Teacher Leadership and Peer Coaching
Abstract
"This study was conducted to investigate how an inner-city elementary school staff member perceives, or does not perceive, herself as a leader. In addition, this study examined whether there was a difference between how individuals with peer coaching experience talked about school leadership versus those without exposure to peer coaching. The data collection tools for this study included a questionnaire and interviews. From questionnaire responses six categories for how the school staff defined teacher leadership were created: Big Picture Thinker; Role Model; Supporting Others; Expertise and Experience; Job Description/Title; Planning, Organization and Facilitation. As a whole school the most frequent descriptors of teacher leadership fell into the category of Big Picture Thinker. The questionnaire and interview data was disaggregated into two groups. One group had peer coaching experience and the second group did not. The findings illustrated that those with peer coaching experience described teacher leadership in terms of habits of mind and behaviors (Big Picture Thinker & Role Model), while those without coaching experience described teacher leadership as a job title (Job Description/Title). The findings of this study have implications for why and how schools might define teacher leadership as a community and how peer coaching can be a vehicle to develop leadership behaviors."
