Professional Negotiation of Female Teachers Amid School Leadership Inequality: A Grounded Theory Study in Public Senior High Schools in Dili

Abstract

Purpose: This study develops a grounded theory explaining how women teachers negotiate their professional roles amid unequal school leadership structures in public senior high schools in Dili, Timor-Leste. Methods: A qualitative multisite grounded theory design was employed. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations, and document analysis involving 21 purposively selected participants, comprising nine women teachers, nine students, and three principals from three public senior high schools. The data were analysed using open, axial, and selective coding with the constant comparative method supported by ATLAS.ti 9. Findings: Five interrelated categories emerged: the policy–implementation gap in gender equality, structural and cultural barriers to women teachers’ leadership, the reproduction of inequality through school culture, adaptive negotiation strategies, and professionalism as a source of legitimacy. The core category identified was the professional negotiation of women teachers in confronting gender inequality through competence development, professional networking, strategic participation, and classroom role modelling. Research Implications: The findings support the development of transparent promotion systems, mentoring, leadership succession programmes, equitable task allocation, and gender-responsive school cultures while enriching theoretical understanding of gender negotiation in educational leadership. Originality: This study proposes a grounded theory that explains women teachers’ professional negotiation by integrating structural, cultural, and professional dimensions into a coherent conceptual framework within the context of public secondary schools in Timor-Leste.