| The purpose of this research was to gain an understanding of teacher leadership in literacy curriculum reform from the perspective of teachers who have assumed leadership roles. In view of the increased focus on teacher leadership in implementing curriculum in Ontario, this study focuses on qualitative data collected through interviews with 6 elementary teachers who provided curriculum leadership. The discussions with the participants revealed the role teacher leaders play in curriculum change. The importance of site-based reform, distributed leadership, and support from the school board were highlighted in the narratives. The data revealed time restrictions, overload, teacher isolation, a lack of credibility, and resistance from teachers to be among the constraints on teacher leadership. The findings showed that teacher leadership is imperative in sustainable curriculum reform, but the effectiveness of such leadership is sometimes limited by systemic factors. |
