c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 37
An Exploration of Teacher Leadership: Are Future 
Teachers Ready to Lead?
Jetë Aliu
1
 and Fjolla Kaçaniku*
2
• The teaching profession has become increasingly complex in the last dec -
ades. The changing role of teachers has called for a new paradigm of the 
teaching profession that recognises the potential of teachers to lead for 
supporting school development and change. The influence teachers have 
on the school community and their commitment to school change are 
at the core of teacher leadership definitions. Preparing future teachers to 
act as leaders in their schools can support the overall efforts for school 
improvement. Hence, the purpose of this study is to explore pre-service 
teacher leadership development. The study utilised a qualitative method -
ology to address: (i) pre-service teachers’ understanding of teacher leader -
ship, (ii) the role of initial teacher education in shaping the understanding 
of teacher leadership, and (iii) the contribution of initial teacher educa -
tion to pre-service teachers’ readiness for exercising leadership roles for 
school improvement. The study was conducted with pre-service teachers 
in the leading initial teacher education institution in Kosovo. A total of 42 
pre-service teachers from all years of the Primary Teacher Education pro -
gramme participated in four group interviews with the aim of discussing 
in depth the core elements of teacher leadership in order to better grasp 
the pre-service teachers’ understanding of this concept as well as their 
readiness to exercise leadership roles. A model devised by Snoek et al. 
(2019) was used as an analytical framework to determine the development 
of teacher leadership in initial teacher education. The study reveals that 
there is no consensus on the definition of teacher leadership. The findings 
show that the understanding of teacher leadership is based on a contextu -
ally drawn vision of what it means to be a teacher, resulting in a narrow 
view of leadership with regard to individual and classroom levels. The 
study concludes that initial teacher education has a critical role in con -
tributing to shifting the conceptualisation of teacher leadership beyond 
the isolated views of individual and formal leadership. The findings have 
1 Faculty of Education, University of Prishtina, Prishtina, Kosovo.
2 *Corresponding Author. Faculty of Education, University of Prishtina, Prishtina, Kosovo; 
 fjolla.kacaniku@uni-pr.edu.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1634

38 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
imperative implications for providing good models of initial teacher edu -
cation that support the preparation and readiness of future teacher leaders 
to tackle the ever-increasing complexities of the teaching profession.
 Keywords: teacher leadership, initial teacher education, pre-service 
teachers, school improvement

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 39
Raziskovanje vodenja pri učiteljih: ali so bodoči učitelji 
pripravljeni voditi?
Jetë Aliu in Fjolla Kaçaniku
• Učiteljski poklic v zadnjih desetletjih postaja vse kompleksnejši. Spreminja -
joča se vloga učiteljev je zahtevala novo paradigmo učiteljskega poklica, ki 
priznava potencial učiteljev za vodenje pri podpiranju razvoja in sprememb 
v šolah. Vpliv, ki ga imajo učitelji na šolsko skupnost, in njihova zavzetost za 
šolske spremembe sta v središču opredelitev vodenja pri učiteljih. Priprava 
bodočih učiteljev, da bodo na svojih šolah delovali kot vodje, lahko podpre 
splošna prizadevanja za izboljšanje šole. Zato je namen te študije raziskati 
razvoj vodenja pri učiteljih pred začetkom dela. V študiji je bila uporabljena 
kvalitativna metodologija za obravnavo: i) razumevanje vodenja pri učite -
ljih na strani učiteljev pred začetkom dela; ii) vloga začetnega izobraževanja 
učiteljev pri oblikovanju razumevanja vodenja pri učiteljih; iii) prispevek za -
četnega izobraževanja učiteljev k pripravljenosti bodočih učiteljev za izvaja -
nje vodstvene vloge za izboljšanje šole. Študija je bila izvedena z bodočimi 
učitelji na vodilni ustanovi za začetno izobraževanje učiteljev na Kosovu. V 
štirih skupinskih intervjujih je sodelovalo 42 bodočih učiteljev iz vseh le -
tnikov programa izobraževanja učiteljev osnovnih šol, da bi se poglobljeno 
pogovorili o ključnih elementih vodenja pri učiteljih in tako bolje razumeli, 
kako bodoči učitelji razumejo ta koncept in kako so pripravljeni opravlja -
ti vodstvene vloge. Kot analitični okvir za ugotavljanje razvoja vodenja pri 
učiteljih v začetnem izobraževanju učiteljev je bil uporabljen model, ki so 
ga zasnovali Snoek et al. (2019). Študija razkriva, da ni soglasja glede opre -
delitve vodenja pri učiteljih. Ugotovitve kažejo, da razumevanje vodenja pri 
učiteljih temelji na kontekstualno oblikovani viziji, kaj pomeni biti učitelj, 
kar ima za posledico ozek pogled na vodenje glede na raven posameznika 
in razreda. Študija ugotavlja, da ima začetno izobraževanje učiteljev ključno 
vlogo pri prispevanju k premiku konceptualizacije vodenja pri učiteljih, ki 
presega izolirane poglede na individualno in formalno vodenje. Ugotovitve 
imajo nujne posledice za zagotavljanje dobrih modelov začetnega izobraže -
vanja učiteljev, ki podpirajo pripravo in pripravljenost bodočih učiteljev kot 
vodij za spopadanje z vse večjo kompleksnostjo učiteljskega poklica.
 Ključne besede: vodenje pri učiteljih, začetno izobraževanje učiteljev, 
bodoči učitelji, izboljšanje šole

40 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
Introduction
Teacher leadership has gained immense interest in recent decades as a 
core component of pioneering educational leadership and school reform. This 
is generally because research has demonstrated the importance of the quality 
of educational leadership on the school and student achievement (Bush, 2010). 
Effective leadership is when authority is distributed among the personnel of 
the school, instead of centralising leadership in the persons formally holding 
the position of leaders. The idea of distributed leadership involving teachers as 
leaders within and beyond their classrooms is growing rapidly (Muijs & Harris, 
2007; Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2009). 
Teachers’ great potential for change has been recognised in the litera -
ture, as they are considered to have “the capacity to lead the school via in -
creasing teacher collaboration, spreading best practices, encouraging teacher 
professional learning, offering assistance with differentiation, and focusing on 
content-specific issues” (Wenner & Campbell, 2017, pp. 1–2). Teachers are per -
sistently considered to be the crucial variable of change given the considerable 
impact they have on student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2000). Fullan 
(1991) explains that “[e]ducational change depends on what teachers do and 
think – it is as simple and as complex as that” (p. 117).
Teacher leadership plays a significant role in improving educational 
practices (Muijs & Harris, 2005; Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2009). However, there 
is a lack of literature that investigates teacher leadership as a strategy for teach -
er professional development (Poekert, 2012). Initial teacher education pro -
grammes play a crucial role in preparing future teachers to take on leadership 
roles. Students’ experiences during teacher education can help future teachers 
develop the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to be effective leaders. A 
strong link exists between teacher leadership and professional development, 
as professional development is both a source and a result of teacher leadership 
(Poekert, 2012). Effective professional development supports the professionali -
sation of teachers by enhancing their leadership abilities and enabling them to 
positively influence their colleagues’ practice (Murphy, 2005). 
The Kosovo teacher education context
Efforts to advance the quality of initial teacher education have been at 
the forefront of higher education and teacher education reforms in Kosovo for 
the past two decades (Ka� aniku, 2020a; Ka� aniku, 2022). In the pursuit of the 
necessary educational changes, Kosovo has aligned itself with European trends 
towards high-quality education (Saqipi, 2019). Numerous policy interventions 

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 41
have also been employed at the national level to improve the standards required 
for the teaching profession to comply with the ever-increasing complexities of 
the teaching profession (Ka� aniku, 2020b; Ka� aniku, 2022; Saqipi, 2019). 
According to the advanced standards, future teachers are expected to act 
as change agents and contribute beyond just teaching in the classroom, e.g., by 
engaging in continuous professional development and engaging professionally 
with colleagues, parents and community. 
Mandated to prepare future teachers, the University of Prishtina’s Fac -
ulty of Education has embarked on ongoing reforms to address the demands for 
new teacher professionalism (Saqipi, 2019). The Faculty of Education has com -
mitted to designing programmes at the bachelor and master’ s levels that include 
coursework and experiential learning opportunities to support future teach -
ers in developing the required skills, knowledge and attributes in line with the 
standards of the teaching profession (Ka� aniku et al., 2019). Such interventions 
have arisen as a request from the Kosovo Accreditation Agency in efforts to im -
prove the quality of study programmes. However, the Faculty of Education has 
taken a proactive role in improving the quality of programmes by serving as a 
beneficiary in several TEMPUS and ERASMUS+ projects for capacity building 
in higher education, which have enabled substantial programme reform (Ka -
�aniku, 2022). A significant aspect of the revised programmes is the cultivation 
of student-teacher generic competencies, which are recognised as crucial for 
developing adaptable future teachers. Nevertheless, teacher leadership is still 
considered a novel concept and has not directly been addressed as part of study 
programme reform. 
Spurred by the idea that teacher leadership is an essential aspect of 
teacher education, the present study explores the views that pre-service teach -
ers of the primary education programme hold regarding teacher leadership, as 
well as their readiness to enact teacher leadership as part of their future profes -
sional work. 
Theoretical background
What is teacher leadership?
There is an equivocal understanding in the literature regarding the 
definition of teacher leadership. Some authors view teacher leadership from 
the perspective of influence and interaction, while others see it from the per -
spective of power and authority (Poekert, 2012). The common understanding 
among the descriptions of teacher leadership is that teacher leaders engage 
in leadership roles inside and outside the classroom in order to support the 

42 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
enhancement of educational practices and school development. Harris and 
Muijs (2005) claim that teacher leadership relates to teachers’ behaviours re -
garding school advancement, professional development and collaboration 
with colleagues, as well as their knowledge, skills and behaviours for improv -
ing teaching and learning. This suggests that teachers’ leadership attitudes are 
important in elevating the quality of instruction taking place in schools and as 
such the quality of education delivery to students. Y ork-Barr and Duke defined 
teacher leadership as: “the process by which teachers, individually or collec -
tively, influence their colleagues, principals, and other members of school com -
munities to improve teaching and learning practices with the aim of increased 
student learning and achievement” (2004, p. 287). Making a difference in 
school beyond teaching in the classroom involves an effort to enhance teaching 
practices and deepen subject matter expertise, providing support to colleagues, 
building professional relationships, being involved in school decision-making 
processes and challenging existing norms (Danielson 2006; Jacobs et al., 2014). 
According to Katyal and Evers (2004), teachers have a direct or indirect impact 
on other colleagues, students and the school community through their beliefs, 
values, expertise and actions. Teacher leadership is effective when teachers are 
accepting and respectful towards the opinions of others, and when they are 
positive, energetic and self-assured (Danielson, 2007; Katzenmeyer & Moller, 
2009). Such qualities are critical, as effective leadership relies on the creation 
and preservation of cooperative and professional connections (Poekert, 2012). 
Teacher leadership roles can be played in a formal or informal way. For -
mal teacher leaders are often assigned a particular role within the school by the 
principal, such as department chair, assigned mentor, curriculum specialist or 
leader of a study group (Y ork-Barr & Duke, 2004). However, a pitfall of the for -
mal role can be a lack of self-initiative among teachers, as they expect to receive 
tasks from the school management. Teachers who act as leaders informally, on 
the other hand, are characterised by an intrinsic motivation to undertake self-
initiative for improving teaching and learning. For instance, informal leaders 
engage in the wider school community to improve teacher collaboration, sup -
port colleagues’ professional development, share curriculum and instructional 
materials, conduct action research and provide informal mentoring (Daniel -
son, 2007; Muijs & Harris, 2006). Teachers who engage in formal or informal 
leadership roles differ in the qualities they possess. Formal teacher leaders are 
characterised as committed, confident, well organised, communicative, empa -
thetic, flexible and reflective. In addition to these qualities, informal leaders 
are described as deeply empathetic towards others, resulting in the creation of 
strong personal ties. Moreover, they are passionate about improving teaching 

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 43
and learning practices by not only collaborating with other teachers, but also 
listening to student needs and modelling attentiveness to individual students 
needs in their classrooms (Gordon et al., 2020). 
In addition to formal and informal roles of teacher leadership, the litera -
ture views teacher leadership from the perspective of individual role-based ini -
tiatives as opposed to a collective task-oriented approach. For instance, Snoek 
et al. (2019) delineate four types of teacher leadership in the lenses of formal/
informal and individual/collective.
•	 Formal and individual teacher leadership is a role-based approach , whe -
re teachers are given positions by authorities within the school’s organi -
sational structure, such as coordinator, team leader or workgroup leader, 
which come with responsibilities for leading others.
•	 Formal and collective teacher leadership is a collective role-based appro -
ach , where teachers work together as part of a group with a specific role 
in order to exert influence over other individuals outside of the group. 
They usually work towards a specific goal, e.g., facilitating the professio -
nal growth of colleagues.  
•	 Informal and individual teacher leadership is an initiators approach , 
where teacher leadership does not derive from an assigned formal le -
adership position, but rather arises from teachers taking the initiative 
to lead in order to contribute to the school’s development, e.g., creating 
informal study circles. 
•	 Informal and collective teacher leadership is a group-based approach , 
where teachers – either all of the teachers or several from the school – 
work together in initiatives that support school development. This type 
of teacher leadership empowers every teacher to exert an influence, whi -
le those with the most relevant expertise are allowed to lead the process, 
e.g., working together on innovative teaching strategies. 
The present study is based on the framework presented by Snoek et al. 
(2019) in order to better understand where the conceptualisation of teacher 
leadership falls within these four types of leadership among pre-service teach -
ers and how initial teacher education contributes to their understanding of and 
readiness for teacher leadership. Such findings provide significant information 
on the ways to move forward in preparing future teachers to embrace a broader 
understanding of leadership and to acquire a greater readiness to act as leaders. 

44 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
Figure 1
Theoretical Framework of Teacher Leadership (adapted from Snoek et al., 2019).
Teacher leadership and initial teacher education 
The teaching profession has become increasingly more complex in the 
last decades. The changing role of teachers has called for a new paradigm of 
the teaching profession that recognises the potential of teachers to lead for 
supporting school development. Yet, teachers are seldom seen as the driving 
force of change (Fullan, 2005). Hence, many teachers do not view themselves 
as leaders or recognise their role as the backbone of school reforms. Teachers’ 
professional identity as teacher leaders can be nurtured during teacher prepa -
ration programmes, as this is when future teachers develop their professional 
identity. During initial teacher education programmes, through various expe -
riences and interactions, students construct their views of who they want to 
be as professionals and their understandings of the role and position of teach -
ers in society (Sachs, 2005). Students’ values and beliefs about themselves as 
teachers are critical issues in teacher initial education programmes, because 
these views serve as the foundation of how they interpret and decide on issues 
regarding teaching and learning as future teachers (Bullough, 1997). This im -
plies that teacher initial education programmes can contribute to the develop -
ment of future teacher identity by devoting specific attention to the personal 
and professional growth of students. Embedding teacher leadership in teacher 
preparation programmes in which students develop their teacher identity sup -
ports their vision of the profession and their understanding of the impact of the 
profession on the development of school and student success. As Katzenmeyer 

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 45
and Moller (2009) claim, teachers are confident to enact leadership roles when 
their personal philosophy to education is clear and well-shaped. 
In addition to identity formation, teacher education programmes should 
equip future teachers with the required competencies to address the needs and 
challenges of the profession. Leadership is a vital part of the new paradigm of 
the teaching profession. Forster (1997) stated that “ All teachers must be educa -
tional leaders in order to optimize the teaching and learning experiences for 
themselves and their students” (pp. 82–83). This means that future teachers 
should be supported and encouraged to become leaders in order for them to 
fulfil their roles and responsibilities as professionals. In order for teachers to act 
as leaders, they need to have a sense of motivation and confidence to undertake 
positive changes within school (Muijs & Harris, 2006). Teacher preparation 
programmes can play a crucial role in nurturing confidence and willingness in 
future teachers to act as change agents, thus breaking the cultural norms of the 
teaching profession that view the teacher’s role predominantly situated within 
the classroom borders. In a study conducted by Oppi et al. (2020), participants 
mentioned intrinsic motivation as one of the main characteristics of teacher 
leaders, as teacher leaders should have a force that stems from within and push -
es them to do things better. Students’ opportunities for professional develop -
ment during teacher preparation programmes can support pre-service teachers 
to broaden their approach towards leadership and expand their understanding 
of the opportunities they have to lead. Other qualities of teacher leaders include 
self-regulation skills, such as planning, collaboration and communication, as 
well as empathy and consideration for others (Oppi et al., 2020). By designing 
curricular experiences that engage students in leadership roles and responsi -
bilities, future teachers develop a professional identity that incorporates leader -
ship, as well as the skills, attributes and qualities required to take on leadership 
roles within the classroom, the school and the broader education community. 
As argued by Forster (1997), “Teacher education institutions carry a particular 
responsibility by preparing teachers not only to understand and accept a lead -
ership role, but to be able to effectively function in that capacity” (pp. 88–93). 
The literature reveals a gap in defining teacher leadership, with varying 
perspectives on its nature. While definitions differ, teacher leaders are gener -
ally seen as influencing educational practices inside and outside the classroom. 
T eacher leadership can take formal or informal forms, each associated with dis -
tinct qualities. Additionally, the literature distinguishes between individual and 
collective approaches to teacher leadership (Gordon et al., 2020; Oppi et al., 
2020; Snoek et al., 2019). In order to address this gap, it is essential to investi -
gate the concept of teacher leadership in initial teacher education programmes 

46 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
by exploring the process of shaping future teachers’ professional identity and 
equipping them with the necessary competencies to act as leaders within edu -
cation. Motivated by a belief that teacher leadership plays a crucial role in initial 
teacher education, the present research investigates the perspectives of student-
teachers regarding teacher leadership and their preparedness to embrace teach -
er leadership in their future careers.
The purpose of the study is to explore pre-service teacher leadership 
development by answering the following research questions: 
RQ1: How do pre-service teachers conceptualise teacher leadership?
RQ2: How does initial teacher education shape the understanding of teacher 
leadership for school improvement?
RQ3: How does initial teacher education contribute to pre-service teachers’ 
readiness for exercising leadership roles for school improvement?
Methods 
The study is situated within a qualitative research paradigm. Qualitative 
research allows participants’ opinions to be flexibly represented and prompts is -
sues that emerge beyond participants’ actions and behaviours that exist beneath 
their consciousness (Creswell & Creswell, 2018).
Sampling, instruments and procedure
The study was conducted with pre-service teachers in the largest ini -
tial teacher education institution in Kosovo during the spring semester of 
the 2022/2023 academic year. Purposive sampling was adopted as a sampling 
strategy (Cohen et al., 2018). The goal was to ensure inclusive participation of 
student-teachers from all study years of the Primary Teacher Education pro -
gramme (1st to 4th-year student-teachers) in group interviews. A total of 42 
pre-service teachers from all years of the Primary Teacher Education pro -
gramme participated in group interviews. In order to ensure an equal oppor -
tunity for student-teacher participation in the group interviews, an email was 
sent out to student-teachers from all study years of the Primary Teacher Educa -
tion programme with a detailed explanation of the study’s purpose. Student-
teachers were invited to fill out a participation form that enabled their selection 
to participate in group interview discussions on a first-come-first-served basis. 
This selection method was based on the premise that students who filled out 
the participation form showed an interest in engaging further with the topic 
of teacher leadership. See the table below for more information on the sample. 

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 47
Table 1
Sample distribution
Primary Teacher Education students Number of participants
Year I 10
Year II 10
Year III 10
Year IV 12
TOTAL 42
Since the topic of teacher leadership is fairly new in the Kosovar context 
of teacher education, group interviews were conducted to enable the research -
er to acquire valuable insight into the interpretation of the discussion, as the 
group members stimulate each other to engage in the discussion (see: Frey & 
Fontana, 1991). A typical group interview involves 10–15 participants (Cohen et 
al., 2018), and we invited at least 10 student-teachers per group as participants. 
In order to capture a range of teacher leadership conceptualisations, the 
group interview protocol was developed based on Snoek et al. ’s (2019) theoreti -
cal framework of teacher leadership. The protocol reflected the goal of initiat -
ing discussion on how pre-service teachers conceptualise teacher leadership 
by linking this to the role of initial teacher education in fostering this concept 
in teaching profession dimensions. Furthermore, the group interview proto -
col triggered a discussion on understanding the contribution of initial teacher 
education to pre-service teachers’ readiness for exercising leadership roles for 
school improvement.
Quality criteria for qualitative research
The study adopted criteria for assessing the trustworthiness of qualita -
tive inquiries in order to address validity, generalisability, reliability and objec -
tivity. Researchers who subscribe to the constructivist worldview (including the 
qualitative, interpretive approach) have developed the following concepts in 
response to addressing the quality criteria relevant for assessing the trustwor -
thiness of qualitative inquiries in qualitative research: credibility , transferability , 
dependability and confirmability (Lincoln & Guba, 1985).
In our research, we addressed the issue of credibility in the following ways: 
(i) by operationalising concepts related to teacher leadership clearly in the data 
collection, intended to allow respondents to confirm the results; (ii) by random 
sampling, since the respondents filled out the participation form on a voluntary 
basis and ‘secured’ their spots in the group interviews on a first-come-first-served 

48 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
basis; and (iii) by offering a detailed description of the phenomena being studied 
in the email invitation to the participants, as well as during the group interviews. 
Although there is no intention to address external validity/generalisability in 
qualitative research, our research focused on ensuring transferability of results 
by: (i) allowing other researchers the opportunity to compare context similari -
ties and differences; and (ii) developing a modest basis for achieving theoretical 
generalisations as the key advantage of conducting qualitative research. Lincoln 
and Guba (1985) emphasise that there is a close association between dependability 
and confirmability . In our study, we tackled these two essential benchmarks for 
conducting qualitative research by offering a comprehensive description of our 
research methodology and the specific actions taken, in order to facilitate the 
reader’s comprehension of the execution of each step.
Data analysis 
Data were analysed using a hybrid thematic approach (see: Fereday 
& Muir-Cochrane, 2006) by combining a deductive template for data analy -
sis (Crabtree & Miller, 1999) and a data-driven inductive approach (Boyatzis, 
1998). Deductive thematic analysis was done using the theoretical framework 
of teacher leadership from Snoek et al. (2019) (see Figure 1 ), while inductive 
thematic analysis relied on the student-teachers’ perspectives and was purely 
data driven. This combined approach of data analysis was used to ensure an in -
clusive view of the data and offered rich insights into the students’ understand -
ing of teacher leadership and their readiness to exercise a leadership stance 
towards school improvement.
Results
The study yields evidence about pre-services teachers’ understanding of 
teacher leadership. The findings are organised in accordance with the research 
questions regarding the conceptualisation of teacher leadership, the contribu -
tion of the initial teacher education programme in shaping the understand -
ing of the concept, and the pre-services teachers’ readiness to act as leaders 
based on their perceptions. The results are categorised following a theoretical 
framework that considers various forms and approaches of teacher leadership 
depending on teachers’ engagement activities. The analysis of the data gener -
ated central themes that dominated the pre-service teachers’ conceptualisation 
of teacher leadership and the key insights delineating the understanding of the 
role of teacher leaders in school development. An overview of the findings is 
presented in Table 2 and discussed throughout this section. 

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 49
Table 2
Overview of the findings 
Forms of 
Teacher 
Leadership
Approaches 
to Teacher 
Leadership
Central 
Themes
Key Insights
Formal and 
individual 
leadership
Role-based 
approach 
Top-down 
outlook of 
leadership 
– School principal considered as the key person 
responsible for school leadership
– Formal authority exercised by the school 
principal enables them to initiate change 
– Guidance and orders to initiate activities come 
from a top-down leadership approach
Teacher 
leader as an 
authority 
figure
– Teacher leadership as a formal position in the 
school hierarchy
– Teacher exercises authority and has influence 
over others
– A formal position to initiate activities and 
foster change
Teacher as a 
“successful 
classroom 
leader”
– A teacher who is in charge of the classroom
– Capable of providing effective teaching to 
students
– Focused on student achievement
– Capable of fulfilling curriculum requirements
– Student-centred teaching approach
– Contemporary teaching methodologies
– Incisive teacher
– Supportive classroom environment for 
successful learning
– Effective classroom management
– Cooperation with parents
Formal and 
collective 
leadership
Collective 
role-based 
approach
Missing link 
between 
teachers as 
individuals 
and school 
leadership 
structure
– Teacher leadership as confined to classroom 
roles
– Lack of understanding regarding school 
leadership scope
– Lack of guidance to participate in school 
management activities
– Lack of exposure to broad views of teacher 
and school leadership 
Informal 
and 
individual
Initiators 
approach 
Teacher 
leader as a 
change agent 
– Brings new ideas and practices
– Identifies gaps and strives for continuous 
professional development
– Reflects constantly and aims for improvement 
– Initiating school and community-level activities
– Reflects creativity
Teacher 
leader as a 
supporter of 
collegiality 
– Teachers share good experiences and practices 
with their peers
– Teachers help colleagues to develop 
professionally
– Support colleagues to find appropriate 
solutions for pressing problems
– Invest in developing relationships with 
colleagues inside and outside school

50 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
Forms of 
Teacher 
Leadership
Approaches 
to Teacher 
Leadership
Central 
Themes
Key Insights
Informal 
and 
collective
Group-
based 
approach
Teachers as 
contributors 
to school 
development 
– Teachers participate in different school 
development projects voluntary
– Teachers understand the school vision and 
engage in group efforts to support school 
improvement 
– Teachers understand school culture and school 
needs in order to contribute to different areas 
of improvement
Conceptualisation of teacher leadership and the contribution of initial 
teacher education to the understanding of teacher leadership
The study attempted to ascertain how pre-service teachers understand 
teacher leadership. The predominant understanding among the interviewees 
situates teacher leader in a formal and individual leadership stance depicting a 
top-down view on leadership and portraying the teacher leader as an authority 
figure who is successful mainly within the classroom borders. The prevalent 
view that teacher leadership relates to formal authority, whereby teachers are 
expected to fulfil requirements that derive from formal roles, positions the pre-
services’ understanding of teacher leadership within the role-based approach.
The pre-service teachers’ understanding of the concept of teacher lead -
ership illustrates their view of leadership in education, which is associated with 
the top-down outlook of leadership in school management. When discussing 
leadership, the primary figure responsible for school leadership that came 
into the participants’ minds was the school principal. The pre-service teachers 
mainly regard the school principal as the critical figure in facilitating school 
improvement and driving change, as guidance and directives to initiate activi -
ties are provided by those in higher levels of authority:
The teacher leader is someone who helps other individuals within and 
outside school to develop professional knowledge. From my previous 
experience, this person in my school was the school principal, who al -
ways dealt with and managed the school’s affairs. (Participant 4, Y ear 1)
The first thing that comes to my mind when we discuss leadership is the 
position of school principal. (Participant 4, Y ear 2)
The pre-service teachers portrayed the teacher leader as an authority 
figure having a formal position that allows them to exercise authority and influ -
ence others. The formal position of the teacher leader within the school hier -
archy grants teacher leaders the ability to initiate activities that drive progress 
and school improvement:

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 51
I think that teacher leadership is more of a formal role […] if I can say it 
refers to a teacher who has formal authority in the school, which comes 
from the higher position a teacher has in the leadership hierarchy. (Par -
ticipant 4, Y ear 3)
I think that in a formal role, the teacher leader will have more influence 
over others, i.e., others will listen and follow him/her in whatever ac -
tions the teacher leader initiates. In an informal role, others might not 
necessarily listen to the teacher leader […] if for example the teacher 
provides some ideas for activities to be implemented in the school, if 
others like or agree with the idea they will follow […] if not, then they 
won’t. (Participant 2, Y ear 1)
The pre-service teachers stipulate that the teacher leader is a successful 
classroom leader capable of effectively fulfilling the curriculum requirements 
and adept at providing effective teaching that conforms with contemporary 
teaching strategies for addressing students’ individual needs, as well as being an 
inclusive teacher who fosters a supportive classroom environment to facilitate 
successful learning:
The teacher leader is an inclusive teacher who acts as such both inside 
and outside the classroom context. The teacher leader is a contempo -
rary teacher who analyses the requirements specified in the curriculum 
framework and is able to translate them into teaching practice. (Partici -
pant 3, Y ear 2)
The teacher leader is someone who is capable of fulfilling the curricu -
lum requirements effectively, e.g., using student-centred teaching ap -
proaches that put the individual needs of students at the forefront, so 
students can benefit from the teaching that takes place in the classroom. 
(Participant 3, Y ear 1)
The findings indicate that the pre-service teachers’ understanding of teach -
er leadership as a collective role-based approach , in which teachers work as a group 
with a specific role to exert influence over other individuals outside the group, is 
only sporadically mentioned. For example, one participant mentioned that:
[...] the teacher leader can get involved in professional activas (depart -
ments) of schools and contribute to the teaching and school system. 
(Participant 5, Y ear 4)
In the Kosovo education system, professional activas are professional 
communities of two or more teachers of the same/similar subject areas who 

52 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
share knowledge and practices among themselves in order to contribute to the 
enhanced quality of teaching and learning.
The missing link between teachers as individuals and the school leadership 
structure is identified by the pre-service teachers’ prevalent view of the teacher 
leader’s influence being limited to the classroom role. This suggests that the 
respondents may not be fully aware of the scope of school leadership, that they 
lack a comprehensive understanding of the roles and responsibilities of school 
leadership, and that they might not be fully aware of the broader leadership 
opportunities available to them within the school system and how they can be 
more involved in school management.
The participants in the study made a distinction between the teacher’s 
involvement as a leader who relates to their activities that are part of the ex -
pected teachers’ workload and teachers’ involvement in informal activities with 
students. Such a distinction indicates that the pre-service teachers have a mod -
erate understanding of teacher leadership as an initiators approach in which 
teachers have an informal and individual role as leaders. For instance, teachers’ 
informal involvement on a voluntary basis in organising school-level activities 
such as awareness raising activities regarding important societal issues:
[...] An example is when a teacher takes the initiative to organise activi -
ties related to students’ awareness of environment protection. (Partici -
pant 4, Y ear 2)
The pre-service teachers view the teacher leader as a change agent in 
the sense that teacher leaders are innovators who bring new ideas and prac -
tices to their work, introduce innovative solutions to problems, initiate school-
level activities that engage students and motivate them to learn, and reflect 
continuously on identifying their needs for professional development. How -
ever, this theme was mainly discussed within the framework of individual and 
classroom-level interventions, and the participants failed to more thoroughly 
recognise teacher leadership beyond classroom boundaries.
The teacher leader accepts his/her challenges and knowledge gaps and 
always strives to improve him/herself through continuous professional 
development activities [...]. They are more prone to taking risks and are 
fully committed to their responsibilities as teachers. (Participant 1, Y ear 4)
In addition, within the initiators approach to teacher leadership, the 
pre-service teachers portray the teacher leader as a supporter of collegiality , 
as teacher leaders are viewed as teachers who play a critical role in creating a 
positive and collaborative school culture in which teachers are willing to share 

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 53
experiences, practices and knowledge with one another. As mentioned by the 
participants, the teacher leader helps colleagues to develop professionally by of -
fering support, guidance and feedback, and by investing in developing collegial 
relationships inside and outside the school:
Teacher leaders can contribute to school development by sharing good 
practices and experiences with their colleagues – if they have imple -
mented a teaching practice/activity during their lesson that has turned 
out to be successful and well received (perceived as attractive) by stu -
dents – in order for their colleagues to also implement good practices for 
their students to learn more effectively. (Participant 3, Y ear 1)
I will initiate collaborations not only within the classroom and school 
context, but with colleagues beyond the school ‘boundaries’.  (Partici -
pant 9, Y ear 4)
Teacher leaders should collaborate with all of their colleagues (teacher 
colleagues and other school staff, as well as with students and parents) 
and be willing to listen to others’ ideas, concerns. Such teachers are will -
ing to invest in collegial collaboration even outside school [...] by in -
viting colleagues to social activities outside working hours. This helps 
colleagues to connect at a deeper level and find commonalities that en -
hance their professional connection. (Participant 6, Y ear 1)
Finally, the interviewees depict the role of the teacher leader within the 
group-based approach by stipulating that teacher leaders are contributors to 
school development. In this role, teacher leaders should understand the school 
vision and work collaboratively with others to support school development:
[...] One concrete example is when the teacher and the school principal 
collaborate in preparing an application for a grant for school improve -
ment purposes. (Participant 4, Y ear 2)
I think school development is a continuous process. In order to con -
tribute to school development, we need to have a vision [...] we need to 
know where we want the school to be. But in order to do this I cannot 
do it alone, I can contribute as part of a team, but I consider that the 
involvement of other colleagues and the school principal is necessary to 
have a common understanding of where we are as a school and where 
we want to be, and afterwards decide on the activities that we need to 
implement in order to achieve that goal. (Participant 5, Y ear 3)
The pre-service teachers have varying opinions on the contribu -
tion of the initial teacher education programme to the formation of their 

54 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
conceptualisation of teacher leadership. The participants from the first and sec -
ond year of study tend to have a more positive view on the effectiveness of the 
programme to equip them with knowledge regarding the roles and responsi -
bilities of the teaching profession through various courses and assignments, as 
well as to develop skills such as research skills and time management, which are 
viewed as crucial for their work as professionals.
The study programme exposed us to the content of the curriculum, its 
purpose and the role of teachers in implementing the curriculum. This 
has helped us to broaden our view and perspective on the role of teach -
ers in the education system. (Participant 2, Y ear 1)
Last year, we had a task to analyse the national curriculum framework 
and I remember that when we analysed the competencies we needed to 
develop in students that was the first understanding I gained of what 
kind of teacher I would like to be. The development of such competen -
cies has helped me understand how to become a teacher leader in the 
future. (Participant 3, Y ear 2)
The participants from the third year of study reveal mixed views on 
the study programme’s focus on teacher leadership. Some of the participants 
claimed that, during their three years of study, they lacked opportunities to dis -
cuss the concept of the teacher leader specifically, but that the programme had 
offered them opportunities to expose themselves to leadership practices mainly 
during in-school placement and practical assignments. Others claimed to have 
heard about the concept but lacked an opportunity during their studies to gain 
a more comprehensive understanding of it. The participants from the fourth 
year of study had more dilemmas regarding the study programme’s focus on 
teacher leadership, which limited their views on the role of teacher leadership 
in school improvement.
We did not specifically discuss the concept, but during our assignments 
I think we were exposed to leadership and practised it without maybe 
realising. For example, during in-school placement, we were asked or 
supposed to lead the class or an activity and then we were asked to re -
flect on how we implemented it to understand what to do better next 
time. (Participant 3, Y ear 3)
Many courses focus on general aspects of the teaching profession and 
have failed to enable us to dig deeper into different problems and ex -
plore potential interventions and solutions. I only know what a teacher 
leader is in theory! (Participant 9, Y ear 4) 

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 55
Readiness for exercising leadership roles
Regarding the pre-service teachers’ readiness to exercise leadership for 
school improvement, the findings revealed the main competencies that the partici -
pants consider to be essential for the teacher leader. Personal characteristics – such 
as positive attitudes towards the profession, work ethics, being inspiring, reflective, 
empathetic, professional, motivating, responsible, enthusiastic and creative, and be -
ing a role model for students – were deemed as characteristics of the teacher leader. 
The participants considered that the initial teacher education programme had ena -
bled them to shape their professional identity and their personal philosophy to edu -
cation in line with the identified characteristics of the teacher leader:
I think that, in this changing world, there is a general understanding 
that being a teacher does not only mean that we go to class and teach. 
[...] Teachers are expected to engage in continuous professional devel -
opment in order to gain new knowledge and skills that prepare them to 
deal with a range of demands and to address students’ needs. This is the 
basis that enables teachers to develop as leaders. (Participant 2, Y ear 2)
The participants also emphasised the generic skills that characterise the 
teacher leader, such as communication skills, organisational skills and research 
skills, to name a few. Generally, the participants considered that the programme 
had helped them to develop such skills, thus making them feel more confident 
to act as leaders in the future:
I think that the programme has helped me develop some of the generic 
skills. For example, I learned to be organised and manage my time more 
effectively, and to be more responsible during group assignments. As -
signments also helped me be more reflective in terms of analysing things 
and listening to others’ views on a certain topic. (Participant 3, Y ear 1)
Lastly, the pre-service teachers mentioned that the teacher leader should 
embrace democratic values, such as diversity and inclusion, and respect for all 
students. They consider that they are ready to demonstrate and promote such 
values in their schools:
I would try to create an inclusive school and support students with spe -
cial needs. In this regard, I would organise awareness-raising activities, 
involving the community as well, to emphasise the importance of the 
inclusive school. (Participant 2, Y ear 3)
The findings also show a reluctance in some participants to exercise lead -
ership, as they consider they lacked opportunities for hands-on experience and 

56 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
practical work during their studies. This view prevailed mainly among third- 
and fourth-year students, who considered that they need more time and expe -
rience to be able to fully understand the multifaceted demands of the teaching 
profession. The pre-service teachers positioned teacher leadership within the 
role-based approach, the initiators approach and the group-based approach, 
while the collective-role based approach is missing in their understanding of 
the concept.
Discussion
The present study provides evidence about pre-service teachers’ concep -
tualisation of teacher leadership, the contribution of initial teacher education 
in developing an understanding of teacher leadership, and the readiness of fu -
ture teachers to act as leaders. The findings regarding the conceptualisation of 
teacher leadership within the Snoek et al. (2019) model of different forms of 
teacher leadership reveal that there is no consensus on the definition of teacher 
leadership, which is consistent with previous findings in the literature. 
Drawing on Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems model (1979), our 
findings indicate that shaping teacher leadership in initial teacher education is 
highly context-based. This means that initial teacher education influences the 
understanding of teacher leadership based on a contextually drawn vision of 
what it means to be a teacher. Although teacher leadership has been discussed 
as a cross-cutting theme in initial teacher education, pre-service teachers em -
brace a narrow view of teacher leadership towards individual and classroom-
level leadership roles. However, other dimensions of teacher leadership at 
the collegial, school and system levels are marginally represented or missing. 
Hence, our findings support the development of a framework (see Figure 2 ) for 
understanding teacher leadership within such contextual dynamics whereby 
the role of teacher leader is confined within classroom borders, while teachers’ 
contribution to educational leadership is practically lacking at the school and 
system levels. The framework connects the models of Bronfenbrenner (1979) 
and Snoek et al. (2019) to offer a deeper understanding of context-based teacher 
leadership development towards shaping future teacher professionalism. 

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 57
Figure 2
Framework for understanding context-based teacher leadership development
At the classroom level , the predominant exemplification of the teacher 
leader relates to the formal and individual role of teachers bounded mainly within 
the classroom borders. Similar to other research (see: Brooks, 2004), the pre-ser -
vice teachers interviewed in the present study generally believed that their lead -
ership responsibilities were limited to the classroom context, as they considered 
that the role of the teacher leader is primarily to accomplish the official require -
ments, responsibilities and duties of the profession. The limited view of teacher 
leadership centred on fulfilling curriculum requirements indicates an absence of 
understanding of the broader leadership opportunities available to teachers in 
the school and education system. This prevalent view among the future teachers 
interviewed could be due to their general understanding of the hierarchical inter -
viewed of leadership, which positions teachers’ work primarily in the classroom. 
The formal structure of school leadership is widespread among schools in Kosovo 
(see: Buleshkaj & Koren, 2022). Therefore, pre-service teachers lack exposure to 
different leadership models during their in-school placement, which could have 
contributed to their limited view of teacher leadership.
At the collegial level , the participants in the study demonstrated an un -
derstanding of the distinctive role of the teacher leader in formal and informal 
positions by mentioning activities that could be done individually or collectively 

58 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
in formal and informal roles (Y ork-Barr & Duke, 2004) at the school as well as 
the community level. They mentioned the role of the teacher leader in estab -
lishing a positive climate within the school and in collaborating with other col -
leagues to advance teaching practices for successful student learning. Although 
aware of the importance of collegial collaboration, the nature of collaboration is 
essentially to serve the purposes of classroom change. This means that exercis -
ing leadership through collegiality entails sharing good practices and experi -
ences that enhance the quality of teaching and learning. 
At the school level , collaboration for school improvements is partly dis -
cussed. Teacher leadership is viewed as limited to collaboration for student 
achievement, which in turn could support overall school development. Nev -
ertheless, collaboration to support the vision of the school and development 
beyond the classroom is missing in the pre-service teachers’ delineation of the 
role of the teacher leader for school development, which is similar to other find -
ings in the literature (see: Oppi et al., 2020). Participating in school change and 
improvement initiatives is one of the dimensions of teacher leadership practice 
identified by York-Barr and Duke (2004), encompassing teachers taking part 
in decision-making within school, working with colleagues and conducting ac -
tion research for school change. However, teachers’ engagement of this nature 
was absent in the discussion of teacher leaders’ roles with the participants of 
the present study, which further supports their isolated view of the scope of 
teacher leadership. 
At the system level , teacher leadership for supporting education system 
changes is missing. How students construct their view of their future selves as 
teacher leaders does not support them in acting as change agents at the system 
level, but rather in exerting influence through their classroom practices. This 
means that the initial teacher education programme has shaped a pre-service 
teacher philosophy to education (see: Sachs, 2005; Katzenmeyer & Moller, 
2009) by introducing students to the core professional tasks and responsibili -
ties of the teaching profession confined within the classroom setting. These 
findings indicate that initial teacher education programmes should incorporate 
a more explicit and multifaceted approach to teacher leadership in order to 
broaden pre-service teachers’ conceptualisation of the role of teachers in con -
tributing to system change. 
In addition to developing an understanding of teacher leadership, the 
initial teacher education programme should support students with developing 
the required competencies to act as leaders. As many programmes may not be 
suitable for pre-service teachers, Bond (2011) suggests that the experience of in-
school practice provides opportunities for students to develop leadership skills. 

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 59
In the present study, the participants mentioned the opportunities they had 
during their study years to develop generic skills, particularly competencies 
like communication and research skills during practical assignments, or op -
portunities to exercise leadership by leading a class during in-school practice. 
This demonstrates the importance of exposing students to various experiential 
opportunities to help them develop their skills and have a better understanding 
of their leadership role in a school setting.
Conclusion
The present study concludes that initial teacher education has a criti -
cal role in contributing to shifting the conceptualisation of teacher leadership 
beyond the narrow sense of individual and formal leadership. Teacher lead -
ership should be placed within a wider context of teacher professionalism so 
that teacher leadership for school improvement is understood as part of the 
teaching profession. Pre-service teachers should be practically exposed to lead -
ership situations in order to broadly understand the scope of teacher leader -
ship, develop teacher leadership competencies and enhance their readiness to 
exercise leadership roles. Therefore, embedding teacher leadership as part of 
initial teacher education study programmes is imperative for cultivating future 
teacher leaders for school and education system improvement. 
Limitations and future research
The study has some limitations, both methodological and in terms of 
content. Regarding content limitations, the study deals with pre-service teacher 
leadership conceptualisations shaped through the leading initial teacher educa -
tion institution in Kosovo. Teacher leadership is operationalised using Snoek 
et al. ’s (2019) theoretical framework of teacher leadership in order to capture a 
range of teacher leadership conceptualisations. In order to ensure the teacher-
orientation in the concept investigation, however, school leadership and school 
improvement are not included. Regarding methodological limitations, the 
study is context-situated and offers a focused view of developing pre-service 
teacher leadership. Future studies could focus on in-service teacher leadership 
to understand how teacher experience and continuous professional develop -
ment shape the leadership stance. Such studies could contribute to understand -
ing the required interventions in initial teacher education programmes in order 
to fully incorporate the teacher leadership dimension. 

60 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
References
Bond, N. (2011). Preparing preservice teachers to become teacher leaders. The Educational Forum, 
75(4), 280–297.
Boyatzis, R. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. 
Sage.
Braun, V ., & Clarke, V . (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in 
Psychology, 3 (2), 77–101.
Brooks, J. S., Scribner, J. P ., & Eferakorho, J. (2004). Teacher leadership in the context of whole school 
reform. Journal of School Leadership, 14 (3), 242–265.
Buleshkaj, O., & Koren, A. (2022). Educational leadership for the national curriculum 
implementation: The case of Kosovo. Int. J. Management in Education, 16 (3), 259–275.
Bullough, R. V . (1997). Becoming a teacher: Self and the social location of teacher education. In: B. 
J. Biddle, T. L. Good, & I. F. Goodson (Eds.), International handbook of teachers and teaching (pp. 
79–134). Springer.
Bush, T. (2010). Leadership development. In: T. Bush, L. Bell, & D. Middlewood (Eds.), The principles 
of educational leadership and management (pp. 112–131). Sage. 
Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education . Routledge.
Crabtree, B., & Miller, W . (1999). A template approach to text analysis: Developing and using 
codebooks. In B. Crabtree, & W . Miller (Eds.), Doing qualitative research (pp. 163–177). Sage.
Danielson, C. (2006). Teacher leadership that strengthens professional practice . Association for 
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Danielson, C. (2007). The many faces of leadership. Educational Leadership, 65 (1), 14–19.
Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement. Education Policy Analysis 
Archives, 8 (1), 1–44.
Forster, E. M. (1997). Teacher leadership: Professional right and responsibility. Action in Teacher 
Education, 19 (3), 82–94.
Fullan, M. (2005). Leadership & sustainability: System thinkers in action . Corwin Press.
Fullan, M. (1991). The new meaning of educational change . Teachers’ College Press.
Gordon, S. P ., Jacobs, J., Croteau, S. M., & Solis, R. (2020). Informal teacher leaders: Who they 
are, what they do, and how they impact teaching and learning. Journal of School Leadership, 31(6), 
526–547.
Harris, A., & Muijs, D. (2005). Improving schools through teacher leadership . Open University Press.
Jacobs, J., Beck, B., & Crowell, L. (2014). Teacher leaders as equity-centered change agents: Exploring 
the conditions that influence navigating change to promote educational equity. Professional 
Development in Education, 40 (4), 576–596.
Ka� aniku, F. (2022). Lost in translation? Improving quality in initial teacher education in the 
framework of European initiatives. Policy Futures in Education , 20(8), 922–940.
Ka� aniku, F. (2020a). Towards quality assurance and enhancement: The influence of the Bologna 

c e p s Journal | V ol.13 | N
o
4 | Y ear 2023 61
Process in Kosovo’s higher education. Quality in Higher Education, 26 (1), 32–47. 
Ka� aniku, F. (2020b). Teacher-researcher development? Unpacking the understandings and 
approaches in initial teacher education in Kosovo. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 10 (3), 
53–76.
Ka� aniku, F., Gjelaj, M., & Saqipi, B. (2019). Context guided instruction to develop reflection 
competence of education professionals. Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, 41 (1), 
48–67. 
Katyal, K. R., & Evers, C. W . (2004). Teacher leadership and autonomous student learning Adjusting 
to the new realities. International Journal of Educational Research, 41 (4-5), 367–382.
Katzenmeyer, M., & Moller, G. (2009). Awakening the sleeping giant: Helping teachers develop as 
leaders (3rd ed.). Crowin Press.
Lincoln Y . S., & Guba E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry . Sage
Muijs, D., & Harris, A. (2006). Teacher led school improvement: Teacher leadership in the UK. 
Teaching and Teacher Education , 22(8), 961–972.
Muijs, D., & Harris, A. (2007). Teacher leadership in (in)action: Three case studies of contrasting 
schools. Educational Management, Administration and Leadership, 35 (1), 111–134.
Murphy, J. (2005). Connecting teacher leadership and school improvement . Corwin Press.
Oppi, P ., Eisenschmidt, E., & Stingu, M. (2020). Seeking sustainable ways for school development: 
Teachers’ and principals’ views regarding teacher leadership. International Journal of Leadership in 
Education, 26 (4), 581–603.
Poekert, Ph. E. (2012). Teacher leadership and professional development: Examining links between 
two concepts central to school improvement. Professional Development in Education, 38 (2), 169–188.
Sachs, J. (2005). Teacher education and the development of professional identity: Learning to be a 
teacher. In P . M. Denicolo, & M. Kompf (Eds.), Connecting policy and practice: Challenges for teaching 
and learning in schools and universities (pp. 5–21). Routledge.
Saqipi, B. (2019). Teacher education policy discourse in the midst of system reorganisation and 
policy transfer: Lessons for small and developing countries. International Journal of Management in 
Education, 13 (1), 28–39. 
Snoek, M., Hulsbos, F., & Andersen, I. (2019). Teacher leadership: Hoe kan het leiderschap van 
leraren in scholen versterkt worden? [Teacher leadership: How can the leadership of teachers in 
schools be strengthened?]. Hogeschool van Amsterdam.
Wenner, J. A., & Campbell, T. (2017). The theoretical and empirical basis of teacher leadership: A 
review of the literature. Review of Educational Research, 87 (1), 134–171.
Y ork-Barr, J., & Duke, K. (2004). What do we know about teacher leadership? Findings from two 
decades of scholarship. Review of Educational Research, 74 (3), 255–316.

62 an exploration of teacher leadership: are future teachers ready to lead?
Biographical note
Jetë Aliu, MA, is a Teaching Assistant in the field of Educational Sci -
ences at the Faculty of Education, University of Prishtina in Kosovo. She is 
currently a PhD candidate in Educational Sciences at the University of Lju -
bljana with a research interest in educational leadership, specifically focusing 
on teacher leadership, school culture, teacher professional development, and 
school development. 
Fjolla Kaçaniku, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of 
Education, University of Prishtina in Kosovo. She currently teaches courses on 
education research and education policy. Her research focuses on quality-driv -
en teacher education in the context of European policy reforms. She is currently 
a board member of the Teacher Education Policy in Europe (TEPE) network.