As high school principals today have many responsibilities, various forms of shared leadership (such as teacher leadership) have become more widespread on high school campuses. Most of the scholarly literature concerning teacher leadership only questions teacher leaders about their own perceptions, which overlooks the perceptions of principals. As a result, principals' voices are missing in conversations about teacher leadership. Moreover, principals are the leaders of record on their campuses, uniquely situated to influence the creation of a leadership culture. The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to investigate high school principals' perceptions of teacher leadership, namely how they define "teacher leadership," how they facilitate it, and how they sustain existing teacher leadership structures to meet school goals.

This study contributes to a small body of literature regarding principals and teacher leadership. Through this interview study, it was found that high school principals tended to define teacher leadership through ideal qualities, and also through examples such as tasks, roles, and opportunities. In addition, high school principals facilitated teacher leadership through a highly collegial culture on campus, modeling leadership, and providing opportunities for teacher leadership despite certain obstacles. Last of all, high school principals sustained teacher leadership through building capacity, cultivating a sense of shared vision, and organizational structures. In addition, principals also reported their past experiences as teacher leaders and how it influenced their development and approach as leaders. Implications of the study and recommendations for policy and practice are offered within the discussion.