Distributed Leadership and IT

Abstract

This chapter examines the possibilities for information technology specialists to provide leadership within schools, particularly in circumstances where senior staff resist or are unaware of the opportunities provided by technological development. It identifies three key elements of leadership: power/compliance, legitimacy, and how we define “good” leadership. Working from the starting point that power is a form of resource in a particular situation, the chapter examines the implications of these elements for interpersonal relationships and then explores the possibilities for developing leadership roles that they provide. The concepts of distributed leadership and teacher leadership are explored, and the relationship between these views of leadership and school structure and culture is discussed. The chapter concludes with some suggestions for how information technology specialists can develop leadership roles within schools and influence classroom policy and school practice, even when they may not hold formal leadership positions.