The concepts of both teacher leadership and principal leadership have emerged as important factors for which schools need to further explore as they strive for lasting change and school improvement. Lasting school improvement is enhanced by leaders who establish collegial structures that facilitate dialogue and the expansion of the voices of the teachers as a means for developing a strong school culture striving toward common goals and visions. The importance of the interactions between teachers and principals and how they both work in leadership positions moving toward school improvement supports the importance of gaining a better understanding of the role of teacher leadership. A mixed-method design, combining qualitative and quantitative research methods, was selected for this study. The findings of the study raise concern that communication between the principals and the teachers is not fully implemented. If both positions are to be successful in their leadership capabilities, a mutual understanding as to the expectations for both positions needs to be established. Effective teacher leadership should include opportunities for collaboration and networking to sustain lasting school improvement. Therefore, it is imperative that the principals understand how to cultivate such teacher leaders.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between teacher and principal leadership and its affect upon school improvement, Specifically, this study explores teachers' perceptions of teacher and principal leadership and how these perceptions impact one school's effort for school improvement. Finally, the study addresses what aspiring principals need to know about teacher perceptions of teacher leadership and the ways that teachers perceive that a principal supports and fosters teacher leadership. Using a phenomenographic approach, 13 teachers and one administrator were interviewed at a high school in a large mid-western city. In addition, field observations and document analyses were conducted. Data were analyzed using constant comparative method through which several themes were developed and later integrated into a conceptual framework. Findings indicated that teacher leadership affects school improvement and that principal leadership helps to influence, support, and sustain both teacher leadership and school improvement. By developing a sense of responsibility beyond the classroom, being role models for students and teachers, acting as professional resources for colleagues, building relationships and making connections with students, teacher leaders affect school improvement. One role of the principal is to influence, support, and sustain teacher leadership so that teacher leadership will sustain school improvement over a long period of time. Through supporting and communicating with teachers as well as building a sense of openness and trust, the principal empowers and encourages teachers to continue to improve the educational opportunities for themselves and their students. This study concludes that the role of the principal is critical in influencing, supporting and sustaining both teacher leadership and school improvement. The significant role of school improvement in education in the last five years cannot be achieved through a single person or position of authority. Principals need the essential skills to create, support, and maintain-the leadership capacity of their teachers.

Increase student learning by developing teacher leaders! Research over the years has consistently identified leadership as a critical component of school change, and as initiatives to reform the educational system have emerged, one significant line of work emphasizes teachers assuming greater leadership roles within their organizations. Connecting Teacher Leadership and School Improvement is the first book to synthesize theoretical, empirical, and practice-based literature to provide a comprehensive look at what is known about teacher leadership and what works to support it. The first part of the book explores the core concepts of teacher leadership, while the second part shows readers how to establish the context in their school or district to cultivate and support teacher leaders. A vital piece of equipment in the school improvement toolbox, this book covers such important topics as: The principal′s critical role in supporting teacher leadership Cultivating teacher leadership through professional development Overcoming organizational barriers that hinder teacher leadership How teacher leadership can help advance school improvement efforts Presenting a comprehensive model of this successful change strategy, author Joseph Murphy examines the ideological and empirical basis of teacher leadership and offers strategies to help teachers and principals create productive relationships that will strengthen our nation′s schools.

It is now widely accepted that improving schools invest in teacher leadership and build the capacity for improvement by distributing leadership responsibilities to teachers. In primary, secondary and special schools, teachers are uniquely placed to influence the quality of teaching and learning and they are important gatekeepers to development and change. This book explores how teacher leadership is an intrinsic and important part of school and classroom improvement. It investigates teacher leadership in action and considers the roles, responsibilities and influence of teachers who lead. It considers the implications of teacher leadership for teachers’ professional development and focuses on ways in which this important form of leadership can be fostered and enhanced. The central message in this book is that teachers play a critical role in leading improvement in the classroom and school level and that this form of leadership contributes directly to raising achievement among learners. This book is crucial reading for all those who are concerned with teacher and school development, school leadership and school improvement.

Develop shared leadership and teacher leadership in your school with the real-world, on-the-job ideas in this book. Principals and other leaders will embrace the practical "Lead Now" and "Do Now" strategies as they improve their own skills and promote shared leadership among their staff. Shared leadership is a process in which multiple staff members lead the learning within a school. With the knowledge that instructional leadership is the primary engine behind teacher effectiveness, the authors demonstrate how to support classroom practices that raise student achievement.

School culture is playing an increasingly important role in school performance and educational development. Within the national campaign in China for the innovative and sustainable development of education, local governments in Beijing Municipality have encouraged and facilitated educational innovation toward better school culture. In recent years various initiatives have been undertaken by a select group of schools to develop strategies and further action toward innovation and change. This book documents an investigation of how teachers and principals perceive school culture development in China. A survey was conducted among 1,992 informants from 37 schools (located in four different districts) in Beijing Municipality. The results of this study indicated that the respondents had overall positive perceptions of school culture construction and development in the educational change process. In general, they showed a positive attitude toward the school culture improvement initiatives, reported satisfaction about their current school culture and held confidence in the direction their school culture is heading. The study demonstrated that certain factors, such as school geographical location and respondents’ job duty, job title, and gender, make a difference in how participants perceive their school’s culture. Teachers and principals from a less economically developed district had less awareness of, involvement in, and understanding of school culture development in all its aspects. A notable gap between teachers and principals was identified in their perception of the core values and norms of the school and of communication between teachers and principals. This study suggests that for educational development to be further carried forward successfully, there is an urgent need for better distribution of educational resources (both financial and leadership), common understanding, agreed-upon goals, and efficient communication between principals and teachers. KeywordsEducational philosophy, Ethics, Chinese context, Gender, Learning