How teacher leadership develops and its effects on information communication technology enabled reforms in Singapore schools

In this study, I examine how teacher leadership is the metaphorical elephant in the room in the field of educational leadership that can no longer be ignored. This provides the background and purpose of my study and the leadership perspective which guides this research. Traditional notions of leadership have evolved to meet the needs of the new millennium, and similar shifts are observed in educational leadership. The definition of school leadership needs to be expanded beyond the sole leader on the top, to encompass a larger pool of leadership resources among teachers, in order to tap into the wealth of their expertise and experiences to bring about concerted educational improvement and reform. The challenges of the Digital Age in the 21st Century, often described to be a highly volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world, where no one has all the answers, clearly requires a distributed form of leadership.

As teacher leadership is a “very political, subtle, diplomatic process” (Lambert, 2000), affected by the context in which it operates, is practised and demonstrated (Wilkinson, Olin, Lund & Stjernstrøm, 2013), it is best studied and understood from within the contexts they unfold. This study examines this phenomenon of teacher leadership, how it is practised, developed and its influence, within the context of Information Communication Technology (ICT) enabled reforms in Singapore schools using a multi-perspective case study methodology. At the same time, this study contributes to the literature by acknowledging the unique characteristics of the Singapore education system; the respect for (a) seniority, recognition of experience; and (b) hierarchy, a recognition of positional authority through the well-established career tracks for education officers.

The key findings are made up of five themes pertaining to teacher leadership practice, development and influence. They are: (1) In teacher leadership in ICT enabled reforms, power, distance, and experience matter when relevant and current. (2) Teacher leadership in ICT enabled reforms is a negotiated practice. (3) Teacher leadership in ICT enabled reforms is being ready and taking action when opportunity arises. (4) In teacher leadership in ICT enabled reforms, time plays an important role. (5) The influence of teacher leadership in ICT enabled reforms corresponds with the circles of control, influence and reach. Based on the findings to the study, the Context Sensitive Indigenous Teacher Leadership Model (CSITL) is derived and explicated teacher leadership as the interplay of the four key factors: personal power, professional practice, professional culture and organisational support. The thesis concludes with reflections on the use of the CSITL model and recommendations for future research.