Social network analysis: a simple but powerful tool for identifying teacher leaders

Abstract

Instructional teacher leadership is central to a vision of distributed leadership. However, identifying instructional teacher leaders can be a daunting task, particularly for administrators who find themselves either newly appointed or faced with high staff turnover. This article describes the use of social network analysis (SNA), a simple but powerful tool that can help administrators better understand the connectedness of their network and pinpoint influential individuals within it. We offer practical guidance for conducting SNA, generating and modifying a sociogram, and interpreting the resultant data. Additionally, we suggest that information provided by SNA may be used to inform decisions about school/district programmes and policies.

Acknowledgement

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Notes

1. The basic version of NodeXL, which was used to generate the sociograms in this article, can be downloaded at no cost from http://nodexl.codeplex.com/.

2. NodeXL refers to a node as a ‘vertex’.

3. If the response scale is a simple yes/no, the width of all edges would be the same.

4. Colour versions of the sociograms in Figure 6 and Figure 7 can be seen in the online version of this manuscript: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2016.1195016.