Distributed leadership and middle leadership practice in schools: a disconnect?

Abstract

This article reports on a small-scale collaborative research study on middle leadership (ML) in Iceland and Ireland. It explores the ML role using the theoretical lens of distributed leadership (DL). The majority of DL studies to date examine leadership as an organisational resource that can be cultivated and utilised to serve school improvement. This research, however, situates the teacher at the core of DL and commences a discourse on how MLs experience their leadership practice from a DL perspective. The empirical investigation is based on semi-structured focus group interviews across the range of schools in both education contexts. The findings indicate a disconnect between DL theory as outlined in the literature and ML practice as currently experienced in Ireland and Iceland. While a form of DL exists in both contexts, this is strictly at the gift of the Principal rather than a reciprocal relationship with teachers in relation to leading school activities. The findings also signal a need for a proactive approach in School Leadership Preparation Programmes and in Initial Teacher Education to facilitate school leaders and teachers in understanding and adopting a distributed mindset.

Keywords:

• Middle leaders
• distributed leadership
• school culture

Notes on contributors

Steinunn Helga Lárusdóttir is an associate professor, School of Education, University of Iceland. Her research is in the areas of school leadership and management, values, gender and equality. Chair of the Center for Research in Educational Leadership and Program Evaluation at the School of Education, University of Iceland.

Eileen O’Connor currently works as a part-time lecturer on the Masters in Education Programme at the School of Education, Trinity College, Dublin. Her areas of interest and ongoing research include school and middle leadership development and post-primary teacher continuing professional development.