70 all implemented the same program during the study period, which was aimed at enhancing collaborative innovation of teachers and school principals. We therefore address the following research question: How can distributed leadership in school teams be described and measured by applying a social network perspective? 4.2. Theoretical framework 4.2.1. Distributed leadership as a social interaction process Distributed leadership theory is well-known in both the academic world and school practice (Gronn, 2002; Spillane, 2005). However, limited studies exist that theoretically describe and afterwards empirically measure distributed leadership (D’Innocenzo et al., 2016; Daniëls et al., 2019; Harris, 2013; Tian et al., 2016). Within this study, we attempt to more comprehensively describe and measure distributed leadership. To be able to measure distributed leadership, we first need to describe the concept. We therefore conducted a search on how distributed leadership is described until now in educational and organizational literature (e.g., Azorín et al., 2020; García Torres, 2019; Gronn, 2002; Harris & DeFlaminis, 2016; Spillane, 2005). By studying the descriptions of the concept, we dissected three core aspects of distributed leadership that are often part of these descriptions, namely, collective, dynamic, and relational, and we describe these below. Firstly, many researchers, among others Gronn (2002), Harris and DeFlaminis (2016), Liljenberg (2015), and Spillane (2005), interpret distributed leadership as a fluid co-performance process executed by multiple members of a team. This means that not only the formal leader is leading but also teachers or other staff members, for instance co-determination and decision making of teachers in policies. We consider this to be the collective aspect of distributed leadership. Spillane and Sherer (2004) found that both school principals, as formal leaders, and teachers, as informal leaders, performed leadership practices. They found that multiple members were interacting and motivating and influencing each other to come up with new ideas and knowledge, and by doing so, they collectively performed leadership practices. Secondly, the before mentioned researchers and among others, Gronn (2002), state that leadership can be claimed by those with the required expertise for the task or challenge at hand. Distributed leadership does not mean that everyone leads (Harris, 2008). Rather, whoever takes responsibility for a particular task and thus a leadership role depends on the specific situation (Spillane, 2005). We consider this to be the dynamic aspect of distributed leadership. Spillane and Sherer (2004) found that teachers perform leadership roles by offering their expertise in the form of relevant examples from their own practice, advising other teachers in similar situations.
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