International Journal of Educational Research and Library & Information Science

Teacher leadership has emerged as an important component of contemporary school improvement efforts, particularly in contexts that emphasize collaboration, shared responsibility, and instructional quality. The relationship between teacher leadership and school effectiveness is explored by examining how leadership practices enacted by teachers contribute to key dimensions of effective schooling. School effectiveness is viewed as a multidimensional construct that includes student academic outcomes, school climate, quality of teaching practices, and educational equity. Drawing on theoretical perspectives such as distributed leadership, social capital, and transformative leadership, the discussion highlights the ways in which teacher leadership complements formal administrative leadership and supports sustainable improvement processes. Empirical evidence indicates that schools encouraging teacher leadership demonstrate stronger professional collaboration, higher levels of trust among staff, improved instructional practices, and enhanced student engagement and achievement. The influence of teacher leadership, however, is not uniform and is shaped by contextual conditions such as school demographics, policy environments, organizational structures, and resource availability. Recognizing these contextual factors is essential for understanding how teacher leadership can be effectively developed and utilized. Overall, strengthening teacher leadership is presented as a meaningful strategy for promoting school effectiveness and fostering inclusive and equitable learning environments.