Exploring the successes and challenges faced by subject leaders in providing support to teachers

It is acknowledged that the current leadership paradigm is encapsulated oy term transformational leadership\u27, a concept that includes the dispersal of leadership responsibilities throughout an institution. No head teacher is in a position to DC responsible for such a wide range of subject disciplines in addition to the overall management of the school. Delegation to teachers with specialist knowledge is the obvious answer to this time management issue. This sends a clear message in a improvements of teaching and learning are more likely to be achieved when leadership 1S instructionally focused and located closest to the classroom, hence the significance o subject leadership in improving teachers\u27 teaching practices. This case study was designed to explore three subject leaders\u27 views and understanding of the successes and challenges they face in providing support to teachers to improve their teaching practices in an English medium private school in Karachi, Pakistan. lt aimed to find out what support subject leaders provided to teachers and what strategies they used in providing support. The study also sought to understand the subject leaders perceptions of their successes in providing support to teachers and the factors that facilitated their success. Moreover, the study aimed to find out the challenges subject leaders faced and how they dealt with them in providing support to the teachers. The subject leaders revealed their successes in supporting teachers to improve their classroom teaching practices especially in child-centered teaching strategies, setting examinations, subject content knowledge, and lesson planning. They perceived the support from the management, the head teacher and their experiences to be facilitating factors, which had made them successful in providing support to teachers. The subject leaders further revealed the challenges they face. These include time constraints, teacher turnover, observing senior teachers, and teachers\u27 resistance to change. Lastly, they revealed the strategies they use in overcoming these challenges. The findings have significant implications for the school management, head teachers, and the subject leaders professional development in sustaining the effectiveness of the subject leadership role