Leadership Positioning: Perspectives From Preservice Teachers

ABSTRACT The importance of teacher leadership is evident for school development and students' outcomes. However, research on preparing future teachers to be leaders and how this concept is valued in different contexts is limited. This study employs positioning theory to understand how teacher leadership is perceived and experienced in initial teacher education programmes, pertaining to their professional development needs and socio‐political influences. Data were collected from semi‐structured interviews with a group of students in teacher education programmes in Vietnam. The findings highlight their leadership values are rooted in Confucian virtues, professional expertise and authority. While collaboration is valued to promote teacher leadership and camaraderie, preservice teachers lack sufficient training, opportunities and autonomy for stakeholder interactions, leadership and decision‐making. This research proposes addressing existing gaps in the given context by fostering teacher leadership and autonomy through educational policy and practice to meet their development needs and validate their identities as early career teacher leaders.