Abstract:

Teacher Leadership has become increasingly embedded in the educational development of many schools with teachers efficiently leading their classroom, collaborating with others, and developing their own learning. The purpose of this research is to provide a much-needed case study in the UAE context, and shed light on the current views of teachers about their leadership strategies and experiences. In order to understand teachers’ own views and perceptions of their role as leaders and to comprehend and interpret what factors teachers view as supporting or hindering their leadership capabilities, a qualitative case study method was adopted. Interviews were conducted with teachers from one of the oldest K-12 Dubai schools in the United Arab Emirates. Four themes emerged from the collected data: Leadership views, Teacher leadership practices, Factors that develop teacher leadership, and Challenges that hinder teacher leadership.

The findings reflected many different perspectives, four of which were clarified as being the main pillars to develop Teacher Leadership in the UAE. Findings of this study also recommend that professional developers help teachers understand and integrate their leadership functions in their day-to-day activities without abandoning their teaching duties. The research concluded with recommendations for schools to provide teachers with formal leadership opportunities, allowing them to innovate and progress. Researchers are recommended to explore teacher leadership within a more diverse and bigger sample and investigate factors that could nurture novice teachers’ leadership in the UAE.

Keywords:

Teacher leadership, Teacher leadership practices, School improvement, Leadership development.