Abstract:
This article considers the relationship between distributed leadership and school
improvement. Drawing upon empirical evidence from two contemporary studies of
successful school leadership and recent studies of school improvement, it explores the
extent to which distributed forms of leadership can contribute to school improvement.
The article argues that the distributed perspective offers a new and important
theoretical lens through which leadership practice in school can be reconfigured and
reconceptualized. It concludes by suggesting that, while evidence would suggest that
distributed forms of leadership can assist capacity building within schools which
contributes to school improvement, further research is needed to confirm a
relationship between distributed forms of leadership and improved student learning
outcomes.
