Introduction
It is a generally accepted fact that the educational system of a society is inseparably tied to the development and future advancement of the community. With these considerations, governments all over the world have made significant investment in the education system. A key component in the system is teachers whose primary role is to instill knowledge to the students.
Teachers are the traditional “purveyors of information” and they play the roles of guides to help students generate ideas and develop intellectually. However, the role of teachers is not limited to instilling knowledge to students and teachers can also act as leaders in the school. Danielson (2007) declares that the need for teacher-leaders is important today more than ever before.
This assertion is corroborated by Hinchey (1997) who declares that for the efforts to improve education to succeed, teachers need to assume leadership positions.
Considering this importance given to teacher-leaders, this paper will set out to discuss what teacher-leaders need to know and do in order to contribute to school improvement and better student learning outcomes. This paper will specifically focus on the teaching context in Saudi Arabia.
Teacher Leaders: A definition
Teachers today are expected to take on more roles in addition to providing an education to the students. A key role is that of leadership within the school context. Katzenmeyer and Moller (2001, p.17) define teacher leaders as teachers who lead “within and beyond the classroom, identify with and contribute to a community of teacher leaders and leaders and influence others towards improved educational practice”.
Leithwood, Begley, and Cousins (1994) assert that the word “leadership” should not be taken to mean anything different just because the word “teacher” is put in front of it. Leadership in this context therefore still means the exercising of influence over the beliefs, actions and values of others so as to achieve some desirable goals.
Teacher leaders are of great importance since in the school context since not every formal leader has the knowledge, ability or know-how to lead in every possible situation (Millwater & Ehrich, 2009). Teacher leadership has the ability to transform schools into professional learning communities where teachers are empowered to become closely involved in the decision making activities of the institute.
Sergiovannie (2001) demonstrates that having many teacher leaders’ results in a high leadership density which is desirable for the success of the school. This is because as more teachers are trusted with information and involved in decision making, they feel more involved with the school affairs and have a stake in the success of the school (Ingersoll, 2003).
For leadership to be effective, it has to be sustainable. Crowther et al. (2002) argue that leadership that is undertaken by a select few is not sustainable and as such, it makes sense to harness the contribution of other teachers in the school.
Types of Leaderships
Millwater and Ehrich (2009) state that teacher leadership is characterized by “shared” or “distributed leadership”. This suggests that teacher leadership is dynamic and multi-directional in nature. Leadership is therefore not limited to one individual and it is not necessary exercised by the person who has formal authority.
Shared instructional leadership gives teachers the opportunity to work together with administrative figures in effective teams that can produce optimal effectiveness in classroom practice.
Distributed leadership entails having power allocated to different members of staff based on their strengths. Harris (2004, p.1) asserts that “distributed forms of leadership can assist capacity building within schools which contributes to school improvement”.
It should be noted that distributed leadership is more than simple delegation of some of the responsibilities of the formal school administrators to the teachers; distributed leadership involves the relinquishing of power to other.
The Saudi Arabian Context
The Saudi Arabian educational system is significantly different from that of most western countries both in structure and governance. A major reason for these differences is the religious and cultural backgrounds of Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi government has expressed a strong commitment to the provision of education to its population and a study by Rugh (2002) shows that as a general rule, primary education is free while secondary and higher education is highly subsidized by the government.
A unique feature of Saudi Arabia’s education system is the strict separation of the sees at all levels of education except the kindergarten level. This separation is because of the influence of Islam on the Saudi community. A study by Walsh (2009, p.33) on education in the country documented that “Islam is not only integral to Saudi education but also serves as the very essence of its curriculum”.
Saudi Arabia’s education system is highly centralized with overall supervision being done by the Ministry of Education. The ministry is also the body in charge of the training and employment of teachers. This high degree of centralization results in little autonomy being held by the teacher.
Al-Abbas (2010) reveals that due to high centralization from the top to the bottom and at the school levels, the school principles often adopt a form of centralization in managing their schools.
The Need for Teacher Leaders
The role of teachers in school management today has changed significantly and they are required to play a bigger role. In the past, school management was the sole premise of the school principle and other individuals with formal administrative roles.
Today, schools require the teacher to play more roles outside the traditional teaching role. Sunal and Kagendo (2008) reveal that teachers are required to be public relations personnel for their institute as well as offer insight on school programs.
In the Saudi context, there is a shortage of teacher leaders and many teachers demonstrate reluctance in taking up leadership roles. Research by Al-Abbas (2010) on the influence and importance of leadership behavior by principals in Saudi Arabia demonstrated that a significant number of teachers did not desire to participate in the distribution and sharing of leadership.
Instead, the teachers preferred having the principle engage in the leadership role since they saw leadership as a distraction from their performance in the classroom. This withdrawal from leadership is detrimental to the Saudi Arabian schools since teacher leaders are a key ingredient in school success.
Principals are required to relinquish some power to the teachers and give them opportunities to lead so as to foster growth and development in the school (Childs-Bowen, Moller & Scrivner, 2000).
Attributes of a Teacher Leader
York-Barr and Duke (2004) suggest that teacher leadership is practiced in a variety of ways and this range from formal leadership to informal leadership. Informal leaders are not selected but they rather take the initiative to deal with issues that arise in the institute.
The informal leader does not have a position of authority and the influence that they bear comes from the respect they command from their colleagues as well as their expertise in a particular subject (Danielson, 2007).
Decision making is one of the roles that a leader is expected to fulfill. The leader is responsible for making decisions on behalf of his/her followers.
Teachers in Saudi are not involved in the decision making processes of the school and they are seldom consulted in school decisions which sometimes affect the teachers’ context and work. This status quo has a negative influence on the schools development since teachers feel that their opinions are not valued (Al-Abbas, 2010).
Teacher leadership has the ability to transform schools into professional learning communities where teachers are empowered to become closely involved in the decision making activities of the institute.
Sergiovannie (2001) demonstrates that having many teacher leaders’ results in a high leadership density which is desirable for the success of the school. This is because as more teachers are trusted with information and involved in decision making, they feel more involved with the school affairs and have a stake in the success of the school.
A core attribute in a leader is that he/she should be a knowledgeable professional with a good record of having achieved goals and objectives in the past. Danielson (2007) asserts that to assume a leadership role, a teacher must have some expertise which is relevant to the profession.
In addition to this, the teacher leader must exhibit innovation and creativity which results in success or the institute since it brings about motivation by the members. An effective leader should be able to come up with creative and innovative ideas that can positively impact the schools.
This can be done by the teacher proposing novel ideas for doing certain tasks or by coming up with more efficient ways or performing key tasks in the school.
Interpersonal skills and tact are very important if the teacher leader is to be effective in his/her efforts. Teacher leaders are required to play a major role in the coordination and management of events in their school and this will invariably require the use of other people. How the individual deals with colleagues as they fulfill the tasks is very important.
This is especially so in the Saudi context where personal relationships play a major role in society life. Respect is of critical importance in the Arabic culture and as such, the teacher leader should demonstrate respect to other members of staff at all time (Al-Abbas, 2010).
The importance of good communication skills cannot be overstated since communication is the cornerstone on which any successful relationship is built. The teacher leader should be able to effectively communicate his/her mission and vision for the school. By doing this, the teacher will be guaranteed that the task at hand shall be carried out effectively.
Competency in communication is a differentiating attribute for leaders. Alexander (2011) states that this communication includes; persuasive argumentation, public speaking, and engaging the participation of others.
Being able to communicate effectively is important since the teacher leader must be able to enlist the support of colleagues as well as superiors to support their vision. A leader is of little or even no value if he does not have the support and backing of the followers.
A common feature of all institutes and organizations is that there arise contentious issues among members at some point in time. The way in which the contentious issues are diffused in the school will spell the difference between future success and failure. As such, it is of great importance to resolve issues in the most amicable manner.
Danielson (2007) states that the teacher leader should be able to build consensus among diverse groups of educators. This calls for the teacher leader to be well equipped in practicing diplomacy. Diplomacy is the “use of power and authority carefully so as to achieve positive outcomes by being unanimous or arriving at a consensus” (London, 2002, p.259).
An individual’s conflict resolution skills can be greatly improved through leadership seminars which empower a person with necessary skills. Once a teacher is equipped with the means of dealing with conflicts, his/her efficiency as a leader is greatly increased.
For one to be a truly effective leader, they must possess some leadership skills which can be used to foster productivity. While some people have obvious leadership skills and are aware of their leadership abilities, others are unaware of their capabilities or require honing them. This second class of people may shy away from leadership roles since they do not believe that they have the skills.
The typical training offered by the Ministry of Education to teachers does not help to accentuate leadership skills or give teachers the skills required for teacher leadership. It is therefore necessary for the teacher to seek opportunities to learn leadership skills through courses or seminars (Gronn, 2003).
The professional development for teacher leadership must be focused on specific aspects of the individual teacher’s leadership role. These skills include; leading groups, collaborative work and mentoring.
A study by Solmon et al. (2007) on the effectiveness of the Teacher Advancement Program showed that such programs provided opportunities for shared instructional leadership which increased the efficiency with which the school was run. In addition to this, the program introduced professional growth which helped teachers to improve their instructions by working on specific needs.
For progress to be achieved, all institutes must be open to changes. These changes may include improvement in the manner in which things are done or doing away with traditional practices that are no longer effective. The teacher leader must be a champion for positive change within the school.
He/she must challenge the status quo in the school’s culture and seek ways to improve the way things are done in the school (Millwater & Ehrich, 2009). A novel contribution of teacher leadership is initiating positive change within the teaching staff of the institute.
Crowther et al. (2002) states that teacher leaders have the ability to encourage their colleagues to engage in practices that they would not typically consider doing without the influence of the leader.
Effective leaders practice open-mindedness which calls for the teacher leader to exhibit flexibility and respect for the opinion of others. Having a rigid mindset may hamper development since the followers will not be willing to follow a leader who is unwilling to consider their input.
Sunal and Kagendo (2008) contend that successful teaching and learning are the result of a number of factors including; variety, engagement and excitement. These factors are influenced by the individual teacher and it can therefore be said that the approach taken by an individual teacher has an impact on the success or failure of the individual.
Teachers should take part in external professional teacher’s networks. Such networks consist of talented teachers who have skills that can be helpful to other teachers. Such networks offer educators with the tools to develop themselves by developing their leadership skills.
It is only through collaboration and networking that the teacher leader can develop their leadership potential and therefore become even more effective in their roles (Sergiovanni, 1998). By disseminating their findings to colleagues and teachers in other school and engaging in action research, the potential of the teacher leader is greatly enhanced.
As has been suggested in this paper, the teacher leader will mostly practice “distributed leadership”. As such, he/she will be required to solicit the help and support of other members of staff on a constant basis.
Sashkin (2003) reveals that some leaders fail to choose competent people to work with them since they feel threatened by a capable colleague. Such a leader will therefore only enlist the help of the people they feel they can outshine. This fear of being outshined is detrimental to both the schools progress and the teacher leader’s ability to advance professionally.
The teacher leader attempts to influence the development and implementation of the curriculum used in his/her school. The curriculum is defined as “A program of activities designed so that pupils will attain, as far as possible certain educational ends and objectives” (Taylor & Johnson 1974; Hirst 1968).
In Saudi Arabia, the creation of the curriculum is undertaken by the central government and close monitoring of students performance is done to ensure that the teachers are teaching in accordance to the law. Even so, private schools are at liberty to adjust the curriculum as long as they “add to the government approved curriculum, not subtract from it” (Rugh, 2002, p.45).
The teacher leader must have motivational skills which are a core attribute for the successful leader. Kondalkar (2002) defines motivation as the process through which people are stimulated to accomplish certain desirable goals.
Effective leaders are able to create conditions that motivate and encourage commitment of others to work as a group and collectively achieve set goals. Motivational skills will enable the teacher to inspire a high degree of commitment by his/her followers to the task at hand. This commitment will invariably result in higher performance being exhibited.
Hinchey (1997) suggests that every leader should be able to ask relevant questions to enable him/her to understand the situation better.
Through questions, the teacher leader will ensure that projects are successful since questions bring about a deeper understanding of the situation and from this, viable plans to deal with various situations can be developed. Questions minimize the margin or error that may occur as a result of miscommunication or even ignorance from the followers.
Gender plays an important role in the Saudi community and the male figure is still seen as the head. Alexander (2001) theorizes that these cultural constructs have caused leadership to be seen as a male domain and leadership is associated with a male figure and masculine characteristics such as dominance and competitiveness.
This perceptions and gender stereotypes are a barrier for women to take up leadership positions in Saudi Arabia. As it is, there is a shortage of women in leadership and dominant positions in Saudi Arabia due to the stereotypical view of leadership as a masculine domain (Walker, 2004).
The attitude by females regarding their perceived leadership competences needs to be changed for more teacher leaders to emerge. This can be done by educating women in leadership practice so as to empower them to take up this role.
Saudi Arabian teachers are plagued by a lack of both local and informal leadership experience. Research by Al-Abbas (2010) found that 80% of teachers in a survey had no leadership experience despite having worked in the educational field for an average of eleven years.
These findings suggest that the number of teachers with leadership experience in Saudi Arabia is very small. This reality is in stark contrast to the situation in the Western world where teacher leadership is stressed upon and seen as important in transforming schools into professional learning communities (Harris, 2004).
Discussion
Traditional models of educational leadership were characterized by concentrating power and leadership responsibility to appointed administrators most notably of whom was the principle. However, recent years have seen the devolution of power as a better understanding of the impact of leadership has been gained.
Empowerment of teachers to lead has been seen to be a significant contributor to school development and student achievement (Gronn, 2003; Harris, 2004). Schools today are pressured to produce more than just academic achievement in students.
Coles and Southworth (2005, p.1) confirm that the schools for tomorrow will “Schools for tomorrow will require leaders who are passionately, obsessively, creatively and steadfastly committed to enhancing students‟ learning”.
Strong leadership attributes are necessary for the success of any institution and the school is no exception. Research findings by Silins and Mulford (2002) suggest that the learning outcomes by students are enhanced when leadership sources are distributed throughout the school community. From this paper, it is clear that leadership is not the province of any one person and the contribution of teacher leaders is great.
Teacher leadership requires a fundamental shift in organizational thinking about leadership since every person (teacher) can in one way or another demonstrate leadership (Zehr, 2001). This is contrary to the traditional focus by organizations on positional leadership. By adopting this new view on leadership, schools can harness the expertise of all teachers and hence propel the school to greater heights.
Conclusion
This paper set out to discuss what teacher-leaders need to know and do in order to contribute effectively to school improvement and better student learning outcomes in the Saudi Arabian Context. From this paper, it has been highlighted that the Saudi education system is mostly characterized by high centralization which may inhibits teacher leadership since great emphasis is placed on the role played by formal leaders.
In addition to this, most teachers lack any formal or informal leadership experiences which they can use in the school. In spite of this, it has been revealed that teachers in Saudi Arabia wish to play a more prominent role in the development of the school.
Effective leadership requires effective leaders and with this understanding, this paper has demonstrated the ways in which teachers in Saudi Arabia can become better leaders. By engaging in the practices suggested in this paper, all organizational members in the school can become leaders and influence others towards improved educational practices.
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