Teacher leadership and the fourth industrial revolution: stories of teachers working in diverse school contexts.

Abstract

In 2016, Charles Schwab, architect of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), envisioned billions of people interconnected through mobile devices with unmatched processing power, storage, and knowledge access. He foresaw advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, IoT, 3D printing, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and quantum coding revolutionising all facets of society. Less than a decade later, this vision has been actualised. The education sector, including South Africa, is no exception to these transformations. In the South African educational landscape, integrating 4IR technologies presents substantial potential alongside multifaceted challenges. Harnessing technology's transformative power across varied school contexts necessitates an understanding of the pivotal role of teacher leadership. The South African educational spectrum ranges from well-resourced, world-class institutions to profoundly dysfunctional schools, where teacher leadership emerges as a catalyst for implementing and steering educational innovations in the 4IR. This inquiry delves into the lived experiences of South African teacher leaders from diverse school contexts who pioneer technological innovations in teaching and learning within the 4IR. The study's objectives are threefold: firstly, to chronicle the narratives of teacher leaders driving innovation across varied contexts; secondly, to elucidate their leadership practices in promoting technological innovation; and thirdly, to explore why teacher leadership is significant for advancing technological innovation in the 4IR. The research employs the teachers as leaders framework, adaptive leadership theory, and social realism to elucidate this phenomenon, positioning itself within the critical realist paradigm. Methodologically, the study adopts narrative inquiry, utilising narrative interviews, photovoice, and collage inquiry to generate field texts. These narratives were co-constructed through narrative analysis, and the constant comparative method, supported by Delve software, was employed to discern key themes. The findings indicate that teacher leadership is profoundly shaped by the contextual realities within which teachers work. Utilising the teachers as leaders framework and social realism, this study identifies the mechanisms underpinning teacher leadership for technological innovation. Three key findings are highlighted: adaptive technological integration tailored to resource availability, strategic collaborations extending beyond school confines to bolster technological practices, and a resolute commitment to equity, leveraging technology to bridge socio-economic disparities. The findings illustrate how teacher leadership advances innovative and equitable educational practices in the 4IR. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of cultural intelligence for contextual adaptation, ethical tech leadership to mitigate the digital divide, and data-driven practices to transform educational outcomes. Collectively, these elements demonstrate how teacher leaders act as agents of change, integrating technology to enhance teaching and learning across diverse educational settings.