The William Walker Oration, 1996. Unsung heroes: the leaders in our classrooms

Uses the outcomes of case study research in socio‐economically disadvantaged education contexts to examine the work of educators who have had a noticeable effect on the quality of life in their communities. Concludes that the work of highly successful classroom practitioners can in part be understood through reference to prominent theories of educational leadership. Questions historical and current approaches to educational administration which associate leadership with positional authority. Proposes an alternative definition of “teacher leadership”.