Locally established specialised teacher roles: perceptions of their impact on school development

This article examines locally established specialised teacher roles in Norwegian schools, a context with limited teacher leadership structures. Drawing on interviews with teachers in specialised roles, school leaders, school organisers, and teacher educator across four municipalities, the study explores perceptions of specialised teachers’ impact on school development. Three interrelated patterns emerged: First, impact depends on inclusion in decision-making arenas, where specialised teachers act as bridges between formal leadership and teachers to align development with classroom realities and foster ownership. Second, these teachers with specialised responsibilities primarily influence collective professional learning, for instance, by modelling practices – exercising informal authority while carefully respecting peer autonomy and not interfering with formal leadership. Third, recruitment to these roles often rests on personal credibility and perceptions of being ‘the right person’ rather than formal competencies, generating ambiguity about mandate and authority. The study argues for structured, locally grounded career pathways with explicit competence requirements and role clarity that balance elements of professionalisation ‘from above’ while encouraging professionalisation ‘from within.’