scholarly journals Teachers’ and middle managers’ experiences of principals’ instructional leadership towards improving curriculum delivery in schools

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Chabalala ◽  
Parvathy Naidoo
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Middle Managers ◽  
Mission Statement ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Learning Climate ◽  
Primary Role ◽  
Curriculum Delivery

Background: This study was designed to explore teachers’ and middle managers’ experiences regarding their principals’ instructional leadership practices aimed at improving curriculum delivery in schools. Literature on instructional leadership indicates how failing schools can be turned around to become successful if principals consider instructional leadership to be their primary role within schools. The authors, therefore, argue that it is the responsibility of principals to ensure that learners’ results are improved through intervention and support provided by the principals to capacitate teachers and middle managers in delivering the curriculum effectively. Globally, literature promotes the significance of the continued professional development of teachers, and many scholars allude to the pivotal role principals or school heads play in teachers’ skills advancement.Aim: The aim of this article was to identify principals’ instructional practices that improve curriculum delivery in schools, which are examined through the experiences of teachers and middle managers.Setting: The study was conducted in two schools in the Gauteng province of South Africa.Method: The researchers employed a qualitative approach, utilising three domains of instructional leadership as its framework, and these are defining the school mission statement, managing the instructional programme and promoting a positive school learning climate. Four teachers and four middle managers were purposefully selected at two schools for data collection conducted through semi-structured individual interviews, which were analysed using thematic content analysis.Results: Three themes emerged, namely, understanding good instructional leadership practices, teacher development as an instructional practice and instructional resource provisioning.Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of teachers and middle managers in understanding that principals are merely not school managers or administrators, but rather instructional leaders whose primary role is to direct teaching and learning processes in schools. Principals need to create time within their constricted schedules to become instructional leaders, which is their main purpose in schools. If the roles and responsibilities of middle managers are not explicit, their ability to simultaneously perform the dual task of being teachers and middle managers will be compromised.

scholarly journals Exploring principals’ instructional leadership practices in Malaysia: insights and implications

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-221 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alma Harris ◽  
Michelle Jones ◽  
Kenny Soon Lee Cheah ◽  
Edward Devadason ◽  
Donnie Adams
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Knowledge Base ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Leadership Practice ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline the findings from a small-scale, exploratory, study of principals’ instructional leadership practice in Malaysian primary schools. The dimensions and functions of instructional leadership, explicitly explored in this study, are those outlined in the Hallinger and Murphy’s (1985) model. Design/methodology/approach This study is part of a larger international, comparative research project that aims to identify the boundaries of the current knowledge base on instructional leadership practice and to develop a preliminary empirically based understanding of how principals conceive and enact their role as instructional leaders in Hong Kong, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 primary school principals in Malaysia. The sample comprised principals from 14 Government National schools (SK), nine principals from Chinese schools (SJKC) and seven principals from Tamil schools (SJKT). The qualitative data were initially analysed inductively, and subsequently coded using ATLAS.ti to generate the findings and conclusions. Findings The findings showed that the Malaysian principals, who were interviewed, understood and could describe their responsibilities relating to improving instructional practice. In particular, they talked about the supervision of teachers and outlined various ways in which they actively monitored the quality of teaching and learning in their schools. These data revealed that some of the duties and activities associated with being a principal in Malaysia are particularly congruent with instructional leadership practices. In particular, the supervision of teaching and learning along with leading professional learning were strongly represented in the data. Research limitations/implications This is a small-scale, exploratory study involving 30 principals. Practical implications There is a clear policy aspiration, outlined in the Malaysian Education Blueprint, that principals should be instructional leaders. The evidence shows that principals are enacting some of the functions associated with being an instructional leader but not others. Originality/value The findings from this study provide some new insights into the principals’ instructional leadership practices in Malaysia. They also provide a basis for further, in-depth exploration that can enhance the knowledge base about principals’ instructional leadership practices in Malaysia.

scholarly journals Instructional Leadership in Malaysia

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6S3) ◽  
pp. 537-547
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Teacher Development ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
The Right ◽  
Improving Student Achievement

Leadership of school leaders regardless principals or headmasters is among the key factors that can affect the academic achievement of students directly or indirectly. Based on previous research, a strong relationship between student achievement and leadership of school leaders was proven. The Ministry of Education Malaysia (MoE) has outlined three approaches to improving student achievement through the improvement of school leaders' performance. One of the approaches is school leaders should act as instructional leaders who are actively involved in teacher development activities by planning, coordinating and evaluating the teaching and learning process (T&L) at school. This concept paper will discuss several matters related to instructional leadership such as background and development of instructional leadership, instructional leadership definitions, the development of instructional leadership concepts, instructional leadership models and the issues and challenges that exist in implementing this leadership styles. The analysis was done in the context of Malaysia and abroad. The paper is written based on extensive secondary data analysis. After analyzing matters relating to instructional leadership, it can be concluded that instructional leadership is a form of leadership that every school leader needs to practice for excellence achievements in a school. With a lot of challenges nowadays, it needs to be addressed so that the direction of the school is on the right track and students’ achievement can be enhanced.

scholarly journals AMALAN KEPIMPINAN INSTRUKSIONAL GURU BESAR DI SEKOLAH VERNAKULAR NEGERI SELANGOR DAN WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN

2018 ◽  
pp. 109-132
Author(s):  
DONNIE ADAMS ◽  
RAVADHI PERIASAMY ◽  
EDWARD DEVADASON ◽  
SATINAH AWANG
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
School Leader ◽  
Instructional Leader ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Structured Interviews

Abstrak Kajian kualitatif ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji amalan kepimpinan instruksional guru besar di Sekolah Vernakular Negeri Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan. Kajian ini menggunakan temu bual separa berstruktur terhadap 14 orang guru besar di dua jenis sekolah vernakular, iaitu Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil (SRJK (T)) dan Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SRJK(C)) yang terletak di kawasan bandar dan pinggir bandar. Teknik persampelan bertujuan yang dijalankan di dua jenis sekolah ini mendapati bahawa guru besar memahami tugas mereka untuk meningkatkan amalan pengajaran melalui penyeliaan guru. Dapatan juga menunjukkan amalan kepimpinan guru besar dalam memantau kualiti pengajaran dan pembelajaran di sekolah dijalankan dalam pelbagai kaedah. Kajian ini turut menunjukkan bahawa sebahagian daripada tugas dan harapan guru besar di Malaysia adalah selari dengan ciri-ciri dalam kepimpinan instruksional. Dalam konteks lain pula, beban kerja seorang guru besar dan keperluan untuk membuat pelaporan telah mendatangkan pelbagai cabaran berterusan kepada mereka semasa menjalankan tugas sebagai seorang pemimpin instruksional. Implikasi daripada kajian ini mempamerkan realiti kontemporari peranan guru besar dan amalan kepimpinan instruksional mereka di sekolah vernakular di Malaysia. Kesimpulannya, kajian ini menunjukkan kepimpinan instruksional dibina atas pengaruh sosial, politik dan budaya. Kata kunci: Amalan kepimpinan instruksional, pemimpin instruksional, guru besar. Abstract The purpose of this qualitative study is to outline school leaders’ instructional leadership practices in Selangor and Federal Territory Vernacular Schools. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 primary school leaders from Chinese Schools (SRJK(C)) and Tamil Schools (SRJK (T)) in urban and suburban areas in Malaysia. The sampling technique utilised in two of these schools generated findings which showed that the school leaders understood their duties in improving instructional practice through supervision of teachers. Findings also showed school leaders’ leadership practices in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in schools was done in many ways. The research also demonstrated some of the duties and hope of the school leaders’ in Malaysia as being particularly congruent with the features of instructional leadership practices. In another context, the workload of a school leader and the need for reporting has led to a series of challenges for them in carrying out their duties as instructional leaders. The implication of this study demonstrates the current reality of the roles of school leaders and their instructional leadership roles in vernacular schools in Malaysia. In conclusion, this research shows that instructional leadership is built on social, political and cultural influences. Keywords: Instructional leadership practices, instructional leader, school leader.

scholarly journals INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN SABAH ISLAND: A CASE STUDY

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (40) ◽  
pp. 293-307
Author(s):  
Dexter Silam ◽  
Vincent Pang ◽  
Denis Lajium
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Global Education ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Instructional Programs ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Observation Methods

In the 21st century, the basic concept of instructional leadership has not changed much but its needs are still relevant and have become an important pulse for principals’ leadership towards the achievement of curricular excellence in schools. This study aims to identify instructional leadership practices and their implementation by island school principals in the state of Sabah. The qualitative study using this case study approach involved principals, senior curriculum assistants, and school subject teachers as study participants. The study data collected through interview, document analysis, and observation methods were processed and analyzed using ATLAS software. ti 8. The findings of the study show that the practice of instructional leadership in terms of defining the mission of the school, managing instructional programs, and creating a positive school climate is very important to ensure school excellence can be achieved. Principals of island schools should practice instructional leadership in their leadership not just to achieve curricular excellence but as a platform to perform their responsibilities as change leaders in schools in driving schools towards effective schools according to current changes. In conclusion, the instructional leadership practices of school principals are very important in ensuring curriculum excellence and the effectiveness of teachers' teaching and learning can be achieved in a planned and systematic manner and able to keep up with the current changes in the context of global education.

Instructional Leadership Practices among Principals in Israeli and US Jewish Schools

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Glanz ◽  
Haim Shaked ◽  
Chanina Rabinowitz ◽  
Shmuel Shenhav ◽  
Rachel Zaretsky
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Women Principals ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Leadership Perceptions ◽  
Methodological Study ◽  
Jewish Schools ◽  
And Behaviors

Extant research indicates that principals are expected to serve as instructional leaders. Instructional leadership practices of principals in Israeli and US Jewish schools have, until recently, been unexplored. Therefore, this mixed-methodological study explores instructional leadership perceptions and behaviors among Israeli and US principals. Data, via questionnaires and interviews, were collected from 90 principals from each country. Findings suggest that US principals demonstrated significantly higher levels of instructional leadership. In both groups, women principals demonstrated higher levels of instructional leadership. Our interviews provided unique insights leading to our suggestions for ways of promoting greater attention to instructional leadership by principals of both countries.

scholarly journals Curriculum Evaluation: Inputs for Principal’s Instructional Leadership

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-161
Author(s):  
Gilbert S. Arrieta
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Curriculum Evaluation ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Education Leaders ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Instruction And Curriculum ◽  
The Times ◽  
Administrative Tasks

One of the most important components in education is the curriculum. It undergoes evaluation and development to be responsive to the needs of the times. It adapts to the kind of teachers and learners because teaching and learning are dynamic. The main drivers of the curriculum are the education leaders primarily the principals who are the instructional leaders. The main task of the principal is instructional leadership which means overseeing the teaching and learning process starting with the curriculum. However, the administrative tasks of the principals deprive them of becoming effective instructional leaders. This study aims to present the experiences of the researcher in curriculum evaluation under different principals in a private sectarian school in Manila and seeks to identify how principals can take a strong leadership presence in the challenges in instruction and curriculum evaluation. A critical reflection which is an extension of “critical thinking” and asks us to think about our practice and ideas and then it challenges us to step back and examine our thinking by asking probing questions was used as the method in this study. The researcher looks back into his experiences and identifies the key points in curriculum evaluation vis-à-vis the tasks of instructional leadership. It found out that curriculum evaluation, primarily an integral part of instructional leadership. The principals have to do curriculum evaluation as a collaborative task and process. Moreover, curriculum evaluation with instructional leadership should be giving importance to professional development and mentoring of academic heads and teachers.

scholarly journals INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICES OF HEADS OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN GHANA

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 424-435
Author(s):  
Michael Amakyi
Keyword(s):  
High Schools ◽  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Learning Climate ◽  
High Performing Schools ◽  
High Performing ◽  
School Learning ◽  
School Heads ◽  
Leadership Dimensions ◽  
Experimental Survey

A non-experimental survey was conducted to investigate the instructional leadership practices of senior high school heads in Ghana. Data were collected using a closed-ended Likert type items from a simple randomly selected sample of a defined population of school heads of senior high schools in Ghana. Data collected were analysed using rank-ordered means and independent samples test of differences of means. The study findings revealed that the school heads frequently adopt major key practices of instructional leadership. However, the school heads most frequently adopt the practice of communicating the school’s goals. The study further revealed that differences exist the frequency at which heads of high performing schools and those of non-high performing schools adopt instructional leadership dimensions of defining the school’s goals and promoting a positive school learning climate.

scholarly journals Latina/o School Principals as Instructional Leaders

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Manuel Niño ◽  
Frank Hernandez ◽  
Fernando Valle ◽  
Jon McPhetres
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Student Discipline ◽  
Instructional Time ◽  
Cultural Wealth ◽  
Relational Aspect

Focusing on the fundamental purpose of schools as student learning, this exploratory study attempts to better understand the role of Latino principals’ activities that are centered on the teaching and learning process. Specifically, the authors were interested in comparing the instructional leadership literature (what do instructional leaders do) and analyze the time and tasks that describe how Latino principals spend their time, and then compare these activities to Yosso’s (2005) cultural wealth model. Findings from our study revealed how principals create structures to prioritize instructional time by focusing on the relational aspect of the profession. Top activities where Latina/o principals spend most of their time include 33% in classrooms, 25% connecting with students, 23% pushing paperwork, 18% planning, 16% in meetings, 15% teaching training, and 14% in professional development. Additionally, our study highlights barriers for Latino school leaders indicating activities to reduce their time in meetings, student discipline, paperwork, and teacher administrator discipline.

scholarly journals Principals’ Schema: Leadership Philosophies and Instructional Leadership

2020 ◽  
pp. 105268462096606
Author(s):  
Sarah J. Zuckerman ◽  
Cailen O’Shea
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Student Success ◽  
Mental Models ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Classroom Instruction ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
The Relationship

The Every Child Succeeds Act of 2015 signaled a shift toward the recognition of the importance of school leadership, reflecting a growing body of literature that demonstrates principals are second only to classroom instruction in supporting student success. This influence is the greatest when principals focus on teaching and learning, or instructional leadership. The ability to focus on instructional leadership requires knowledge, as well as the schema that creates mental models for instructional leadership tasks. This study draws on interviews with principals to examine the relationship between their theory of leadership, which are conceptualized as leadership schema, and their instructional leadership practices. The findings suggest that there are similarities in the instructional leadership tasks undertaken by principals, but that how they engage in tasks is partially determined by their theory of leadership.

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