Teacher Leadership Behaviors and Collaborative Practices for Instructional Enhancement

Teacher leadership is essential for fostering collaboration, improving instructional practices, and driving educational success. This study describes teacher leadership behaviors and collaborative practices in a participating school, focusing on their impact on instructional improvement. It examines leadership behaviors in areas such as working with colleagues, communication, knowledge of content and pedagogy, systems thinking, and equity lens, alongside collaborative practices in dialogue, decision-making, action, and evaluation. The study also explores the challenges teachers face in leadership roles and proposes interventions to enhance leadership and collaboration. Using a quantitative, descriptive-correlational design, the study involved 109 junior high school teachers selected through purposive sampling. Data were gathered using a modified questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlational methods in SPSS. Ethical considerations, including confidentiality and consent, were upheld throughout. Findings revealed that teacher leadership behaviors were highly evident, especially in mentoring new teachers and sharing expertise. Collaborative practices, such as dialogue, decision-making, action, and evaluation, were also highly practiced, particularly in listening during collaborative meetings and supporting new teaching strategies. A strong positive relationship was observed between teacher leadership and collaboration. The main challenge teachers faced was guiding colleagues to improve instructional methods, while feeling unsupported due to a lack of professional development was the least reported challenge. To address these issues, a coaching handbook titled “Strengthening Teacher Leadership and Collaboration†was developed. Recommendations include providing professional development on collaboration, communication, and systems thinking, establishing peer mentoring programs, and prioritizing instructional leadership. The handbook is intended to be implemented through workshops and continuous monitoring, with future studies assessing its long-term impact on school outcomes.