scholarly journals Teacher Leaders’ Perceptions of Charter School Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practices

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frednardo Davis ◽  
Mary K Boudreaux
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Instructional Practices ◽  
Charter School ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
Teacher Leaders ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Leadership Behaviors ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Communication Styles ◽  
Instructional Leaders

Teacher leaders are a population to consider when observing instructional leadership or the instructional leadership behaviors of the school principal. While teacher leaders may formally or informally fulfill different roles in the school, depending on the school’s needs and the principal’s vision. A voice rarely illuminated within research, teacher leaders should have the ability to perceive and speak to the instructional leadership behaviors of the school principal. It is through the display of the instructional leadership behaviors and implementation of processes and programs that teacher leaders are able to more accurately perceive and communicate beliefs about their school principals’ practices regarding instructional leadership. One overlooked presence in the research on instructional leadership practices is the charter school principal. To address this issue, our goal is to examine the instructional practices of the charter school principal from the lens of Mendel’s five effective leadership practices for instructional leaders as perceived by the teacher leader. Several concepts emerged from this phenomenological study indicating that teacher leaders perceive that effective charter school instructional leaders (a) use diverse communication styles with all stakeholders, (b) promote professional capacity, (c) employ varied data to inform instructional practices and decisions, (d) have a visual and resounding vision statement, and (e) maximize and preserve instructional time for teachers with few daily interruptions.

The west wind vs the east wind: instructional leadership model in China

2017 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Qian ◽  
Allan Walker ◽  
Xiaojun Li
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
The West ◽  
Content Type ◽  
West Wind ◽  
East Wind ◽  
Context Specific

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a preliminary model of instructional leadership in the Chinese educational context and explore the ways in which Chinese school principals locate their instructional-leadership practices in response to traditional expectations and the requirements of recent reforms. Design/methodology/approach In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 selected primary school principals in Shenzhen and Guangzhou. A qualitative analysis was conducted to categorize the major leadership practices enacted by these principals. Findings An initial model of instructional leadership in China with six major dimensions is constructed. The paper also illustrates and elaborates on three dimensions with the greatest context-specific meanings for Chinese principals. Originality/value The paper explores the ways in which Chinese principals enact their instructional leadership in a context in which “the west wind meets the east wind”; that is, when they are required to accommodate both imported reform initiatives and traditional expectations. The paper contributes to the sparse existing research on principals’ instructional leadership in non-western cultural and social contexts.

Assessing and strengthening instructional leadership among primary school principals in Vietnam

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 396-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hảo Thi Nguyễn ◽  
Philip Hallinger ◽  
Chia Wen Chen
Keyword(s):  
Educational Leadership ◽  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Leadership Practices ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Primary School Principals ◽  
Principal Instructional Leadership

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to add to an emerging literature on educational leadership and management in Vietnam by addressing several goals. First, the study sought to translate, adapt, and validate an existing measurement instrument, the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) Teacher Form, for use in Vietnam. Next, it aimed to describe patterns of instructional leadership evidenced among a sample of urban and rural primary school principals. Then, the researchers examined if these patterns of principal instructional leadership could be linked to one or more “antecedent variables”: school size, school location (urban/rural), principal’s gender and prior teaching experience. Finally, the paper sought insights from principals and teachers on how instructional leadership could be strengthened in the Vietnamese education context. Design/methodology/approach Both quantitative survey and qualitative methods were used in this study. The sample consisted of 569 teachers and 117 principals working in 117 primary schools located in Ho Chi Minh province of Vietnam. Data collection employed a translated and adapted Vietnamese language form of the PIMRS Teacher Form. An open-ended question posed to both teachers and principals was included in the survey instrument to gather recommendations for strengthening instructional leadership in Vietnam. The research used Rasch analysis, Cronbach’s test of internal consistency, confirmatory factor analysis, t-tests, and analysis of variance in data analysis. Findings The research achieved a preliminary validation of a Vietnamese language Teacher Form of the PIMRS. The analysis of PIMRS data gathered from teachers found that the primary school principals were perceived to be exercising instructional leadership at a surprisingly high level. Consistent with international research findings, selected evidence indicated stronger instructional leadership from the female principals, though the pattern was not strong. None of the other antecedents evidenced a significant relationship with patterns of principal instructional leadership. A number of overlapping recommendations were made by teachers and principals for strengthening instructional leadership in Vietnam. Research limitations/implications Although a Teacher Form of the PIMRS Vietnam was successfully validated, follow-up studies should be conducted with both the Teacher Form and Principal Form of this instrument. More broadly, the high scores on the PIMRS accorded to the principals in this study were deemed “surprising” in light of the lack of prior policy focus and training on this role of the principal in Vietnam. Thus, the authors recommend that this research be extended to a larger cross-level study of schools from different parts of Vietnam in order to provide additional confirmation of these preliminary findings. Practical implications Feedback from principals and teachers indicated a need for system leaders to articulate instructional leadership more explicitly as part of the principal’s role set in Vietnam. Only then will it become part of the formal expectations that shape principals’ practice and the preparation and professional development programs in which they participate. The principals also suggested that instructional leadership could be strengthened by enabling model principals to share instructional leadership practices with colleagues. Finally, teachers and principals highlighted the need to broaden, legitimate, and strengthen sources of instructional leadership within the school beyond the principal. These suggestions are not only consistent with policy actions taken in other societies, but are also grounded in the context of education in Vietnam. Originality/value The first internationally published study of educational leadership and management in Vietnam only appeared in 2012. In the succeeding years, several qualitative studies have emerged describing principal leadership practices in a handful of schools. The current study represents the first published quantitative study of school leadership from Vietnam. Although the results are preliminary in nature, the study provides both baseline data on principal instructional leadership and a validated instrument that can be used in future research.

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 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.

scholarly journals Perception of Teachers towards School Principal as Instructional Leader

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 86-96
Author(s):  
Hikmat Dahal
Keyword(s):  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Teacher Job Satisfaction ◽  
School Principal ◽  
Instructional Leader ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Innovative Methods ◽  
Academic Qualification ◽  
Significant Difference

The title of the article is 'Perception of Teachers towards School Principal as Instructional Leader'. Instructional leadership has become one of the most widely researched topics. This type of  leadership has been connected to teacher growth and development, teacher job satisfaction, student achievement, and improving school climate in general. The objective of the study included to determine the role played by principals as instructional leaders in schools through the perceptions of teachers. To achieve this purpose quantitative research methodology was used and the study was survey type in nature. The sample consisted of 436 school teachers of Kathmandu district. A self developed questionnaire was developed using Google Forms and sent to the respondents via email and social networking sites. The data were collected from teachers in emails and social media. The data were analyzed by using different descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings of the study indicated that school principals support creativity, innovation and practice of new skills in the classroom. They also praised to those teachers who use creativity in classrooms to enhance the learning of students. They held meetings with teachers to discuss the students’ performance and solve the problems of teachers as an instructional leaders. The findings suggested that there is no significant difference on perception of instructional leadership of principals on the basis of gender of teachers and subjects they teach but have a significant difference on perception on the basis of their academic qualification. It is recommended that principals may be trained that they can use new innovative methods and ideas to discuss with teachers and they help out the teachers to make the dull topics interesting. Principals may motivate teachers by giving different incentives in the shape of awards for bringing innovation in school.

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 Towards a leadership programme for primary school principals as instructional leaders

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Parvathy Naidoo ◽  
Nadine Petersen
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Instructional Leadership ◽  
Primary School ◽  
School Leadership ◽  
School Principals ◽  
Instructional Leaders ◽  
Learner Outcomes ◽  
Primary School Principals ◽  
Poor Learner

This study set out to explore primary school principals’ instructional leadership. The study addressed a key issue in the school improvement literature, pertaining to the curriculum leadership of principals. The literature is not entirely clear about which leadership characteristic is more likely to produce the most favourable outcomes in terms of improved learner outcomes, in other words, how the curriculum has been implemented and how leadership in this regard has been effected. The article argues that robust training and development in instructional leadership practices become necessary to support school leaders in this regard. In South Africa, based on numerous reports of poor learner outcomes in schools, we question whether principals possess the necessary skills required to lead and manage curriculum in schools. In this article, the views of five principals, who have completed the Advanced Certificate in Education: School Leadership and Management (ACESLM) programme, are examined. Findings indicate that not all principals who participated in the study are fully conversant with their roles and responsibilities as instructional leaders. They mainly interpret their functions to be purely managerial and to be leaders and administrators of schools. Thus, whilst some understanding of instructional leadership was apparent in some of the principals’ responses, it is the authors’ views that ACESLM, as a leadership development programme, needs to be redesigned to include greater focus on instructional leadership.

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.

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