An Examination of Teacher Leaders and a Shared Leadership Approach: Contributions to System Improvement in a School District

There is an emerging body of evidence that recognises the significant role informal teacher leaders play in the pursuit of school and system improvement. This article reports the results of a multi-phase, design-based research study conducted with teacher leaders, assistant principals and principals who participated in a two-year design-based professional learning initiative with the goal of building capacity for instructional leadership and system improvement. The question guiding the study was: In what ways do teacher leaders contribute to system improvement? Three dimensions of focus associated with high-performing systems emerged from the data in connection to the investment in professional capital that contributed to system improvement: (a) enhancing the quality of teaching and learning for school and district improvement, (b) preserving continuous design-based professional learning opportunities, and (c) ensuring opportunities for collaborative learning alongside colleagues and the development of a network of teacher leaders with a shared purpose. Teacher leaders are informal leaders and important members of an instructional leadership team contributing to school and district improvement.