Development of teacher leadership as a tool for continuous development in the context of in-service training

Abstract

The article’s content is based on the materials of an empirical study on the implementation of strategies for developing leadership competencies in the professional development of subject teachers. In this regard, the article presents practice-oriented material related to the analysis of the initial state of the ideas of Kazakhstani teachers about the spheres of influence of leadership on the quality of the school educational environment and its resources (questionnaire and survey results), describing the purpose of the developed educational program of the advanced training course to create a leadership environment in school, as well as strategies propaedeutically used in course preparation. The relevance of the article is due to the need to integrate new pedagogical thinking and activities to improve learning, teaching, and evaluation, which should be correlated with the motivated and consistent promotion of innovation by teachers, and requires their active and systematic research practice. The novelty of the research is thus realised in the article as a scientific and methodological justification of teaching subject teachers in courses (with continuation in post-course support), involving leadership resources in continuous professional and pedagogical development. The research results can be used in the practice of general secondary education (to analyze the initial state of formation and development of the leadership environment in school teaching), in the professional training of future teachers (to create and implement educational programs for the development of leadership competencies), in the professional development system (to monitor the needs of teachers in leadership, development of a post-course support system). The following conclusions are drawn from the research material. Creating a school leadership environment requires teachers’ leadership competencies in the structure of professional competence. The focus of continuous pedagogical development, especially in postgraduate education, is leadership. It includes tools for improving motivation, strategic thinking, vision, proactivity, and intellectual, human, and technological resources management. These tools should be comprehensively and consistently directed to the constructive change of teaching, teaching, and evaluation in the updated content of school education. It is necessary to start with such an organization of the educational process in which educational activities focus on the leadership manifestations of the teacher and students. Further, due to the expanding leadership, leadership needs and manifestations will be in demand in the extracurricular environment, the environment of mentoring teachers, stakeholders, and social partnership, which stimulates the creation of a school leadership environment.