Existing international literature points to the key role of headteachers in school development and improvement. Although the literature has focused on the extent to which classroom and school conditions influence student learning, less attention has been paid to how leadership can positively influence those conditions (Leithwood & Day, 2007; Cruickshank, 2017). Headteachers' may combine transformational and instructional leadership strategies to promote school improvement (Day, Gu, & Sammons, 2016; Cruickshank, 2017). An effective integration of these approaches is closely linked to teacher commitment and school culture, contributing to enhanced student outcomes (Cruickshank 2017). In this regard, school headteachers play a crucial role on school improvement and, on improving classroom conditions.

Drawing on the work by Leithwood et al., (2006) and Day, Gu and Sammons (2016), this paper reports on findings from a 3-year research project aimed at investigating the impact of school leadership on teachers’ work and on pupils’ outcomes. The goal of this paper is to look at Portuguese teachers’ views of the impact of leadership in school and classroom conditions. The 3-year research project included three phases of data collection and the participation of a range of stakeholders (e.g. headteachers, the senior leadership team, teachers, pupils, and parents. In this paper, we focus on teachers’ views of the influence of leadership in school and classroom conditions and its impact on students’ outcomes. 

This study is part of a wider research project funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology entitled ‘IMPACT - Investigating the Impact of School leadership on Pupil Outcomes’ (PTDC/CED-EDG/28570/2017). Drawing on work by Leithwood et al., (2006) and Day, Gu and Sammons (2016), it aimed at examining leadership practices and their impact on teachers' work and on pupils’ academic outcomes. The research project was approved by the Committee of Ethics for Research in Social and Human Sciences at the University of Minho (CEICSH 009/2020) and by the DGE/Ministry of Education (Ref.ª 0555900002). Data were collected according to three phases: i) exploratory interviews with 25 headteachers: ii) a national survey of headteachers (n=379) and key staff (n=875); iii) case studies (n=20). This paper reports on findings arising from the survey with teachers (n=841) and focus group with teachers (n=108). The results are discussed based on the outcomes of the confirmatory factor analysis. The 'school conditions' dimension encompasses aspects such as the setting of high academic standards, teaching and learning, assessment for learning, fostering of a culture of teacher collaboration (internal collaboration), and external collaboration. The 'classroom conditions' dimension comprises considerations related to teacher workload and class size. Content analysis was performed to analyse qualitative data and to look at emerging categories based on the semantic criterion (Esteves, 2006). Verification strategies (Creswell, 1998) were used to ensure accuracy: the research team members engaged in a process of systematic analysis of the categories and sub-categories to reduce and make sense of the data (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The survey participants were mainly females (72.2%), with 53.7% aged over 50, in line with TALIS 2018 data indicating an average age of 50 for Portuguese teachers, and 74% of female teachers. Educational qualifications included 76% with a licenciatura's degree and 15.5% with a master's degree. Most participants teach in the 3rd cycle of basic education (23.4%) (pupils aged 12-15) and secondary education (18.9%) (students aged 16-18). The age of the participants in the focus groups (19 focus groups in total) ranged from 37 to 66 years old; 77 were female and 31 were male.

Overall, teachers have a positive view of the impact of school leadership in enhancing both school and classroom environments. Teachers welcome the presence of leadership practices that foster high academic standards, influencing both student academic achievements and teachers' work. Additionally, teachers express agreement concerning the development of student-centred learning and assessment activities that empower students and enhance their participation in thelearning processes. There is a strong consensus on the existence of collaborative work among teachers and other professionals, both within and outside the school setting. Interestingly, quantitative data indicates a balanced view between teachers who agree and disagree on the adjustment of teachers' workload, tasks, and responsibilities. This trend is also visible in aspects related to the number of students and class size. However, these are seen as the most critical factors in teachers’ views of classroom conditions. In general, while teachers’ views are in general positive, they raise questions about the opportunities for collaboration focusing on classroom practice and about the role of supervision and assessment for learning as catalysts to improve teachers’ work and students’ learning. These and other issues will be discussed further in the paper.

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