Policy fudge and practice realities: developing teacher leadership in Scotland

Torrance, D. and Murphy, D. (2017) Policy fudge and practice realities: developing teacher leadership in Scotland. International Studies in Educational Administration, 45(1), pp. 23-44.

Abstract

Scottish policy developments in initial teacher education, professional standards and careerlong professional learning reflect a growing understanding of the leadership role teachers can play, particularly in curriculum and pedagogy, in improving the experiences and outcomes of pupils. In the policy rhetoric of re-professionalisation, unpromoted teachers liberate their professional creativity, leading ‘bottom-up’ approaches to school improvement. However, there are policy and conceptual tensions in the construction of ‘teacher leadership’, the related term ‘teacher leader’ and the practice realities experienced by teachers seeking to play this leadership role in their professional settings. This article explores these tensions in a small-scale mixed methods study of teachers participating in Masters-level ‘leadership development’ programmes. The study considers the policy and practice environments, motivations, supports and barriers that faced these Scottish teachers seeking to develop their leadership practices and capacities. A lack of clarity at national level for framing the practice of teacher leadership is identified. School staff require to develop for themselves understandings of the complex interplay between bottom-up and top-down leadership, local understandings of ‘what teacher leadership means and how it works in our school’, within a supportive culture. This was not found to be the norm. The article concludes by outlining implications for policy and practice, including the need to address a national ‘policy fudge’ around teacher leadership that adversely affects practice realities. As part of that, there is a need for further discussion around who is responsible and accountable within a distributed leadership perspective, for what and to whom?

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Torrance, Dr Deirdre
• Authors: Torrance, D., and Murphy, D.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education; College of Social Sciences > School of Education > Educational Leadership & Policy
• Journal Name: International Studies in Educational Administration
• Publisher: CCEAM
• ISSN: 1324-1702
• ISSN (Online): 1839-2768
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2017 CCEAM
• First Published: First published in International Studies in Educational Administration 45(1): 23-44
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy