Teacher Leadership in the South African Context: Areas, Attributes and Cultural Responsiveness

Abstract

The purpose of this interpretive qualitative study was to determine how teacher leadership is conceptualised in official documentation in South Africa. Document analysis of national official documentation was performed, using the attributes of teacher leadership as indicated by Webber (2018) in a priori coding in the content analysis. The document analysis revealed that some of the attributes of teacher leadership corresponded with those identified by Webber; attributes that may be unique to the South African context also emerged. The findings revealed that attributes of teacher leadership in South Africa are embedded within cultural responsiveness, which is determined by the unique context of the country. Attributes of teacher leadership feature within specific leadership areas in which teachers act as leaders in formal and informal dimensions.

Keywords

• Teacher leadership
• South Africa
• Document analysis

References

1. Ash, R. C., & Persall, J. M. (2000). The principal as chief learning officer: Developing teacher leaders. NASSP Bulletin, 84(616), 15–22.