The challenges of developing distributed leadership in Scottish primary schools: a catch 22

Abstract

This article analyses the experiences and perceptions of headteachers taking forward a distributed perspective on school leadership. It reports on research conducted in Scottish primary schools through three case studies. It draws on findings from a sequence of headteacher interviews, staff questionnaire and sociometric analysis data. The article analyses the headteacher's role within a distributed perspective. It presents and discusses key findings which suggest that headteachers are caught in a ‘catch 22’, having both an enabling and constraining effect. Implications are drawn for educational leadership at both school and system levels.

Keywords:

• distributed leadership
• leadership
• management
• education policy