Topic 7: Teacher Leadership

▪ Basic concept of leadership

▪ Teacher leadership theories – transactional & transformational leadership

▪ School leadership

▪ Leadership challenges

▪ Leadership challenges in schools that implement special education

programs
 Transformational Leadership Theory
• Transformational leadership theory is all about change.

• Transformational leaders inspire others to follow a vision. They create opportunities for
people to show flair and to take responsibility for new ideas.

• Transformational leaders pay attention to the concern and developmental needs of

individual followers; they change followers’ awareness of issues by helping them to look at
old problems in a new way.

• They are able to arouse, excite and inspire followers to put out extra effort to achieve
group goals.

• Transformational leadership enhances the motivation, morale, and performance of

followers through a variety of mechanisms.
 Transformational Leadership Theory
• These include:
• connecting the follower's sense of identity and self to the project and the collective
identity of the organization;
• being a role model for followers that inspires them and makes them interested;
• challenging followers to take greater ownership for their work, and understanding the
strengths and weaknesses of followers, so the leader can align followers with tasks that
enhance their performance

• Transformational leaders use personality and relationships to empower the members of

their organization to enact change.

• The transformational leader articulates vision/values, is supportive and empowering, and

promotes change for the benefit of the majority.

• Educational leaders need to be transformational instructional leaders, empowering others

and enacting positive change within the organization.
 Transformational Leadership Theory
• Leadership Style
✓Developing the vision – a view of the future that would inspire/excite the followers.
✓Selling the vision
✓Finding the way forward
✓Leading the charge

Warrilow (2012) identified four components of transformational leadership style:

(1) Charisma or idealised influence: the degree to which the leader behaves in admirable ways
and displays convictions and takes stands that cause followers to identify with the leader who
has a clear set of values and acts as a role model for the followers.

(2) Inspirational motivation: the degree to which the leader articulates a vision that is appeals
to and inspires the followers with optimism about future goals, and offers meaning for the
current tasks in hand.
Transformational Leadership Theory
(3) Intellectual stimulation: the degree to which the leader challenges assumptions,
stimulates and encourages creativity in the followers by providing a framework for
followers to see how they can creatively overcome any obstacles in the way of the mission.

(4) Personal and individual attention: the degree to which the leader attends to each
individual follower's needs and acts as a mentor or coach and gives respect to and
appreciation of the individual’s contribution to the team. This fulfils and enhances each
individual team members' need for self-fulfilment, and self-worth and in so doing inspires
followers to further achievement and growth
 Transactional Leadership Theory
• Transactional leadership theory is based on transactions or exchanges between the
leader and the follower. It assumes that the working relationship is one where the leader
issues the work, praises or criticises, rewards or punishes.

• The follower has little responsibility, other than doing as they are required, correctly. All
works well if both leader and follower carry out their part in the transactions as
expected.

• This approach is more often seen in low skilled jobs, where procedures are clearly
defined or where there is little change.

• Transactional leadership, also known as managerial leadership, focuses on the role of

supervision, organization and group performance.
 Transactional Leadership Theory
• Basic Assumptions of Transactional Leadership
- People perform their best when the chain of command is definite and clear.
- Workers are motivated by rewards and punishments.
- Obeying the instructions and commands of the leader is the primary goal of the
followers.
- Subordinates need to be carefully monitored to ensure that expectations are met.

Qualities of Transactional Leadership

- Transactional leaders use reward and punishments to gain compliance from their
followers.
- They are extrinsic motivators that bring minimal compliance from followers.
- They accept goals, structure, and the culture of the existing organization.
- Transactional leaders tend to be directive and action-oriented.
- They tend to think inside the box when solving problems.
- Transactional leadership is primarily passive.
• This theory bases leadership on a system of rewards and punishments.

• In transactional leadership, rewards and punishments are contingent upon the

performance of the followers.

• The leader views the relationship between managers and subordinates as an exchange -
you give me something for something in return.

• When subordinates perform well, they receive some type of reward. When they perform
poorly, they will be punished in some way.

• Rules, procedures and standards are essential in transactional leadership.

• Followers are not encouraged to be creative or to find new solutions to problems.

• Research has found that transactional leadership tends to be most effective in situations
where problems are simple and clearly-defined.
• Unlike Transformational leadership, leaders using the transactional
approach are not looking to change the future, they are looking to
merely keep things the same, maintaining the status quo.

• These leaders pay attention to followers' work in order to find faults and
deviations.

• This type of leadership is effective in crisis and emergency situations, as

well as when projects need to be carried out in a specific fashion.
Studies of effective schools have identified five instructional leadership priorities of effective
principals:

(a) defining and communicating the school’s educational mission,

(b) managing curriculum and instruction,
(c) supporting and supervising teaching,
(d) monitoring student progress, and
(e) promoting a learning climate

• School leaders play a vital role in the provision of quality education and in ensuring equity and
equal educational opportunities for all learners.

• School leaders create conditions for effective teaching and learning in their institutions, they
provide the necessary resources, they support and motivate their teachers and students.

• School leaders can help create and maintain a positive school climate and a culture of peace,
tolerance, equity, inclusiveness, cooperation, hard work, order and discipline in their
institutions for the benefit of the whole school community.
 Leadership Challenges
• Teacher job satisfaction???

• Educators not confident about implementing the new curriculum and unsure of impact

• Heavy workload: Teachers are engaging in school leadership roles and are serving in other
capacities such as resource teacher, examination coordinator,...

• Ageing school leaders, nearing retirement.

• Manage budgets and resources to meet school needs

• Time for collaboration and professional learning remains limited

 Leadership Challenges
• The balance between instructional leadership and management responsibilities presents
challenges for school administrators. Principals report that they lack time to be effective
instructional leaders.

• Gender imbalances in the recruitment of school leaders

• Technology in schools
 Leadership Challenges
Elena Aguilar, Transformational Leadership Coach from Oakland, California in her article:
What Makes a Great School Leader?
(May 23, 2014)

Visionary Leadership
• A visionary leader is clear about what he or she believes and knows is best for children
for their academic, social, and emotional learning.

• The leader's individual beliefs have developed in collaboration with other stakeholders
and articulated into some kind of vision or mission statement.

• You might ask the site leader as well as staff, students, and parents, "What's really
important at this school?" Or "What are you striving to create here?" That's where you'll
hear elements of a vision.
 Leadership Challenges
Community Builder

• A head of school who is a community builder knows that he cannot implement the
school's vision alone.

• He knows that high-functioning teams are essential; he knows that a healthy

community (for children and staff) will contribute to stability, retention, and
investment.

• He knows that human beings crave connection and deep bonds with other human
beings. And he knows how to create these connections and bonds.
 Leadership Challenges
Emotional Intelligence
• The third quality of a great leader is one who is emotionally intelligent. Emotional
intelligence (EQ) is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and
recognize, understand and manage the emotions of others.

• An emotionally intelligent leader is usually calm and grounded, empathetic, and is

able to deal with conflict between people. Another important quality of an
emotionally intelligent leader is the ability to take care of herself -- to manage her
stress, health, relationships, and so on.