Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of teacher leadership: Is it about compliance or understanding?

Abstract

Little attention has been paid to the leadership experiences of pre-service teachers despite the robust field of teacher leadership research. This study reviews 124 activities in the Teacher Leader Essays, a part our program’s licensure requirements, to understand our pre-service teachers’ experiences and perceptions of leadership. This inquiry informs the literature on teacher leadership by providing a summary of pre-service teachers’ actions and reflections on teacher leadership while noting the constraints of such mandated activities.