Talking leadership into practice: the enactment of teacher leadership in a networked learning community

The literature suggests that professional learning networks contribute to teacher learning, school, and system improvement. This paper examines the enactment of teacher leadership in a networked learning community (NLC) setting in Singapore, specifically how teacher leadership is enacted through the artifact of talk. In this case study, teacher talk was transcribed and analysed using an interactional approach, which views talk as social practice. The findings show that teachers enact leadership by engaging in pedagogically productive talk, deconstructing their practice, supporting their peers' learning, and engaging in professional learning themselves. Although there is distribution of leadership, the close examination of talk highlighted differences in leadership practices due to differences in the roles that teachers play or the context of the talk. In addition, the focus on talk prompts a critical reflection of what leadership entails, in that what is not said could be as important as what is said and can constitute demonstration of leadership. The study suggests there is value in integrating research on teacher leadership with research on teacher facilitation of learning in networks and communities. Facilitating learning communities might be a promising in-situ approach to develop teacher leadership.