Mastering the Art of Problem Identification: A Key Skill for Teacher Leaders

In recent years, researchers have paid more attention to teachers who take on leadership roles within schools. These individuals are often called “teacher leaders” or “middle-level leaders.” Studies have shown that teacher leaders play a crucial role in implementing school improvement plans, regardless of the type of school. As we learn more about the importance of teacher leaders, we are starting to identify key activities that make them effective in supporting school improvement. This is the main topic of our upcoming book, “Teachers Who Lead: Practical Strategies for Building Responsive Teams,” published by Corwin in 2025.

As a teacher leader, you are often tasked with improving student outcomes and enhancing teaching practices. But where do you start? The answer lies in a critical yet often-overlooked skill: problem identification. Schools and systems are inundated with new ideas and initiatives promoted as research-based, with a proven track record of positively impacting student outcomes. However, a lack of problem focus and an overemphasis on speedy solutions can lead to repeated failures, where, despite implementing evidence-informed practices, efforts may not lead to the intended impact. This is why diagnosis and problem identification are essential leadership skills.

The Diagnosis Dilemma in Education

It is now widely accepted that implementing evidence-based practice is the key to improving student outcomes in schools. There has been a growing consensus in education on the key elements of teaching that lead to learning (What Works Clearinghouse, 2024; Hattie, 2023). While evidence-informed practice is crucial, we sometimes fall into the trap of implementing solutions before fully understanding the problems we need to solve. This approach is like taking aspirin for a headache you do not have – it might not address the real issue.

As teacher leaders, our role is to develop contextually responsive improvement strategies. This means taking the time to deeply consider the root causes of the challenges we face. By doing so, we ensure that our limited resources are targeted at real needs, with the potential to deliver improved results.

Three Tools for Effective Problem Deconstruction

When working with teacher leaders, we found three tools that were particularly useful. Teacher leaders can use these visual tools to support their teams in identifying and deconstructing persistent educational problems that occur within their context. These include:

Ishikawa (Fishbone) Diagram: This tool helps to visualize multiple causes contributing to a problem. This is particularly useful for complex issues involving various contributing factors.

Five Whys Technique: This simple yet powerful method involves asking “why” repeatedly to drill down to the root cause of a problem. This is excellent for focusing on specific issues.

Issues Tree: This tool breaks down complex problems into smaller, more manageable components. This is ideal for addressing multifaceted challenges.

These tools help with problem identification and foster collaborative decision-making within teams. They are helpful in designing contextual solutions for contextual problems, and by undertaking the process with the team, leaders can build consensus about the most pressing root cause to address.

The Power of Consensus

As you guide your team through this process, do not underestimate the importance of achieving consensus.

When all team members agree on a plan, it fosters unity, shared purpose, and commitment to goals.

This collective agreement can significantly enhance the likelihood of successful outcomes for improvement initiatives. Below is an example from a school that wanted to explore the persistent problem of how to support low-achieving students more effectively. The conversation started as quite general and then moved to honing in on the key components of a high-quality Multi-Tiered System of Support.

From Identification to Action: Problem-Driven Sequencing

Once you have identified and deconstructed the problem, as illustrated in the above example, the next step is to determine the best course of action. You cannot do everything at once. We can then undertake problem-driven sequencing to move the team from problem identification to deciding what actions to take.

Problem-driven sequencing involves the following steps:

1. Establishing consensus on the most pressing root causes to address
2. Deciding whether to tackle issues concurrently or sequentially. Are there root causes that we need to tackle before others? Are we able to do a few things simultaneously?
3. Mapping out the steps required to move between these issues

Solving complex problems often requires multiple, layered interventions that we methodically work through over time. You can maximize resources and prioritize critical tasks by carefully sequencing the approach. With the example above, the school initially thought the core work would be to focus on better use of diagnostic assessment data; however, after undertaking problem-driven sequencing, they realized the core work should be focused on high-quality tier 1 teaching. This was identified as the starting point.

If you would like to explore problem-driven work with your team, these practical tips for implementation are useful to consider:

Start small: Choose one pressing issue to practice these techniques with your team.

Allocate time: Set aside dedicated time for problem identification and deconstruction.

Encourage participation: Ensure all team members have a voice in the process

Revisit and refine: Regularly review your identified problems and adjust as needed.

By mastering the art of problem identification, you will be better equipped to lead your team toward meaningful, contextually relevant solutions. Remember that without proper diagnosis, we risk treating symptoms rather than root causes. As teacher leaders, our role is to ensure that our improvement efforts are targeted, efficient, and truly impactful for our students and colleagues. Remember that the goal is not to implement every new strategy that comes along, but to identify and address the specific challenges that need to be addressed in your context.

As you apply these techniques, you will find that your improvement efforts become more focused and impactful. You will be able to use your resources better and see more significant changes in students’ outcomes. Most importantly, you will cultivate a culture of thoughtful, evidence-based decision making within your team.