This study investigated K-12 private school teachers ’ perceptions in Guyana about their schools ’ readiness for transitioning to distributed leadership, an approach emphasizing collaborative management and decision-making. Unlike traditional leadership models, distributed leadership encourages participation from all stakeholders. The study focuses on several aspects of distributed leadership, including alignment with mission and vision, leadership support, organizational culture, professional development, trust, staff competencies, and resource allocation. The research utilized a quantitative descriptive approach. The main objective was to collect and analyze data systematically to evaluate teachers ’ perceptions of their schools ’ readiness for distributed leadership within the private school sector in Guyana. Data was gathered through a survey assessing teachers ’ views on eleven distributed leadership dimensions: leadership roles, strategic planning, curriculum development, community involvement, and data-driven decision-making. The findings show a balanced view of leadership roles and commitment to the school ’ s mission and vision but highlight challenges in strategic resource management, parent engagement, shared accountability, and data utilization for decision-making. The study underscores the need for robust professional development to foster collaborative and innovative practices, deeming it crucial for successful distributed leadership implementation and effective, inclusive schooling. It provides valuable insights for administrators and policymakers on the benefits of a collaborative approach to educational leadership in K-12 schools.
KeywordsDistributed LeadershipSchool ReadinessPrivate School. Private School Teachers
Bolden, R. (2007). Distributed Leadership. In A. Marturano, & J. Gosling (Eds.), Leadership, the Key Concepts. Routledge.
Bolden, R. (2011). Distributed Leadership in Organizations: A Review of Theory and Research. International Journal of Management Reviews, 13, 251-269. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2370.2011.00306.x
Bryk, A., & Schneider, B. (2002). Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for Improvement. Russell Sage Foundation.
Bush, T., & Glover, D. (2014). School Leadership Models: What Do We Know? School Leadership & Management, 34, 553-571. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2014.928680
Darling-Hammond, L., Flook, L., Cook-Harvey, C., Barron, B., & Osher, D. (2019). Implications for Educational Practice of the Science of Learning and Development. Applied Developmental Science, 24, 97-140. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2018.1537791
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological Safety and Learning Behaviour in Work Teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44, 350-383. https://doi.org/10.2307/2666999
Epstein, J. L. (2018). School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Preparing Educators and Improving Schools. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429494673
Fullan, M. (2020). Leading in a Culture of Change. John Wiley & Sons.
García Torres, D. (2019). Distributed Leadership, Professional Collaboration, and Teachers’ Job Satisfaction in U.S. Schools. Teaching and Teacher Education, 79, 111-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.12.001
Gronn, P. (2002). Distributed Leadership as a Unit of Analysis. Leadership Quarterly, 13, 423-451. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1048-9843(02)00120-0
Hallinger, P., & Heck, R. H. (2010). Leadership for Learning: Does Collaborative Leadership Make a Difference in School Improvement? Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 38, 654-678. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143210379060
Hargreaves, A., & Fink, D. (2006). Sustainable Leadership. Jossey-Bass/Wiley.
Hargreaves, A., & O’Connor, M. T. (2018). Collaborative Professionalism: Teaching Together Means Learning for All. SAGE Company.
Harris, A. (2008). Distributed School Leadership: Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders. Routledge.
Harris, A., & DeFlaminis, J. (2016). Distributed Leadership in Practice. Management in Education, 30, 141-146. https://doi.org/10.1177/0892020616656734
Harris, A., & Goodall, J. (2008). Do Parents Know They Matter? Engaging All Parents in Learning. Educational Research, 50, 277-289. https://doi.org/10.1080/00131880802309424
Harris, A., & Jones, M. (2010). Professional Learning Communities and System Improvement. Improving Schools, 13, 172-181. https://doi.org/10.1177/1365480210376487
Harris, A., & Spillane, J. (2008). Distributed Leadership through the Looking Glass. British Educational Leadership, Management & Administration Society, 22, 31-34. https://doi.org/10.1177/0892020607085623
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of over 800 Meta-Analyses Related to Achievement. Routledge.
Heck, R. H., & Hallinger, P. (2009). Assessing the Contribution of Distributed Leadership to School Improvement and Growth in Math Achievement. American Educational Research Journal, 46, 659-689. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831209340042
Katz, S., Earl, L., & Jaafar, S. (2009). Building and Connecting Learning Communities: The Power of Networks for School Improvement. Corwin Press. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781452219196
Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2002). The Leadership Challenge (3rd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Leithwood, K. (2007). The Emotional Side of School Improvement: A Leadership Perspective. In T. Townsend (Ed.), The International Handbook on School Effectiveness and Improvement (pp. 615-634). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-5747-2_34
Leithwood, K., Day, C., Sammons, P., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2006). Successful School Leadership: What It Is and How It Influences Pupil Learning. DfES Publications.
Leithwood, K., Mascall, B., & Strauss, T. (2009). What We Have Learned and Where We Go from Here. In K. Leithwood, B. Mascall, & T. Strauss (Eds.), Distributed Leadership According to the Evidence (pp. 269-282). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203868539
Liu, Y., Bellibas, M. S., & Gümüs, S. (2020). The Effect of Instructional Leadership and Distributed Leadership on Teacher Self-Efficacy and Job Satisfaction: Mediating Roles of Supportive School Culture and Teacher Collaboration. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 49, 430-453. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220910438
Mascall, B., Leithwood, K., Strauss, T., & Sacks, R. (2009). The Relationship between Distributed Leadership and Teachers’ Academic Optimism. In A. Harris (Ed.), Distributed Leadership (pp. 81-100). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9737-9_5
Mohajan, H. K. (2020). Quantitative Research: A Successful Investigation in Natural and Social Sciences. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 9, 52-79. https://doi.org/10.26458/jedep.v9i4.679
Phillips, D. R. (2013). Distributed Leadership and the Academic Performance of International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools. Doctoral Dissertation, Keiser University.
Robinson, P. (2011). Task-Based Language Learning. Language Learning Research Club, University of Michigan. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9922.2011.00641.x
Robson, C. (2002). Real World Research: A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner-Researchers (2nd ed.). Blackwell.
Spillane, J. P. (2006). Distributed Leadership. Jossey-Bass.
Spillane, J. P., Halverson, R., & Diamond, J. B. (2004). Towards a Theory of Leadership Practice: A Distributed Perspective. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 36, 3-34. https://doi.org/10.1080/0022027032000106726
Stoll, L. et al. (2006). Professional Learning Communities: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Educational Change, 7, 221-258. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-006-0001-8
Tian, M., Risku, M., & Collin, K. (2016). A Meta-Analysis of Distributed Leadership from 2002 to 2013: Theory Development, Empirical Evidence and Future Research Focus. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 44, 146-164. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143214558576
Tille, Y., & Wilhelm, M. (2017). Probability Sampling Designs: Principles for Choice of Design and Balancing. Statistical Science, 32, 176-189. https://doi.org/10.1214/16-STS606
Woods, P. A., & Gronn, P. (2009). Nurturing Democracy. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 37, 430-451. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143209334597