Supporting Teacher Leadership: Mixed Perceptions of Mandated Faculty Study Groups

Abstract

Faculty study groups offer one means for encouraging teachers to lead other teachers. As a popular staff-development delivery model, faculty study groups can promote school success while encouraging a climate of teaching and learning leadership to be fostered. At issue, however, are issues of choice and empowerment with respect to teachers’ readiness to embrace imposed initiatives. This site-based investigation reports teachers’ perceptions of the benefits and disadvantages of the mandated study-group process. Mixed results with respect to compulsory professional development are described in the areas of growth and collegiality, student achievement, emotional support, time restraints, and personality conflicts.

Citation

Hutinger, J.L. and Mullen, C.A. (2007), "Supporting Teacher Leadership: Mixed Perceptions of Mandated Faculty Study Groups", Donahoo, S. and Hunter, R.C. (Ed.) Teaching Leaders to Lead Teachers (Advances in Educational Administration, Vol. 10), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 261-283. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1479-3660(07)10016-0