Guidelines for Developing Teacher Leadership in the 21st Century for Ordinary High Schools in Chongzuo City, People’s Republic of China

Background and Aim: The development of teacher leadership in ordinary high schools in Chongzuo City, People's Republic of China, is crucial for fostering innovation, critical thinking, and student-centered learning to enhance school effectiveness and meet the evolving demands of 21st-century education. This research aims to 1) investigate the current status of 21st-century teacher leadership; 2) study the development of the guidelines for teacher leadership in these schools; and 3) evaluate the guidelines for their further development. Materials and Methods: The research was conducted in three phases. In Phase I, a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire (reliability = 0.923) was administered to 351 teachers from 22 ordinary high schools, with data analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. In Phase II, semi-structured interviews were conducted in two steps: first with 10 award-winning teachers and then with 10 experts, selected through purposive sampling, to inform the development of the guidelines. In Phase III, the guidelines and accompanying manual were evaluated using 5-point Likert scale questionnaires administered to 15 administrators and 20 department heads; data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. Results: Overall, teacher leadership is at a high level. The highest scoring aspect is “promoting the use of data for educational improvement and development”, followed by "accessing and utilizing research in teaching and learning" and "collaborating with parents and the community", while "facilitating learning management" scores the lowest. The developed guidelines encompass seven key areas: promoting a collaborative culture; accessing and utilizing research in teaching and learning; fostering professional teacher learning; facilitating learning management; promoting the use of data for educational improvement and development; collaborating with parents and the community; and supporting academic and professional learning. The evaluation results indicate that the guidelines and handbook exhibit high accuracy, appropriateness, feasibility, and utility. Conclusion: The guidelines and handbook provide a practical framework for developing teacher leadership in the 21st century, fostering a scientific, individualized, collaborative, and practice-oriented education system in Chongzuo City's ordinary high schools. This approach supports teacher professional growth and enhances educational quality, modernizing the system and increasing its societal impact. However, challenges remain due to resource constraints, resistance to change, and the need for comprehensive training. Moreover, the reliance on regional quantitative data may limit the generalizability of the findings. Further mixed-methods research and broader regional comparisons are necessary to refine the framework and address these implementation barriers.