Role of School Leadership in Teacher Development: Head Teachers' Beliefs and Practices

Abstract

Teacher development is viewed as a primary influential factor in the quality of instruction and student achievement. Head teacher plays a pivotal role in the provision of conditions for teachers' ongoing professional development. It was a qualitative study with multiple research design aimed at exploring head teachers' beliefs towards their role in teacher development and to identify the leadership practices they adopt to promote teacher professional development in government secondary schools of Sialkot, Punjab, Pakistan. Purposive sampling was used to select ten female head teachers, and semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain insights into their beliefs, experiences, and practices about teacher development. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis as per the six-step analysis framework by Braun and Clarke and guided by an interpretive paradigm. Two general themes were identified: Head teachers' beliefs about teacher development—definitions, values, and foundational convictions; Leadership strategies, structures, and approaches to teacher development. The participants anticipated teacher development as an all-rounder process that can be personal, interpersonal, professional, and continuous and lifelong practice, and not just a short-term, skill-based training. They believed that teacher development was the most important factor in raising school quality and student achievement and that core values of fairness, trust, respect, and relational care should be the basis of their beliefs. Leadership practices encompassed peer learning and cooperative practice, individual mentoring and coaching, workshops and structured professional learning, classroom observation and data‑informed needs identification, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and integrating technology into professional learning. The results highlight the role of head teachers' beliefs in determining their professional development practices and have implications for leadership preparation, policy, and support systems in public secondary schools.