Student Teachers’ Views on Leadership and Managerial Roles in Czech Educational Institutions: Reimagining School Leadership in a Central European Context

This study examines how future teachers in the Czech Republic perceive the integration of managerial and democratic leadership in K–12 education, situating these perspectives within a broader Central European context. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, this article analyses survey responses from 162 teacher education students alongside a targeted secondary analysis of recent literature on educational leadership. Results show a strong preference for democratic leadership grounded in collaboration, equity, and inclusivity, while also acknowledging the importance of essential managerial skills like planning and crisis management. The findings suggest the value of giving greater attention to leadership development in initial teacher training and highlight student voice as relevant to discussions of adaptive and inclusive leadership in post-socialist educational contexts.