Exploring teacher leadership development in a public secondary school in Uganda

Effective school leadership is currently associated with school improvement that enhances teaching and learning processes. School improvement is believed to be possible with teacher participation in leadership at the classroom and school organizational levels. To create a culture of reflective teaching and learning in a school requires a shift in perception of school leadership as actions of an individual called a head teacher to a process of collective influence. Schools need to put in place effective leadership development programmes for teachers. This study on teacher leadership development was conducted in one public secondary school in Uganda to explore how teacher leadership is developed. The study employed a qualitative case study design involving fifteen teachers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. On the basis of the in-depth research undertaken and extensive literature review, the researcher established that a range of strong programmes, the head teacher’s leadership style and the school culture of collegiality, shared vision and values, fostered teacher leadership in the school. Findings also indicate that individual teacher’s attitudes towards school leadership and lack of time were the main barriers to teacher leadership development in the school. The study makes recommendations for policy and practice as well as for further research in the area of teacher leadership development in school context