A sustainable teacher leadership implementation plan for Lesotho high schools

𝑬𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 Addressing the problem of teacher leadership practices in Lesotho high schools and the lack of leadership succession plans when the principals leave the office due to retirement or ill health, is a long-standing phenomenon, which has not adequately been addressed. In this study, the researcher explored the influence of teacher leadership practice on improving the leadership succession in schools, further aimed at assisting school leaders to foster teacher leadership in their learning spaces, in order to ensure that teacher leadership practices may be used to support leadership succession. Literature searches highlighting national and international studies were conducted to elucidate the factors influencing the implementation of teacher leadership and the legislative and policy practices related to teacher leadership as well as how teacher leadership can impact the functioning of leadership succession in Lesotho high schools. To best explain the natural progression of the phenomenon under study, namely teacher leadership and leadership succession, a conceptual framework was applied in which the relevant variables for the study were clearly mapped out and presented visually. The study employed a qualitative approach as to how a teacher leadership implementation plan may be effective in improving leadership succession in schools. Individual, in-depth interviews and focus group interviews were employed to collect data from participants. They comprised of two district education managers (DEMs): one from Berea district and one from Maseru district, the principals, deputy principals, head of departments of eight high schools, as well as Grade 10-12 teachers, chosen from four high schools in the Berea district and four high schools in the Maseru district of Lesotho. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Preliminary codes were assigned to the data to describe the content after which patterns (themes) across the different interviews were identified. Themes were reviewed, defined and named. Key findings of the investigation revealed that teacher leadership practice that leads to leadership succession, is not adequately practiced at Lesotho high schools and that teachers require leadership strategies to implement in their classrooms and to effectively part-take in leadership succession planning in schools. Currently leadership succession planning workshops are not provided by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) for teachers and principals in Lesotho schools. The findings further revealed that the Education Act, 2010, Section 21 and the Teaching Service Regulations 2002, as well as the School Supervision and Management Regulations of 1988, are dated and need to be revised to include teacher leadership and succession planning for high schools. Additionally, Continuous Professional Development (CPD) within the high schools seems limited where teachers are provided with a limited scope to grow within their profession. This is an avenue where the MoET may explore the development of teacher leadership and subsequent programmes in this regard. Finally, this study proposes a sustainable teacher leadership implementation plan, which may assist schools in Lesotho to address teacher leadership and promote sustain leadership succession within in the school system. In addition, it may stand teachers and school leaders in good stead to develop progressive teaching and learning strategies as well as sustain leadership succession in Lesotho high schools. ___________________________________________________________________