Ready or Not: The Leadership Preparation of Preservice Teachers at Christian Liberal Arts Institutions

Teacher leadership is a component of teaching that exists from the beginning of a teacher’s career and continues to develop over the course of their career trajectory. Research on teacher leadership at the preservice level is limited, but it does speak to the consideration for the starting point of teacher leadership development to be within teacher preparation programs. This quantitative study examined the preparation of preservice teachers for leadership at Christian liberal arts institutions of higher education. One hundred student teachers completed an online survey to determine the relationship between teacher licensure area (elementary, secondary, K-12, and special education) and leadership behaviors, opportunities, and aspirations. A descriptive analysis was then conducted based on general teacher leadership qualities and the following typologies of teacher leadership: (a) instructional innovator, (b) professional learning leader, and (c) administrative teacher leader. The results of this study add to the existing research that a professional culture built around teachers as leaders is important to the education profession and should be considered throughout all stages of a teacher’s career, starting at the preservice level