Page 23 - Mini-Module 7

5. How can principals/schools nurture teacher leadership?
This study showed that the principal plays an incredibly important
role nurturing teacher leadership in terms of leadership modeling,
support, and recognition. In the school being studied, the remote
leadership of the principal had created a school culture that did
not encourage or promote communication for mutual
understanding between the principal and teachers, or among
teachers in general. Other than remoteness, responses from the
teacher participants showed a lack of trust in the principal
because they thought he just listened without any follow-up
actions. Some teachers believed they could not rely on the
principal to do anything for them. Instead, they had to exercise
leadership and work with their core educational values
independently, even without knowing whether their work could
meet school-level needs:

It is the responsibility of the school leader, I mean the princi-
pal, to promote the culture of collaboration in a school. For
instance, different panels or Key Learning Areas can be pooled
together during teacher development days for improved com-
munication and development of shared goals. (Angela)
Nonetheless, the support and recognition from the principal could
still be a powerful force to motivate teachers intrinsically. Even
though two teachers expressed some disappointment with the
leadership modeling of the principal, one of them found that the
principal’s recognition had personally empowered her to be a
teacher leader: :

The principal is willing to listen to our opinions; however, there
may be no implementation or action taken afterwards. He just
listens! Anyway, the principal’s appreciation and recognition to
me has empowered me. That was what I failed to get from the
previous principal. (Mary)

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