CABARAN PELAKSANAAN KEPIMPINAN GURU DI SEKOLAH: SATU KAJIAN KUALITATIF

CHALLENGES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TEACHER LEADERSHIP IN SCHOOLS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Abstract

Teacher leadership has become increasingly important in school improvement as teachers are expected to contribute beyond classroom instruction by influencing colleagues, supporting professional learning, participating in decision-making, and facilitating school change. However, the enactment of teacher leadership remains constrained by organisational and professional conditions that may limit teachers’ opportunities and capacity to lead. This study aimed to explore the challenges associated with the implementation of teacher leadership in schools. A qualitative research design underpinned by a constructivist–interpretivist paradigm was employed to obtain an in-depth understanding of participants’ experiences and perspectives. Eight participants comprising school leaders and teacher leaders were selected through purposive sampling based on their direct experience and knowledge of teacher leadership. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six-phase thematic analysis. The findings revealed four major challenges: (a) insufficient principal support, particularly in terms of trust, autonomy, communication, and support; (b) a negative school culture characterised by weak collegial relationships, collaboration, and collegiality; (c) inadequate teacher leadership development through continuous professional development, particularly in relation to exposure, leadership knowledge, and competency development; and (d) additional teacher workload, which resulted in time constraints, overlapping responsibilities, and loss of focus. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that challenges to teacher leadership are not merely individual limitations but are embedded within interconnected leadership, cultural, professional development, and workload conditions in schools. The study implies that strengthening teacher leadership requires schools to create enabling organisational conditions by providing teachers with greater trust, autonomy, professional support, and sufficient space to exercise meaningful leadership rather than merely assigning additional leadership responsibilities.