Dissertation Defense Announcement Ed.D. Program: Jennifer A. Duran “Empowering Teachers to Lead: A Case Study of a School-Based Teacher Leadership Development Program”

Despite the well-documented benefits of teacher leadership for teacher leaders and the school communities they serve (Wenner & Campbell, 2017; York-Barr & Duke, 2004), many schools thrust teachers into leadership roles with little preparation (Hunzicker, 2012). Given that effective teaching does not necessarily translate into effectively leading peers, many developing teacher leaders report feeling underprepared to lead or struggle to identify as teacher leaders (Poekert et al., 2016; Smylie & Eckert, 2018). While some research has focused on pathways for building teachers’ leadership capacity and identity through teacher leadership development programs
(TLDPs), most of these programs are offered by universities and professional organizations, where learning is disconnected from teachers’ real work contexts. Schools are uniquely positioned to support teacher leadership by offering authentic opportunities for leadership learning and enactment (Smylie & Eckert, 2018).

This qualitative case study examined a TLDP implemented during one school’s designated professional learning time to understand how such a program operates in practice. The experiences of four participating teachers were explored as they engaged in collaborative inquiry and self-reflection to develop their leadership competencies and teacher-leader identities. Using data collected over seven months, including observation field notes, participant documents, and individual interviews, I sought to answer the following research questions: 1) What does a school-based TLDP look like in action? 2) How does participating in a school-based TLDP affect teachers’ perceived leadership competencies? 3) In what ways does participating in a TLDP impact teachers’ professional identity? Multiple recursive coding cycles across data sources were used to triangulate descriptions of the TLDP and participants’ shifting understandings of teacher leadership.

Findings describe the TLDP curriculum in action and teachers’ experiences, revealing that each teacher developed leadership differently throughout the program. While the TLDP design created a supportive space for leadership practice, teacher-leader identity development was mediated by teachers’ self-perceptions, peer relationships, and program engagement. These findings underscore the importance of establishing processes for supporting teacher leaders at various stages of leadership development. As schools face increasingly complex challenges, they must reconceptualize teacher leadership as a process of sustained, intentional development that empowers all teachers to engage in ongoing professional and organizational improvement.