Melville, Wayne; Wallace, John; Bartley, Anthony.

Abstract: In this article, we consider the complex and dynamic inter-relationships between individual science teachers, the social space of their work and their dispositions towards teacher leadership. Research into the representation of school science departments through individual science teachers is scarce. We explore the representations of four individual teachers to the assertions of teacher leadership proposed by Silva et al. (Teach Coll Rec, 102(4):779-804, 2000). These representations, expressed during regular science department meetings, occur in the social space of Bourdieu's "field" and are a reflection of the "game" of science education being played within the department. This departmentally centred space suggests an important implication when considering the relationship between subject departments and their schools. The development of an individual's representation of teacher leadership and the wider "field" of science education appears to shape the individual towards promoting their own sense of identity as a teacher of science, rather than as a teacher within a school. Our work suggests that for these individuals, the important "game" is science education, not school improvement. Consequently, the subject department may be a missing link between efforts to improve schools and current organizational practices.

Keywords: Science department; Secondary education; Teacher leadership

总结：在本文中，我们考虑了复杂和动态的个别科学教师之间和他们的性格对教师领导的相互关系，他们工作的社会空间。研究纳入学校的科学部门通过个别科学教师的代表是稀缺的。教师领导的个人表达与科学教育的更广泛的“场”的发展似乎塑造个人对促进自己的个性，作为科学的老师，而不是一所学校内的老师。我们的研究表明，对于这些人来说，重要的“游戏”，是科学教育，而不是学校改进。因此，这个问题可能是努力提高学校和当前的组织实践之间缺失的一环。

来源：Journal of Science Education and Technology, v16 n6 p463-472 Dec 2007. 10 pp.