Towards Instructional Leadership in English Teaching in the Early Childhood Classroom: Anglophone Caribbean Perspectives
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Date
2023
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Publisher
School of Education, UWI
Abstract
This research was an examination of the perspectives of a group of early childhood education teachers from four Anglophone Caribbean countries about their growth as instructional leaders, based on the self-assessment of their contribution to the enhancement of literacy instruction. Another aspect was the evaluation of the impact of continuous professional development (CPD) on the teachers’ developmental process. The data were gathered via an interview schedule, focus groups and participant observation from a purposive sample of forty-six Grade K to 3 teachers, designated as literacy specialists. The findings revealed that whereas ‘instructional leader’ was not a term participants used to identify their various roles, characteristics of this leadership process were evident in the discharge of their responsibilities. Hence, results showed participants perceived they were resource providers, collaborators and team-builders for their colleagues in the execution of their duties. In addition, as they acknowledged confronting some teachers who were resistant to change, participants believed that the CPD sessions were central to the enhanced performance in their duties, as they equipped them with knowledge to introduce colleagues to innovative and authentic strategies in teaching literacy.
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Keywords
Early childhood education teachers, Anglophone Caribbean, Continuous Professional Development, Instructional leaders, Literacy instruction