Teacher leadership in early childhood education: A Rasch measurement model analysis
Document Type
Book Chapter
Publisher
Nova Science Publishers
Faculty
Faculty of Community Services, Education and Social Sciences
School
School of Education
RAS ID
1548
Abstract
Educational leadership enables early childhood teachers to advocate for appropriate curriculum and practice but do teachers think they have sufficient skills to enact leadership? This study measured Teacher Leadership of 270 early childhood teachers using self-reports based on a three-aspect model involving General Leadership, Communication, and lnfluence, with an initial base of71 stem-items answered in both a real and ideal mode (effectively 142 items). A Rasch measurement model analysis was used to create a 92 -item, unidimensional, interval-level scale (50 items didn't fit the model and were discarded) in which the proportion of observed teacher variance considered true was 94%. Findings supported the three-aspect model of Teacher Leadership involving general leadership, communication and influence. The ideal items were 'easier' than the corresponding real items and the ideal items made a stronger contribution to leadership than the real items (54 ideal and 38 real items fitted the model). Most teachers recognised the importance of leadership skills, and were able to enact them at their schools in the three leadership areas, but there are some exceptions.
Comments
Waugh, R. F., Boyd, G. S., & Corrie, L. F. (2003). Teacher leadership in early childhood education: a Rasch measurement model analysis. In R. Waugh (Ed.), On the Forefront of Educational Psychology (pp. 295-329). New York, NY: Nova Science Publishers Inc. Available here.