This study employs a case study approach at a public elementary school in Taiwan, using social network analysis to explore the evolving roles of middle leaders and their influence on school development. Findings show that middle leaders act as essential bridges, aligning the principal’s strategies with teachers’ professional practices and fostering resource integration and knowledge flow. For example, the ICT coordinator, also serving as a digital learning facilitator, initiated a cross-grade "Digital Co-Preparation Community", enhancing teachers’ engagement with digital literacy curricula through collaborative workshops. Similarly, the science curriculum convener guided teachers in designing inquiry-based lessons, encouraging interdisciplinary integration and professional collaboration. Social network analysis reveals that these middle leaders hold central and bridging positions within the school’s interaction network, effectively linking grade-level and subject-area teachers to form the backbone of professional learning communities. Their leadership, marked by project-based coordination and adaptive communication, significantly bolstered teacher self-efficacy. Additionally, grade-level coordinators, such as the fifth-grade leader, played vital administrative roles by synthesizing teacher observations and feedback to support classroom management and student counseling, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and policy implementation capacity. Overall, middle leaders serve not only as policy executors but also as key agents of knowledge transformation and school culture development. Their strategic position within organizational interactions and professional learning activities contributes meaningfully to sustainable school growth and instructional innovation.

Authors:
Chien-Chih Chen, National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr chien chih chen is a University Associate ProfessorSenior Lecturer at National Taipei University of Education in Taiwan

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