From distributed leadership to teacher leadership: The mediating role of reflective practice

Teacher leadership is widely recognised as important for school improvement, yet the processes through which distributed leadership as leadership practice translates into enacted teacher leadership remain under-explored. Situated within a leadership-as-practice perspective, this study examined whether reflective practice mediates the relationship between distributed leadership and teacher leadership. Survey data were collected from 391 in-service K-12 teachers across six Arab countries. Distributed leadership, reflective practice and teacher leadership were measured using standardised self-report survey instruments. Reflective practice was modelled through inter-personal, intra-personal and strategic reflection, while teacher leadership was represented by instructional leadership and school community and advocacy. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the measurement model, and structural equation modelling tested the hypothesised pathways. Distributed leadership was positively associated with all three reflective dimensions. Reflective practice, however, mediated this relationship in differentiated ways. Inter-personal reflection emerged as the strongest pathway to both teacher leadership outcomes; strategic reflection contributed primarily to school community and advocacy, and intra-personal reflection showed no significant association with either outcome. The study identifies reflective practice as a key mechanism through which distributed leadership may be converted into enacted teacher leadership.