In educational institutions, increasing professional demands have led to the rise of the phenomenon of teacher leadership, a “process by which teachers, individually or collectively, influence their colleagues, principals, and other members of school communities to improve teaching and learning practices with the aim of increased student learning and achievement” (Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2009, p. 288). Although largely in western contexts, the process of teacher leadership empowers teachers to affect change in their schools and perform a variety of leadership roles. The knowledge of pedagogy, years of service to school community, deeper understanding of educational practices, and ability to influence others are the characteristics which have earned teacher leaders recognition as reform agents, policy implementers, subject specialists, guides to knowledge, and role models for their colleagues (Tomal, Schilling, & Wilhite, 2014).

In conjunction with teaching load, the added responsibility of leadership often challenges the leadership skills of teachers, thus requiring them to work on their leadership capacity building to ensure a successful discharge of their teacher leadership roles. However, most teachers do not join schools with the essential knowledge and skills of exercising teacher leadership, particularly novice teachers who often need to learn about the school system and organisational structures (e.g., Muijs, Chapman, & Armstrong, 2013). Therefore, for teachers in leadership positions, professional learning about their leadership roles, school structures, and organisational cultures becomes indispensable. That this emphasis on professional learning and development of leadership skills can be seen in the English language teaching world too suggests that, to meet global challenges, achieve professional excellence, and run successful language programs, every TESOL professional should take a range of active roles and contribute to the success of their organisation and the TESOL profession (Liu, 2008). However, there is a serious dearth of empirical research on this issue in the field in English as a second language and English as a foreign language (EFL) contexts. Therefore, this case study addresses questions to understand how EFL teacher leaders perceive the notion of teacher leadership, what kinds of knowledge and skills they deem crucial for teacher leader roles, and which factors impact their professional development in the Saudi EFL context.

The overriding finding of this qualitative case study research is that EFL teacher leaders acquired their leadership skills and knowledge mainly through experiential learning throughout their professional careers and specifically at the English Language Institute (ELI). Prior to the current teacher leadership roles at the ELI, they had some experience of management, either in educational or noneducational organisations, which proved to be immensely helpful in their bid to function as EFL teacher leaders. Besides previous job experience, a certain level of leadership qualifications also helped them raise their awareness of leadership practices.

Experiential learning, along with various other factors, contributed to the professional development of EFL teacher leaders. As keen learners, they reflected on their leadership practices, both individually and collectively, and this helped them assess their strengths and weaknesses, consequently leading to improved practices. Reflectivity stemmed from the tasks assigned to the group members in a unit that relied on teamwork and collaboration to produce the expected outcomes. Collective efforts were also indicative of the teacher leaders’ motivation to improve their practices and achieve organisational objectives. This can be accounted as the third wave of teacher leadership (Silva, Gimbert, & Nolan, 2000), which includes collaboration among the teacher leaders as a way of enhancing educational practices. This collectivism was also due to the teacher leaders’ awareness of the inherited professional challenges of the bureaucratic structures of the ELI, which compelled them to work together and cope with them professionally.

Collegiality is an overarching theme in the data; it enabled teacher leaders to acquire various types of leadership knowledge and skills that were required for their current roles. Though ELI-based professional development activities were deemed largely ineffective and not context specific, therefore failing to address the professional development needs of the EFL teacher leaders, group-based interdependency, collegial relationships, and intrinsic motivation to read and learn about leadership practices were the key sources of gaining leadership knowledge. In addition, teacher leadership roles further created learning opportunities for teacher leaders. Availing themselves of leadership opportunities helped them develop their tacit and conceptual knowledge of teacher leadership by being in the role. This is a characteristic of experiential learning or knowledge gained “on the job.”

The assigned roles of teacher leaders show many similarities to the literature. The two kinds of teacher leadership roles, instructional and operational or (institutional), were mostly based on the teacher leaders’ pedagogical expertise and credibility as English language teaching professionals, thus largely falling into the second wave of teacher leadership (Silva et al., 2000). In these roles, teacher leaders led within and beyond the classroom, identified with and contributed to a community of teacher leaders, and influenced others towards improved educational practices, particularly within their respective groups. Though heavy administrative workload and stern accountability measures restricted teacher leaders to more managerial roles, their teacher leadership roles allowed them to work collaboratively within their own units. However, despite the restrictions inherent in a system with a hierarchical leadership model, such a system has the effect of positively influencing the teacher leaders’ efficacy, which help them with their planning and implementation of institutional policies.

The participants’ accounts show that pedagogy—leaders learning about teaching and learning—was one of the key reasons for their credibility among teachers because most of them had knowledge of TESOL pedagogies, which they considered important for instructional leadership roles. This kind of knowledge was mainly attained through formal courses prior to the current leadership roles as all of them came into the EFL field after acquiring some kind of English language teaching qualification.

Similarly, knowledge about the people and context are the types of knowledge that assisted the teacher leaders’ roles at the ELI. Their acute awareness of the culture, people, and the context led to their effectiveness. This type of knowledge was gained through informal and collegial interactions within the groups of teacher leaders at the ELI.

References

Katzenmeyer, M., & Moller, G. (2009). Awakening the sleeping giant: Helping teachers develop as leaders (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Liu, J. (2008). Preface. In C. Coombe, M. L. McClaskey, L. Stephenson, & N. J. Anderson, (Eds.), Leadership in English language teaching and learning. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press.

Muijs, D., Chapman, C., & Armstrong, P. (2013). Can early careers teachers be teacher leaders? A study of second-year trainees in the teach first alternative certification programme. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 41(6), 767–781.

Silva, D., Gimbert, B., & Nolan, J. (2000). Sliding the doors: Locking and unlocking possibilities for teacher leadership. The Teachers College Record, 102(4), 779–804.

Tomal, D. R., Schilling, C. A., & Wilhite, R. K. (2014). The teacher leader: Core competencies and strategies for effective leadership. London, England: Rowman & Littlefield.

Sayyed Rashid Ali Shahis a lecturer in TESOL at King Abdul-Aziz University, Saudi Arabia. He has an EdD in TESOL from the University of Exeter and an MA in TESOL from Sheffield Hallam University, England. His research interests are teacher development, teacher identity, and teacher leadership in TESOL.