Grow to lead: The case of Cyprus primary schools

Leadership development is a critical but underexplored dimension of primary education. While extensive research has examined leadership in secondary and higher education contexts, the pathways through which leadership capacities are nurtured among primary educators remain less comprehended. This study explores the experiences of primary school teachers as they aspire a leadership development journey. Guided by their leadership identity development, the research adopts a qualitative approach, drawing on semi-structured interviews with 15 aspiring teachers across a range of primary schools. This paper's analysis revealed four key factors influencing leadership growth: the importance of mentorship, the navigation of school cultures, access to professional development, and the formation of leadership confidence. Findings highlight the central role of relational support and reflective practice in cultivating leadership potential. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of leadership formation at the foundational stages of education and offers practical implications for schools seeking to nurture leadership capacity among their teaching staff, and it calls for more structured leadership development pathways within primary schools and greater attention to early leadership identity formation in educational leadership discourse.