The Middle Leadership Looking Glass: Comparing the Self-Perception of Leadership Practices with the Perspectives of Teachers Spanning Career Stages

Learning Area Leaders (LALs) work closely with teachers to support teaching and learning in their subject departments. However, historically, these leaders have been provided little support to develop their leadership skills and knowledge. This mixed method study investigated the middle leadership practices of LALs in Catholic and independent secondary schools in the Australian context. Through an anonymous online survey, LALs were invited to self-rate their leadership practices. In a separate survey, the teachers were invited to rate the leadership practices of their LALs. The findings indicate that the LALs consistently rate themselves highly on most aspects of their leadership. However, the responses of the teachers varied according to their career stage. The early career teachers rated the LALs much higher than mid-career and experienced teachers. Free text responses provide rich illustrations of the numerical findings. This study provides important insights into the work of LALs in secondary schools and highlights the differentiated professional learning needs of LALs to support teachers at different career stages.