Teacher Leadership and Educational Management in Finnish School System

This qualitative exploratory study examines the nature of teacher leadership in Jyvskyl, Finland, by examining the principals' and teachers' perceptions of the phenomenon. There is a substantial international literature focusing on teacher leadership that has contributed to the grounding of this study (Harris, 2003a). Although a significant part of the literature on teacher leadership is generated by scholars in the United States of America, Canada, and the United Kingdom, few studies have been published that focus on the Finnish school context. This study makes a contribution towards building a knowledge base on teacher leadership in Finland. The data was gathered by semi-structured interviews conducted in four different upper secondary schools. Eight teachers were interviewed in focus groups; individual interviews were carried out with four teachers and four principals. The data was analyzed using the content analysis method. The findings from the four schools indicate collaborative, teamwork, fluid and emergent leadership that embedded teacher leadership characteristics, perceived from both principals' and teachers' perspectives.