Teacher leadership is a critical aspect of school change while there is lack of a consistent definition for it. This examines teacher leadership conceptualization and its associated outcomes. The review of 33 articles published 2018–2023 focused on teacher leadership in K-12 setting, found that many authors relied on established definitions, with few offering their own interpretations. These articles depict teacher leadership as an informal and individual form of leadership. The analysis revealed outcomes of teacher leadership at school development level; teacher-level benefits including professional growth; and student-level impacts such as increased achievement and motivation.
*AkmanY. (2021). The relationships among teacher leadership, teacher self-efficacy and teacher performance. Journal of Theoretical Educational Science, 14(4), 720–744. https://doi.org/10.30831/akukeg.930802
2.
*AlnasserY. (2023). Perceptions of Saudi elementary and middle school special education teachers of the concept of teacher leadership. Journal of Education for Teaching, 49(1), 153–166. https://doi.org/10.1080/02607476.2022.2053359
3.
AngelleP. S.DehartC. A. (2011). Teacher perceptions of teacher leadership: Examining differences by experience, degree, and position. NASSP Bulletin, 95(2), 141–160.
4.
*AraşkalS.KılınçA. Ç. (2019). Investigating the factors affecting teacher leadership: A qualitative study. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 25(3), 419–468. 10.14527/kuey.2019.011 (ERIC).
5.
*BlankR. (2021). New Research on Teacher Leadership in Schools: Efficacy of a survey method for analyzing multiple dimensions of leadership. Journal of Interdisciplinary Teacher Leadership, 1–25, https://doi.org/10.46767/kfp.2016-0036
6.
*BryantD. A.RaoC. (2018). Teachers as reform leaders in Chinese schools. International Journal of Educational Management, 33(4), 663–677. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-12-2017-0371
7.
CampbellC.LiebermanA.YashkinaA. (2015). Teachers leading educational improvements: Developing teachers’ leadership, improving practices, and collaborating to share knowledge. Leading and Managing, 21(2), 90–105.
8.
CarpenterB. D.SherretzC. E. (2012). Professional development school partnerships: An instrument for teacher leadership. School-University Partnerships, 5, 89–101.
9.
*ChaabanY.SawalhiR. (2021). A professional agency perspective on novice Teachers’ development of a teacher leadership stance. Journal of School Leadership, 31(6), 548–568. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052684620980355
10.
*ChenJ. (2021). Understanding teacher leaders’ behaviours: Development and validation of the teacher leadership inventory. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 50(4), 630–648. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220945704
11.
*ChenW. Y. (2023). What motivates teachers to lead? Examining the effects of perceived role expectations and role identities on teacher leadership behaviour. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432231163020
12.
CheungA. C. K.YuenT. W. W. (2017). Examining the perceptions of curriculum leaders on primary school reform: A case study of Hong Kong. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 45(6), 1020–1039. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143215587303
13.
*ChienC. (2020). Taiwanese Elementary school English teachers’ perception of teacher leadership. Research in Education, 108(1), 46–61. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034523718809390
14.
CohenL.ManionL.MorrisonK. (2011). Research methods in education. Routledge.
15.
DanielsonC. (2006). Teacher leadership that strengthens professional practice. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
16.
*GrantC. (2019). Excavating the South African teacher leadership archive: Surfacing the absences and re-imagining the future. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 47(1), 37–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143217717274
17.
*GülmezD. (2022). Teacher leadership and the Turkish context: The impact of the structural characteristics of the school and teacher leadership culture. International Journal of Educational Management, 36(4), 515–526. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-02-2022-0061
18.
GurrD.DrysdaleL. (2013). Middle level secondary school leaders: Potential, constraints and implications for leadership and development.Journal of Educational Administration, 51(1), 55–71. https://doi.org/10.1108/09578231311291431
19.
*HammadW.SawalhiR.Al-HarthiA. S.AlamriF.MoradH. (2023). Perceptions of teacher leadership in the Arab region: A comparative analysis of three countries. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432231166888
20.
HarrisA. (2002). School improvement: What's in it for schools? (1st ed.). Routledge.
21.
*HarrisA. (2003). Teacher leadership as distributed leadership: Heresy, fantasy or possibility?School Leadership & Management, 23(3), 313–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/1363243032000112801
HunzickerJ. (2012). Professional development and job-embedded collaboration: How teachers learn to exercise leadership. Professional Development in Education, 38(2), 267–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2012.657870
IngersollR. M.SirindesP.DoughetryP. (2018). Leadership matters: Teachers’ roles in school decision making and school performance. American Educator, 42(1), 13–17.
26.
*KasapoğluH.KaracaB. (2021). Teachers’ views on teacher leadership: A qualitative analysis. International Journal of Progressive Education, 17(6), 66–82. https://doi.org/10.29329/ijpe.2021.382.5
27.
KatzenmeyerM.MollerG. (2001). Awakening the sleeping giant: Helping teachers develop as leaders. Corwin Press.
28.
KatzenmeyerM.MollerG. (2009). Awakening the sleeping giant: Helping teachers develop as leaders (3rd ed.). Corwin Press.
29.
*KılınçA. Ç.BellibasM. S.BektasF. (2021). Antecedents and outcomes of teacher leadership: The role of teacher trust, teacher self-efficacy and instructional practice. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(7), 1556–1571. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-04-2021-0148
30.
KoellnerK.JacobsJ.BorkoH. (2011). Mathematics professional development: Critical features for developing leadership skills and building Teachers’ capacity. Mathematics Teacher Education and Development, 13(1), 115–136.
31.
LaiE.CheungD. (2015). Enacting teacher leadership: The role of teachers in bringing about change. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 43(5), 673–692. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143214535742
32.
*LeeD. H. L.IpN. K. K. (2023). The influence of professional learning communities on informal teacher leadership in a Chinese hierarchical school context. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 51(2), 324–344. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143220985159
33.
*LiangJ.WangF. (2019). Teacher leadership? Voices of backbone teachers in China. Journal of School Leadership, 29(3), 229–247. https://doi.org/10.1177/1052684619836826
34.
LittleJ. W. (2003). Constructions of teacher leadership in three periods of policy and reform activism. School Leadership & Management, 23(4), 401–419. https://doi.org/10.1080/1363243032000150944
35.
*LiuP. (2021). The relationship between teacher leadership and collective teacher efficacy in Chinese upper secondary schools. International Journal of Educational Management, 35(2), 394–407. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-07-2020-0361
36.
MargolisJ.HugginsK. S. (2012). Distributed but undefined: New teacher leader roles to change schools. Journal of School Leadership, 22(5), 953–981. https://doi.org/10.1177/105268461202200506
37.
*MargolisJ.StromK. (2020). Assessing the success of teacher leadership: The case for asking new questions. Professional Development in Education, 46(4), 607–621. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2020.1787200
38.
MartinK.ColemanP. (2011). Licensing teacher leaders: The Kansas model. The Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 77(3), 6–9.
39.
*MeirinkJ.WantA. V. D.LouwscM.MeijerdP.Oolbekkink-MarchandH.SchaapH. (2020). Beginning teachers’ opportunities for enacting informal teacher leadership: Perceptions of teachers and school management staff members. European Journal of Teacher Education, 43(2), 243–257. https://doi.org/10.1080/02619768.2019.1672654
40.
MoherD.LiberatiA.TetzlaffJ.AltmanD. G. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. Annals of Internal Medicine, 151(4), 264–269. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-151-4-200908180-00135
MuijsD.HarrisA. (2003). Teacher leadership – improvement through empowerment?: An overview of the literature. Educational Management and Administration, 31(4), 437–448.
43.
*NickersonS. D.VaughnM.LambbL.RossD.PhilippR.LaRochelleR.WilliamsK. (2018). A model for selecting exemplary mathematics and science teacher leaders. Journal of School Administration Research and Development, 3(1), 67–73. https://doi.org/10.32674/jsard.v3i1.1933
44.
OppiP.EisenschmidtE.JõgiA. (2022). Teacher's readiness for leadership – a strategy for school development. School Leadership & Management, 42(1), 79–103. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/13632434.2021.2016685
45.
OppiP.EisenschmidtE.StinguM. (2020). Seeking sustainable ways for school development: teachers’ and principals’ views regarding teacher leadership. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 26(4), 581–603.
46.
Pineda-BáezC.BaumanC.AndrewsD. (2020). Empowering teacher leadership: A cross-country study.international. Journal of Leadership in Education, 23(4), 388–414. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2018.1543804
47.
SilvaD. Y.GimbertB.NolanJ. (2000). Sliding the doors: Locking and unlocking possibilities for teacher leadership. Teachers College Record, 102(4), 779–804. https://doi.org/10.1177/016146810010200405
48.
SnoekM.HulsbosF.AndersenI. (2019). Teacher leadership: Hoe kan het leiderschap van leraren in scholenversterktworden? [Teacher leadership: How can the leadership of teachers in schools be strengthened?]. Hogeschool van Amsterdam.
49.
SterrettW. (2015). Maximizing teacher leadership. In BondN. (Ed.), The power of teacher leaders: Their roles, influence, and impact (pp. 31–42). Kappa Delta Pi and Routledge.
50.
StruyveC.MeredithC.GielenS. (2015). Erratum to: Who am I and where do I belong? The perception and evaluation of teacher leaders concerning teacher leadership practices and micropolitics in schools. Journal of Educational Change, 16(2), 243–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10833-015-9245-5
51.
SuriH. (2018). Meta-analysis, systematic reviews and research syntheses. In CohenL.ManionL.MorrisonK. (Eds.), Research methods in education (pp. 3–847). Routledge
52.
TaylorM.GoekeJ.KleinE.OnoreC.GeistK. (2011). Changing leadership: Teachers lead the way for schools that learn. Teaching and Teacher Education, 27(5), 920–929. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2011.03.003
53.
*Von DohlenH. B.KarvonenM. (2018). Teachers’ self-reported leadership behaviors in formal and informal situations. International Journal of Teacher Leadership, 9(2), 69–88.
54.
*WanS. W.-Y.TseY.-S.TsangW.-K.LeeT. W.-K.WongY. Y.WanA. W.-T.WanW.-P. E. (2020). Who can support me?’: Studying teacher leadership in a Hong Kong primary school. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 48(1), 133–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741143218792910
55.
*WangM.HoD. (2019). A quest for teacher leadership in the twenty-first century – emerging themes for future research. International Journal of Educational Management, 34(2), 354–372. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEM-01-2019-0038
56.
WangM.HoD. (2020). A quest for teacher leadership in the twenty-first century – emerging themes for future research. International Journal of Educational Management, 34(2), 354–372.
57.
*WebberC. F. (2021). The need for cross-cultural exploration of teacher leadership. Research in Educational Administration & Leadership, 6(1), 17–49. https://doi.org/10.30828/real/2021.1.2
58.
*WennerJ. A.CampbellT. (2017). The theoretical and empirical basis of teacher leadership: A review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 87(1), 134–171. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654316653478
59.
*XieC.SongP.HuH. (2020). Measuring teacher leadership in different domains of practice: Development and validation of the teacher leadership scale. Asia-Pacific Edu Res, 30(5), 409–419. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-020-00527-9
60.
York-BarrA. J.DukeK. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two decades of scholarship. Review of Educational Research, 74 (3), 255–316. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543074003255
61.
*YowJ. A.WilkersonA.GayC. (2021). Mathematics and science teacher leadership understanding through a teacher leadership course. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 19, 839–862. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-020-10080-y
62.
*YueX.FengY. (2021). Empirical research on leadership capacity of secondary vocational teachers in Yunnan Province of China. Journal of Education and Learning, 10(1), 7–21. https://doi.org/10.5539/jel.v10n1p7
63.
*ZydziunaiteV.KaminskieneL.JurgileV. (2021). Teachers’ abstracted conceptualizations of their way in experiencing the leadership in the classroom: Transferring knowledge, expanding learning capacity, and creating knowledge. EducationSciences, 782(11), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11120782
