Classifying Leadership Frameworks

By: Kaitlin Tris Module 1: LEAD 5383-Teacher Leadership for School Improvement

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Description of Leadership

Leadership can be defined in many ways. Some ways leadership can be defined are through different job fields, titles, and formalities. Teacher leadership is unique to the field of education, often does not come with a formal title, and is developed over time. Teacher leaders create a link between formal school leaders, such as administrators, to other staff members such as teachers and support personnel. This link created by teacher leaders creates more opportunities for schools and districts to reach their short- and long-term goals by establishing solid relationships through consistent and ongoing support. According to Sfakianaki et al. (2018), “leadership is regarded as an important element for the improvement of any educational environment” (p. 377). Teacher leadership provides opportunities for staff to improve their skills inside and outside of the classroom, which ultimately benefits their students.

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Three Leadership Models There are many different leadership models and theories. By learning about different leadership models, one can determine what leadership model will work with the staff and environment one is working in. Below are three leadership models that could be conducive in an educational environment.

Coach-Style Leadership Model

● A coach-style leadership model is a collaborative approach to leadership in which the leader provides ongoing and continuous support for staff to achieve their individual goals (Peláez Zuberbuhler et al., 2020).

Transformational Leadership Model

● A transformational leadership model provides leadership through inspiration and the use of a shared vision for the needs of the group (Trigueros et al., 2020).

Emergent Leadership Model

● An emergent leadership model is one in which the members select/appoint an informal leader as the leader because he is perceived to have influence amongst a group of peers (Hanna et al., 2020).

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Summary Analysis (Conclusion)

As a teacher leader, I have supported colleagues and students in a variety of ways. While I am no longer a classroom teacher, my skills as a teacher leader began while I was a classroom teacher through the experiences in that setting. For example, as a special education classroom teacher, I had students with a variety of disabilities in my classroom. One year, I happened to have many students with autism. As a result, I was determined to be an effective teacher to these students and I began to learn more about autism through my own research, professional development opportunities, and through mentorship. As I began to learn more, I was able to support other teachers at my school with effective interventions and supports for students with autism. In this example, I would have classified myself through the emergent leadership model because I was in an informal leadership position in which I had no leadership training but allowed my individual strengths and knowledge shine (Hanna et al., 2020).

Now, the leadership model that is the most effective within my teacher leadership role as a district resource teacher is a coach-style leadership role. As a district resource teacher, I work to support individual classroom teachers to meet their specific goals that ultimately benefit their students with autism (Peláez Zuberbuhler et al., 2020). For example, I may coach and train a teacher in a specific curriculum and assessment tool. As a result of coaching-based leadership, teachers become self-sufficient and independent in new skill sets that create opportunities for growth of their students. A coach-style leadership model is the most effective within a teacher leadership role as it is comparable and like the teacher and coaching models used within a classroom environment. Additionally, a coach-style leadership model is a collaborative model of leadership that creates allies among teacher leaders and staff members to reach individual goals. There are many different leadership models to consider. Determining what leadership model is most effective in one’s environment for their staff members is critical in a teacher leadership role’s success.

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References

Peláez Zuberbuhler, M. J., Salanova, M., & Martínez, I. M. (2020). Coaching-based leadership intervention program: A controlled trial study. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 3066. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03066

Sfakianaki, E., Matsiori, A., Giannias, D. A., & Sevdali, I. (2018). Educational leadership and total quality management: investigating teacher leadership styles. International Journal of Management in Education, 12(4), 375-392.

Trigueros, R., Padilla, A., Aguilar-Parra, J. M., Mercader, I., López-Liria, R., & Rocamora, P. (2020). The influence of transformational teacher leadership on academic motivation and resilience, burnout and academic performance. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(20), 7687. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17207687

Hanna, A. A., Smith, T. A., Kirkman, B. L., & Griffin, R. W. (2021). The emergence of emergent leadership: A comprehensive framework and directions for future research. Journal of Management, 47(1), 76–104. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206320965683