The effects of distributed leadership and inquiry-based work on primary teachers’ capacity to change: testing a model

ABSTRACT

This article studies the relationship between teachers’ perceptions of distributive leadership and inquiry-based work in primary schools and the resulting impact on those teachers’ capacity to contribute to educational change. The path analysis that tests the proposed model relies on questionnaire data collected from 787 teachers in 65 primary schools. The results indicate a direct, positive effect of distributive leadership on teachers’ collaboration and collegiality, as well as on their motivation to contribute to educational change. Inquiry-based work positively mediates the effect of such leadership styles on three aspects of teachers’ capacity to change: collaboration, professional learning activities, and motivational factors. Therefore, all three promising aspects can be reinforced if teachers adopt leadership roles and combine these roles with inquiry-based work practices.

KEYWORDS:

• Leadership
• distributive perspective
• inquiry-based work
• capacity to change

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Judith Amels is currently a PhD student at the University of Groningen. Her research interests focus on distributed leadership and inquiry-based working in primary education. In addition, she is a senior consultant at Marnix Academy, University for Teacher Education, and a senior lecturer at Penta Nova, Academy for Leadership in Education.

Meta L. Krüger is an emeritus professor at Penta Nova, Academy for Leadership in Education. She was also an assistant professor at the University of Amsterdam. She supervised a research group with the theme inquiry-based leadership and inquiry-based working in primary and secondary education, and she was the academic director of the master Educational Leadership at Penta Nova, Academy for Leadership in Education.

Cor J. M. Suhre is a senior researcher in the teacher training department of the University of Groningen. His research interests include the professional development of teachers and the development of effective forms of formative assessment practices in primary and secondary education. He is currently involved in research into instrument development aimed at identifying gaps in the knowledge students need to be able to solve kinematics problems.

Klaas van Veen is a professor in educational studies at the University of Groningen. His research program concerns the pedagogy and effectiveness of teacher learning, based on the assumption that you get the learning you organize for.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.