A Case Study of Teacher Leadership Practices at an Alternative Elementary School in Taiwan Chih-Feng Lai Graduate Institute of Public Policy 1

1. Introduction To improve student learning is a key function of school leadership, which is mainly performed by the principal and the teachers (Leithwood & Riehl, 2005) Principal leadership, teacher leadership, and distributed leadership. 2

School leadership is considered to mobilize and affect the behavior of other people so as to cohere and achieve the common objective and goal of the school (Leithwood & Riehl, 2005). 3

Well-prepared background trainings for teachers allow them to be an effective role in the reformation that is the system actually formed by executors. In a well-planned educational program, there is always an important position for teachers, as actions normally happen there at the end. ----Bruner 4

Teacher leadership is not a new product. Tracing back to a century before, it existed then with various styles: the concept of teachers participating school decisions (Danielson, 2006). Teacher leaders lead within and beyond the classroom; identify with and contribute to a community of teacher learners and leaders; influence others toward improved educational practice; and accepted responsibility for achieving the outcomes of their leadership (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2001) 5

The complete development and operation of a school is closely related to teacher leadership Most teachers are not aware of the importance of teacher leadership. 6

Teacher leadership is an idea whose time has come (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2001) Playing the role of leaders, teachers can influence their colleagues to improve educational practice so that teacher leadership might be essential for school success. 7

2. Conceptual framework of teacher leadership 2.1 Teachers as leaders Teachers should inspect their own beliefs, answer the question of “Who am I” in the educational background Evaluate themselves to confirm the concerns of value, behavior, philosophy, and profession (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2001) 8

2.2 Situation of teacher leadership Teacher leaders should understand the predicable stage of transformation in schools Answer the question of “Where am I” in the teaching situation that the question could help teachers reflect on the school and how to transform (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2001) 9

2.3 Skills for teacher leadership Teachers should develop leading skills, learn to lead a team, listen, utilize resource, and confirm the needs of others Ask themselves the question of “How do I lead other ?” (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2001) 10

2.4 Behavior of teacher leadership Teachers should decide “What can I do” in the school. Teachers applied new leadership knowledge and made action plans to improve the school, as the major purpose of teacher leadership (Katzenmeyer and Moller, 2001) 11

2.5 Effect of teacher leadership Teacher leadership seldom involves in large-scale and systematic reformation (Danielson, 2006) The effect is basic and central, and is the infrastructure for large-scale and systematic reformation. 12

The subjects of the research, “ Nature Elementary School” (anonym), is an alternative (non-traditional) school in northern Taiwan. This small school, a private experimental school authorized by local government, has been established for more than ten years. More than 90 students Nine teachers (one of them hold a concurrent post of principal), and two administrators at the moment Background of the case school

The primary characteristics of the case school: Students autonomously learning Selecting courses Self-selecting homeroom teachers Abundant campus ecology Challenge for graduation Life forum School court Teacher evaluation 14

Principal does not hold the same appointment conditions as the ones in public schools. There is no traditional bureaucracy in the school, all important decisions are discussed with the college of teachers Different from the teachers in public schools, only one of the nine teachers is qualified as a teacher in public schools. The teaching quality and the school performance are praised by parents. Teacher leadership play influential role in school operation. 15

4. Research Method 16 Nine teachers were interviewed; document analysis Qualitative research; case study The research aimed to analyze the practice of teacher leadership in terms of the five dimensions: teacher as leaders, leadership situations, leadership skills, leadership behaviors, and leadership effects.

5. Practice of teacher leadership in the case school 17

5.1 Principal and all teachers became teacher leaders naturally by means of participating the operation of the college of teachers 18 The college of teachers is considered the core of “Nature” operating the school affairs that all important decisions are made in the weekly teacher meeting. Since it is a small school, the principal and all teachers participate in the operation of the college of teachers. Everyone is equal to express opinions, affect others to improve the educational practice, play the role of teacher leader, well-know “Who am I”, and remove “the syndrome of I am just a teacher”.

The principal is a member of the teacher team, a teacher, and a colleague with other teachers. There is no apparent leader-member relation that the teachers will not receive any task instructions or assigned errands. The principal, as a communication key, representing the school participates in various meetings and appears as important as others in public schools, without any differences. 19

5.2 It is the situation that was suitable for the development of teacher leadership when teachers and administration have ambiguous lines in dialogic and collaborative culture. 20

The principal and the teacher team coexist in the organization of “Nature”. In spite that they are in different positions with various functions, they still closely cooperate. The principal merely possesses few power of discretion, while the teachers can participate in decision-making. The principal is also a teacher and a member of the teacher team so that the boundary with the teachers is ambiguous. The administrative organization is flattened and the leading power is dispersed, but the cooperation is mutual. 21

The school appears the atmosphere of security that the discussed culture is established. The teachers well-know “Where am I” and are willing to make decisions with dialogues. Although there have been conflicts, they are functional conflicts. The school stresses on teachers having their own styles but being able to cooperate with other teachers. In this case, the school cultures of dialogue and cooperation “Nature” as well as the ambiguity between the administrators and the teachers have generated a suitable situation for teacher leadership. 22

5.3 The abilities of independent action, operation, and reflection are the must-have skills for teacher leaders. “Nature” is an alternative school that the educational objective is different from traditional schools. It focuses on teachers being independent and cooperative as the keys to select teachers that how to integrate independence and cooperation has become a challenge for the teachers. 23

The teachers are required to know their own limits as well as to continuously reflect and self- grow in facing the feedback from students and parents. The abilities of independence, cooperation, and reflection are the necessary skills to be a teacher leader, as well as the key to “lead others”. 24

5.4 The practice of teacher leadership was manifest on collegial leadership approach, teacher autonomy and self-control, teaching innovation, and effective teacher professional development. 25

“Nature” applies collegial leadership to have the college of teachers manage the school where the principal and the teacher team are the colleagues. Based on consensus, they make decisions, closely contact, and share power with each other. The teachers are in charge of the large-scale activities in the school and divide the work with active adoption that the in-charge teacher plans and other teachers assist. 26

With the dense cooperation among teachers, the activities are operated in order and the teachers do not avoid the responsibility so that the teachers present professional autonomy and self-discipline. “Nature” is an alternative school, with continuous review and innovative teaching, teacher meeting is the major place for discussions, and teachers are enthusiastic, innovative, and courageous to challenge. 27

Senior teachers, with teacher leadership capability, are willing to assist the new teachers in improving the instruction; Teachers, on the other hand, would develop the profession with dialogues, readings, seminars, reflection, class observations, and external advisers. Collegial leadership, teacher professional autonomy and self-discipline, innovative teaching, and effective professional development are the measurable characteristics for teacher leadership, which could respond to the question for a teacher leader, “What can I do” and is the practice of teacher leadership. Transformative intellectual is indeed the image of a teacher. 28

5.5 The effect of teacher leadership included close interactions among teachers and students, teachers’ sense of achievement, innovative culture, and friendly environment. 29

The interaction between the teachers and the students in “Nature” is close that the relationship between them is more like friends, and the students learn autonomously. The teachers have higher autonomy that they are allowed the trial teaching, teacher-student interaction, and exploration. Those might be full of challenge, but teachers acquire the sense of achievement. 30

With the school system being flexible, teachers are collaboratively managing the school that the educational environment of the school is friendly, as someone is always there to help. Teachers are responsible for certain accountability and have to accept teacher evaluation and teaching opinion survey. 31

6. Conclusions Teacher leadership is closely related to teacher cooperation, reflection, learning community, and professional development that would affect the classrooms and the whole of the case school. Teacher leadership can grow in schools, especially in the case school with small-scale, alternative, and without bureaucracy, where the teachers present leadership ability. 32

Even though most teachers are not qualified teachers, the case school still presents the energy of teacher leadership that is worth referring for public schools. Substantive research to inform the practices of teacher leaders is needed. 33

Thanks for your attention 34