The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe the
experiences of secondary teachers who were actively involved in positions of
teacher leadership in their schools and to discover the meaning that leadership
activities had for them in their work. The informal teacher leaders performed their
leadership functions in an environment of educational reform and change,
voluntarily, and on their own time.
The study was framed and described by data gathered primarily through a
series of in-depth interviewing and based on a structure for phenomenological
methodology. The individual interviews were audio taped and transcribed in full
text. Other forms of data collection included a survey and e-mail reflections from
the participants, and researcher reflections. Data was coded by topics and
organized into themes based on an inductive analysis of the transcribed data.
Results of this study indicated that teacher leaders found great satisfaction,
both affectively and cognitively, in their involvement. They found meaning in
their work because of a positive school environment, through collaboration with
colleagues, participation in curriculum writing and committee work, and
involvement with innovative activities. They indicated the biggest rewards came
from their work with students. In addition, the teacher leaders frequently made
reference to something inside themselves, their personality, and their drives. They
found they needed the stimulation and the challenges that teacher leadership
activities presented.
The findings of this study contribute to the knowledge base on teacher
leadership. They have implications for teacher educators who prepare future
teachers for leadership roles, particularly at the secondary level and in an
educational reform environment. Knowing the experiences that teacher leaders
find most meaningful in their work, particularly curriculum work and
collaboration with colleagues, will inform teacher educators as they prepare pre-service
teachers to be knowledgeable and confident in these activities. In addition,
administrators who want to encourage teacher leadership activities in their school
may benefit from understanding what motivates teachers to become leaders and
will be more knowledgeable about the needs of their staff when planning staff
development opportunities. The study concluded with recommendations for
further research on teacher leadership. / Graduation date: 2002
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/29503 |
| Date | 03 December 2001 |
| Creators | Birky, Virginia Davidhizar |
| Contributors | Ward, Chris Southers |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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