Pixel International Conferences

An important component of distributed leadership is the decentralization of the leader (Harris, 2003). In this approach, there is no one leader who is solely responsible for guiding the school. Instead, the leadership is fluid - drawing upon whoever is in the best position to offer guidance (Harris, 2003). According to Harris (2003), this orientation is important for three reasons: it allows multiple individuals to work collectively to guide instructional change, it allows for the work of leadership to be spread over multiple leaders, and it promotes a culture of shared responsibility over dependency. Across all of these areas, school personnel work together while building individual agency, which results in student learning.

Our theory of action is that by focusing on teachers who are willing to examine their instructional practice and take on leadership practices, they will develop into teacher leaders with high self-efficacy. In the Science Education Fellowship (SEF) program, teachers participate in professional learning experiences that deepen their understanding of teaching and learning and contribute to teachers choosing to change their practice (Desimone, 2009). The SEF Fellows gain leadership knowledge and skills and are then able to plan and conduct effective PD and support their fellow teachers with resources, coaching, and feedback. With approximately 12 teachers working across a district with a common purpose, distributed leadership becomes a mechanism for sustainable support.

Keywords Teacher leadership; professional learning community; distributed leadership

References Desimone, L. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Towards better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 3, 181-199.
Harris, A. (2003) .Teacher leadership as distributed leadership: Heresy, fantasy or possibility? School Leadership & Management, 23, 313-324, DOI: 10.1080/1363243032000112801