The research study investigates the impact of teacher leadership on school improvement by exploring the experiences and views of school leaders and teachers in two private schools in Sharjah. And it investigates the strategies adapted by school leaders to promote teacher leadership. The study adopted a mixed-method research approach utilizing two closed-ended surveys (quantitative data) shared with school leaders and teachers and a semi-structured interview with school leaders (qualitative data). The school leaders’ survey was sent to 21 school leaders, while the teachers’ survey was sent to 128 teachers. Six school leaders were interviewed in this study to explore their views of teacher leaders and investigate the strategies they applied to promote teacher leadership in their schools. The study shows that teacher leadership has a vital impact on school improvement through collaboration between teachers and sharing good practices through professional development sessions and initiatives. Lead teachers act as a bridge between teachers and school leaders; they help communicate teachers’ voices and have them take a better role in decision-making at school. Teacher leadership can enhance parents’ involvement in the school by utilizing the parent-teacher association. The study revealed some roadblocks to teacher leadership, such as a lack of resources, time, and some school policies. At the end of the study, the researcher highlighted some possible limitations and recommendations that future researchers can utilize in planning their study.

Keywords: Teacher Leaders, School Improvement, Empowerment, Leadership.

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