Social network analysis: a simple but powerful tool for identifying teacher leaders

Instructional teacher leadership is central to a vision of distributed leadership. However, identifying instructional teacher leaders can be a daunting task, particularly for administrators who find themselves either newly appointed or faced with high staff turnover. This article describes the use of social network analysis (SNA), a simple but powerful tool that can help administrators better understand the connectedness of their network and pinpoint influential individuals within it. We offer practical guidance for conducting SNA, generating and modifying a sociogram, and interpreting the resultant data. Additionally, we suggest that information provided by SNA may be used to inform decisions about school/district programmes and policies.