classroom teacher. *
Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

6. I am clear about what I believe about teaching and learning. * Mark

only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

7. I act in ways that are congruent with my values and philosophy when

dealing with students and colleagues. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

8. I seek feedback on how I might improve in my work setting. * Mark

only one oval.
1

Never

2

3

4

5
Always

9. At work I behave in ways that are ethical and meet expectations for a

high level of professional performance. * Mark only one oval.

ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP
1

2

3

120

4

5

Never

Always

10. I invite colleagues to work toward accomplishment of the vision and

mission of the school. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

11. I lead others in accomplishing tasks. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

12 I involve colleagues when planning for change. *
Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

13. I understand the importance of school and district culture to

improving student outcomes * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

14. I work toward improving the culture of the school. * Mark only one

oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

15. I am willing to spend time and effort building a team to improve

my school. * Mark only one oval.
1

Never

2

3

4

5
Always

ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP

121

16. I listen carefully to others. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

17. I adjust my presentations to my audience. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

18. I seek perspectives of others and can reflect others' thoughts and

feelings with accuracy. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

19 When facilitating small groups I keep the group members on-task and on-time. *
Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

20. When leading meetings I am able to get almost everyone to participate. *

Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

21. I use electronic technology effectively to communicate with individuals and

groups. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

22. I understand that different points of view may be based on an individual's

culture, religion, race or socioeconomic status. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP

122

Never

Always

23. I respect values and beliefs that may be different from mine. * Mark only one

oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

24. I enjoy working with diverse groups of colleagues at school. * Mark only one

oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

25. I work effectively with non-educators and persons with special interests. *

Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

26 I make special efforts to understand the beliefs and values of others. *
Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

27. I am willing to share my beliefs even when they are

different from the beliefs of others. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

28. I promote a positive environment in the classroom. *

Mark only one oval.
1

Never

2

3

4

5
Always

ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP

123

29. I use research-based instructional practices. * Mark only

one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

30. I persist to assure the success of all students. * Mark only

one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

31. I have a reputation for being competent in the classroom.

* Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

32. I am approachable and open to sharing with colleagues. *

Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

33 I act with integrity and fairness when working with students or adults. *
Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

34. I seek out all pertinent information from many sources before

making a decision or taking action. *
Mark only one oval.
1

Never

2

3

4

5
Always

35. I set goals and monitor progress towards meeting them. * Mark

only one oval.

ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP
1

2

3

124

4

5

Never

Always

36. I analyze and use assessment information when planning. * Mark

only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

37. I participate in professional development and learning. * Mark

only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

38. I am proactive in identifying problems and working to solve them.

* Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

39. I work side-by-side with colleagues, parents, and/or others to

make improvements in the school or district. * Mark only one
oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

40 I plan and schedule thoroughly so I can accomplish tasks and goals. *
Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

41. I exhibit self-confidence when under stress or in difficult situations.

* Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP

125

Never

Always

42. I work effectively as a team member. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

43. I show initiative and exhibit the energy needed to follow through to

get desired results. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

44. I prioritize so that I can assure there is time for important tasks. *

Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

45. I create a satisfactory balance between professional and personal

aspects of my life. * Mark only one oval.
1

2

3

4

5

Never

Always

46. How do you define Teacher Leadership? (what is it/what does it look

like) *

47. How do we build Teacher Leadership at Albert

Gallatin Area School District? *

48 How can principals improve Teacher
Leadership? *

ENHANCING TEACHER LEADERSHIP

126

Appendix D
Institutional Review Board Approval Letter

Institutional Review Board
California University of Pennsylvania
Morgan Hall, 310
250 University Avenue
California, PA 15419
instreviewboard@calu.edu
Melissa Sovak, Ph.D.
Dear Jason,
Please consider this email as official notification that your proposal titled
“Enhancing Teacher Leadership Influenced Through Principal Leadership”
(Proposal #18-082) has been approved by the California University of
Pennsylvania Institutional Review Board as amended.
The effective date of approval is 8/28/19 and the expiration date is 8/27/20.
These dates must appear on the consent form.
Please note that Federal Policy requires that you notify the IRB promptly
regarding any of the following:
(1) Any additions or changes in procedures you might wish for your study
(additions or changes must be approved by the IRB before they are
implemented)
(2) Any events that affect the safety or well-being of subjects
(3) Any modifications of your study or other responses that are
necessitated by any events reported in (2).
(4) To continue your research beyond the approval expiration date of
8/27/20 you must file additional information to be considered for continuing
review. Please contact instreviewboard@calu.edu
Please notify the Board when data collection is complete.
Regards,
Melissa Sovak, PhD.
Chair, Institutional Review Board