This study identified the formal and informal professional learning experiences in which school administrators engaged and the relationship between these professional learning experiences and administrator practice. The researcher developed an instrument that solicited school administrators' engagement and perceived value of formal and informal…

Despite recent research indicating that students require explicit teaching in the key reading skill of comprehension in order to become successful readers, a significant gap in the research relates to teacher professional development (PD) in the area. A recent Irish study used gathered survey data to create a year-long PD programme for teachers in…

Teacher leadership has gained attention in recent years as a plausible means by which educational reform and instructional improvement can be accomplished through ongoing, site-based professional development for teachers. This article reviews and draws conclusions across the research literature on professional development and teacher leadership to…

Teacher leadership has been studied in the United States for 30 years, but less is known about American graduate programs that purport to prepare teacher leaders. Furthermore, the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 prompted a closer look at teacher effectiveness, which then shifted the definition of teacher leadership and caused some…

An analysis of the relationships between teacher unions and governments sheds light on teacher union leadership, what drives it and what ethos lies behind it, illuminating the connections between such initiatives and developing theory in the role of teacher unions. Teacher union leadership in turn enables and encourages teachers to exercise…

While the scope of activities that constitute teacher leadership has become better defined, the professional development of emerging teacher leaders is just beginning to be discussed. In this study, the teacher leadership activities of beginning English-as-a-second-language teachers in a wide variety of settings in New York City public schools…

This article argues for a particular conceptualisation of teacher leadership; one that enables us to overcome the limitations of established approaches to continuing professional development as a strategy for school improvement by mobilising the massive untapped potential of teachers as leaders of innovation. In this article, teacher leadership is…

This paper offers a conceptual model and rich narratives that describe the contexts in which teacher leadership emerges and the many ways that leadership is enacted. Drawing on qualitative case studies of seven Maine, USA schools, the authors found that teachers initiated their own professional learning efforts with the central goal of improving…

This two-year study examines an emergent model for promoting classroom change amidst systemic professional development efforts--the hybrid teacher leader (HTL). Utilizing ecological and teacher social network frameworks, the relative strengths and weaknesses of educators who both teach and lead teachers are explored. In-depth qualitative data from…

Data from a study of 81 exemplary secondary school teachers across the United States provide a portrait of how these teachers have become leaders whose influence and partnerships extend well beyond their classrooms and schools. Propelled by a deep personal desire to learn and a commitment to help students learn, the teachers are learners first,…

Teacher leadership has become an area of significant interest in research and policy terms in recent years. However, as a form of leadership it remains orthodox and conservative, rooted in largely traditional managerialist hierarchies, and disconnected from a critique of the wider policy imperatives that shape the contexts in which leadership is…

Research shows that professional development alone does not provide adequate leadership preparation for teachers, yet many develop into established teacher leaders. The purpose of this study was to explore how teachers learn to exercise informal leadership in the schools and districts where they work. Eight elementary teachers who lived and worked…

This paper examines the effectiveness of a professional development model (PDM) devised as part of a research project carried out to support early childhood professionals in Ireland in enhancing their pedagogy. The PDM was constructed on a socio-cultural theoretical framework whereby Vygotsky's zone of proximal development was applied in the…

Professional development of teachers has become an essential condition in today's knowledge-based society to sustain the quality of teaching. Therefore, the Dutch government promotes this professional development. As a result, Professional Development Plans (PDPs) are now increasingly used to stimulate and support the professional development of…

Recent reforms in mathematics education have increased the need for teachers to attend professional development programs. In order to motivate teachers to attend such programs and to maximize their effect on teachers' development, we believe it is important to adapt the contents of such programs to teachers' perceived needs. The current study was…