Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify the best practices in developing a teacher leadership program. Kouzes and Posner's Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership—model the way, inspire a shared vision, challenge the process, enable others to act, and encourage the heart—were applied as the theoretical framework for this study. Methodology. The design of the study was qualitative, and the dynamic narrative approach research method was applied. The method combines technology and tradition, and allows for individual as well as collaborative participation. To identify the best practices in developing a teacher leadership program, teacher participants responded to a series of semistructured interview questions. The participants were teacher leaders who participated in the teacher leadership program of a large urban K-12 school district in Southern California. Validity was established through an expert panel of researchers, and data analysis included interreviewer reliability. Findings. The study identified 13 best practices for developing Kouzes and Posner's Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership. Social construction emerged most often as a prominent best practice. Reflection and introspection also appeared frequently as a best practice in addition to other best practices. The data also revealed transformational leadership growth in teacher leader participants. Conclusions. The results of this research add to the existing literature related to teacher leadership, education, and professional development. The research forwards theory to practice by providing specific strategies that develop leadership capacities. The study findings will assist administrators and policymakers responsible for developing and implementing teacher leadership programs. Recommendations. Further research is needed to operationalize teacher leadership development. A quantitative study could provide additional results. Replicating this study in different geographical regions would yield multiple diverse perspectives.