SISC KAIZEN 2011 the relationship of the performance of
teachers and the leadership practices
Correlation of Performance and that they utilize. The researcher was Leadership intrinsically motivated to embark on this Practices towards a Teacher study since he is seeking ways to improve Leadership how his performance can become better. Enhancement Program The study was conducted in Southville by Gabriel John Lazaro International School and Colleges. Southville is internationally accredited by INTRODUCTION the Western Association of Schools and A. Background of the Study Over Colleges (WASC), the International the last decade, organizations and their Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), and leaders have experienced sweeping the International Organization for changes in the workplace, such as rapid Standardization (ISO). Southville has also technological advancements, increased attained its status as an international globalization, shifting organizational school thru Republic Act 9493 or structures, and dynamic career patterns otherwise known as An Act Recognizing according to Kraut & Korman (1999). As Southville International School and the world of work continues to change at Colleges as an Educational Institution of a rapid pace, organizations and their International Character, Granting Certain leaders must investigate alternative Prerogatives to Hasten Its Growth as means of developing the knowledge, Such, and for Other Purposes. The skills, and abilities needed by leaders to Mission Statement of Southville is that succeed in a dynamic environment as the Southville International School and reported by Boyce (2004). Teachers, as Colleges community is bound by its employees of an educational organization commitment to develop and equip play a very important role in moulding learners with the 5Cs Competence, and developing students into movers of Character, Collaboration, Creativity, society and men and women who will Commitment to Achieve through make a difference in the 21st century. relevant, innovative, challenging effective The pressures on schools to improve and curriculum and instruction, updated to raise standards of achievement are technological applications and a strong unlikely to recede in the next few years. empirical research orientation within an However, the real challenge facing most enriched learning and caring schools is no longer how to improve but environment. more importantly, how to sustain improvement? Even in the cases of the REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE most highly successful interventions or AND STUDIES initiatives, there will be an inevitable Teacher Leadership reduction in momentum and impetus as The benefit of teachers as leaders after time, they disengage from the both in and out of the classroom is readily school. Consequently, sustainability will acknowledged and studied, but much of depend upon the schools internal the literature lacks a clear and consistent capacity to maintain and support definition of teacher leadership, developmental work. The performance of according to York-Barr and Duke (2004) teachers ultimately affects the and Greenlee (2007). York-Barr and Duke performance of their students, as proven (2004) states that teacher leadership, in the studies conducted by Hattie (2003) when examined in the context of general and Fenster (2006). This study looks into leadership categories align best with both the instructional and participative decision making, being mentor teachers, categories of leadership. Instructional facilitating the professional growth of leadership deals with organizational other teachers, and fostering variables that impact teachers, such as collaborative work arrangements. school culture, as well as with teachers Most often teacher leaders are behaviors and activities that directly thought of in formal terms, such as those affect the growth of students. holding positions of authority. As Participative leadership, however, focuses mentioned earlier, these positions or on the decision-making processes of a roles might include chairing a given group or organization, with a department, being a teacher mentor, or potential outcome of enhanced being a staff developer. However, more organizational effectiveness. powerful positions or roles that teachers Leadership as an organizational hold may be informal rather than formal, quality, according to Ogawa and Bosset according to Moller (2005). These (1995) includes teachers participation in informal roles are created whether the instructional, professional, and principal supports them or not and occur organizational development, whereby when a teacher feels passionate about leadership must affect more than something and takes action. York-Barr individuals actions; it must influence the and Duke (2004) describe informal system in which actions occur. teacher leadership roles as coaching Regardless of the context in which peers, working in teams, modelling teacher leadership is viewed, a common reflective practice and/or communicating understanding is that leadership does not a vision for improvement. rest with one person in a hierarchically Teachers who lead their peers must high-level position with formal power or be respected and regarded as highly authority. According to Barth (2001), qualified professionals by the other schools whose teachers take on teachers they are leading. Hargreaves leadership roles become more democratic and Evans (1997) suggest that the quality than dictatorial. of teaching and learning is affected by In lieu of an operational definition the quality of professional relationships of teacher leadership, focus is often that occur outside of the classroom. placed on descriptions of the activities When a professional culture of teaching is and roles of teacher leaders. For example, present, sustainable change and Katzenmeyer and Moller (2001) contend increased learning opportunities are more that teacher leaders are those that not likely to occur. Ultimately, teacher leaders only lead within and beyond the are those teachers who facilitate change classroom, but also contribute to and in and out of the classroom, be it formally influence the improved educational or informally. practice of teachers within their school. Teacher leaders are also described as Teacher-Leadership Skills those who create and oversee a Charlotte Danielson (2006) outlined successful team, equipping others with the skills of teacher-leaders. There are valuable resources to improve student seven skills identified as skills of a achievement, according to Gabriel teacher-leader: (1) teacher-leaders use (2005). Other reviews of teacher evidence and data in decision making; (2) leadership by York-Barr and Duke (2004) teacher-leaders recognize opportunities and Greenlee (2007) describe the formal and take initiative; (3) teacher-leaders and informal roles of teacher leaders, mobilize people around a common which include taking part in school-wide purpose; (4) teacher-leaders marshal resources and take action; (5) teacher- awareness, and relationship management leaders monitor progress and adjust their as dispositions that could/should be approach as conditions change; (6) demonstrated by teacher leaders. Each teacher-leaders sustain the commitment domain has a number of dispositions that of others and anticipate negativity; lastly, could/should be demonstrated by teacher (7) teacher-leaders contribute to a leaders. learning organization. Studies on Performance Teacher-Leadership Disposition Milanowski (2004) conducted a Charlotte Danielson (2006) outlined study to find out the relationship between the dispositions of teacher-leaders. teacher performance evaluation scores Teacher-leadership dispositions define and student achievement. Small to how a teacher-leader handles different moderate positive correlationships were situations; these dispositions are where found between teacher evaluation scores teacher-leadership skills emanate from. and student achievement in reading, There are nine dispositions of a teacher- mathematics, and science. When these leader: (1) teacher-leaders have a deep correlationships were combined across commitment to student learning; (2) grades within subjects, the results teacher-leaders are optimistic and showed that scores from a rigorous enthusiastic; (3) teacher leaders are teacher evaluation system can be open-minded and humble; (4) substantially related to student teacherleaders are courageous and are achievement. willing to take risks; (5) teacher-leaders Fenster, et. al. (2006) in their study are confident and decisive; (6) that looked into relating teacher teacherleaders are tolerant of ambiguity; candidate performance to their students (7) teacher-leaders are creative and academic achievement supported the flexible; (8) teacher-leaders persevere; claim made by Hattie (2003) that teacher and (9) teacher-leaders are willing to candidates can be part of the 30% of the work hard. Danielson (2006) points out variance in student achievement. that teachers rise to become teacher- leaders not because of formal promotion, Synthesis but rather one that is informal. Because In the study conducted by Huerta, of its informal and voluntary nature, Watt, and Alkan (2008), wherein there teacher-leaders represent the highest was a weak but significant positive level of professionalism. Teacher-leaders correlation between the amount of AVID do not receive any kind of financial (Advancement Via Individual remuneration for their initiatives. They do Determination) professional development it out of whole-hearted service for their and the level of teacher leadership. The students. variables that is similar in the study of Missouri Western Teacher Leadership Huerta et. al. and to the current one is Dispositions that it both deals with teacher leadership. As part of the conceptual model The different variable is that the current and belief structure, the Western Teacher study looks into the relationship of Education Department has studied the teacher leadership and performance research related to teacher leadership. As while the one of Huerta et. al dealt with a result of three years of study, the AVID professional development. The department has adopted the following studies differ in results in the sense that four domains of teacher leadership: self- AVID professional development has a awareness, selfmanagement, social positive significant relationship with teacher leadership, whereas performance attributed to teacher performance. has a weak and insignificant correlation Furthermore, in the studies conducted by and has no significant relationship with Milanowski (2004) and Hattie (2003), it leadership practices. extends the claim of the thirty percent This study acquiesces with the attribution of teacher performance to study of Thomas (2007) in that the student achievement by claiming that demographic variables had a weak and good teachers increase student insignificant relationship. On the other achievement and that scores from a hand, this study contradicts that of Little rigorous teacher evaluation system can (1995) in the sense that her study found be substantially related to student out that there is a clear evidence of the achievement. positive effect of teacher leadership on These studies altogether give teachers self-efficacy and levels of support to the understanding that morale. effective teachers give substantial In the studies conducted by Hattie influence on student achievement. (2003) and Fenster, et. al. (2006) it Teachers who perform better and who are confirmed the idea that teachers do more involved with their students allow affect the achievement of students. In for better grades and learning on the part fact, the study narrowed it down to thirty of their students. percent of student achievement can be