The current research aims to examine the evolution of peer leadership among pre-service teachers in a multi-campus teacher education program in South Africa during a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) experience. Based on a qualitative longitudinal research paradigm with an interpretivist and reflective focus, this research utilizes a combination of written reflections and leadership reports among cohorts of student leaders over a two-year span from 2023 to 2025. The qualitative dataset was inductively coded with a focus on unconditional comparisons among cohorts to examine both continuity and evolution in emerging themes over this period. The resulting themes and qualitative findings highlight a distinct learning pathway in the evolution of authentic peer leadership among pre-service teachers, from struggles in early phases concerning communication, role definition, and time management to increased confidence, personal influence, and eventual facilitative and sharing leadership. As pre-service teachers over time increasingly demonstrated advanced moral perspectives, better peer accountability, and meaningful interaction with both mentors in schools and university-level supervisors, they strengthened relationships with university-school partnerships. Peer leadership thus proved an important mediating factor not only in responding to diversely different WIL experiences but also in facilitating increased pre-service teacher professional learning. As a teacher education research contribution, this investigation focuses on identifying a rather overlooked construct of peer leadership in teacher education programs and an important function of WIL in teacher education programs during a span with enhanced leadership capacity, collective learning, and increased teacher resilience.

Authors:
Thuthukile Jita, University of the Free State, South Africa
Loyiso Jita, University of the Free State, South Africa

About the Presenter(s)
Professor Thuthukile Jita is a University Professor/Principal Lecturer at University of the Free State in South Africa

Connect on Linkedin
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thuthukile-jita-a745885/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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