Dissertation Proposal Announcement Ed.D. Program: Jennifer Duran “Empowering Teacher Leaders: A Case Study of Teacher Leadership Development”
Teacher leadership has become increasingly acknowledged as a necessary element of school reform efforts, with many schools now identifying leadership as an essential element of effective teacher practice. Although there is growing acknowledgment of the need for systematic teacher leadership development, many schools assign teachers leadership roles and responsibilities without adequate training or support. As a result, developing teacher leaders often report feeling underprepared to meet the challenges of new leadership duties. Teacher leadership development programs can support emergent teacher leaders by providing school-based support, leadership skills training, and on-the-job leadership experience. Recent studies suggest that in addition to developing leadership competencies, teachers also need to establish a sense of teacher-leader identity to confidently engage in leadership praxis. More research is needed on school-based teacher leadership development programs that can support such professional growth. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine the experiences of teachers participating in a school-based teacher leadership development program focused on developing leadership capacity and teacher-leader identity. This study will attempt to answer the following research questions: 1) What does a school-based teacher leadership development program look like in action?; 2) How does participating in a school-based teacher leadership development program affect teachers’ perceived leadership competencies?; and 3) In what ways does participating in a teacher leadership development program support teachers’ professional identity? Utilizing observation field notes, document analysis, and individual interviews, this study aims to understand how one school’s efforts to implement a teacher leadership development program may empower participating teachers to engage in leadership praxis and how such participation may impact their perceived leadership capacity and professional identity.
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