WHAT ARE THEY DOING ASIDE FROM TEACHING? TEACHER LEADERSHIP IN AN ELEMENTARY PUBLIC SCHOOL (KEY IJP************631)

• Ethel Mae C. Miras

Abstract

AbstractThere were school reform efforts of the Philippine government, particularly the DepEd. The intention of this study was to explore how teacher-leaders (TLs) can support and strengthen current reform efforts. This thesis has provided a sharper, more focused picture of teacher leadership in practice in schools facing challenging circumstances, specifically in the Philippine public school context. Aside from teaching, TLs have other responsibilities, like working on an effective classroom management; not in informal leadership positions; beyond classroom duties; capable of leadership work; respected and looked up to by students and colleagues; without leadership positions; and responsibilities of informal TLs. This study collected several challenges according to teachers narratives: relational issues; personal circumstances; time; realities of the school; and the Department of Education. The management insights of teachers about teacher-leaders (TLs) or teacher leaderships: Teacher leadership was a meaningful concept in Philippine public schools; many teachers are engaged in important leadership work, whether formal or informal the concept of teacher leadership has not been formally introduced in Philippine public schools; the TLs were highly effective teachers; the TLs showed that they were capable of doing any assigned tasks successfully; the TLs had notable attributes; teacher leadership exists in a restricted form in a centralized and structured hierarchical system; the leadership of the principal has a strong influence on teacher leadership; ideal conditions for TLs; school culture supports teacher leadership; teacher leadership is nurtured by the support of family and the LGU; and the practice of teacher leadership is challenged by specific factors.Keywords: Teacher-leaders, practices, views, realities, challenges, insights