Examining teacher leadership perceptions: A comparison between the United States and Qatar

Abstract

In this study, we compared teachers’ perceptions in the United States and Qatar on the four dimensions of the Teacher Leadership Inventory (TLI) (Share Expertise, Share Leadership, Supra-Practitioner, and Principal Selection). Our analysis illuminated how teachers in both countries perceived the extent of teacher leadership and provided valuable insights into the differences between the two countries in each factor. Notably, we found statistically significant differences in all four factors of the TLI between the United States and Qatar, with a particularly large effect size in the Supra-Practitioner factor. The unique aspect of our study lies in comparing teacher leadership levels between two countries with vastly different contexts but surprisingly similar policy orientations regarding education. These findings have significant implications for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, and we provide specific recommendations based on our results.