Instructional Leadership Behaviors Research Articles

Understanding Leadership for Learning of School Leaders in Disadvantaged Areas in the Context of Education Reform in Vietnam

ABSTRACT This study aims to explore the interrelationships between leaders’ personal traits, leadership behaviors, and leadership competencies for learning. This quantitative study utilizes structural equation modeling to analyze survey data collected from 563 school leaders across primary, secondary, and postsecondary schools situated in disadvantaged regions of Vietnam. Study participants from disadvantaged areas in Vietnam completed 20-item questionnaires, providing their perspectives on leader traits, leadership behaviors, and competencies related to leadership for learning. The findings revealed a positive correlation between leaders’ personal traits, leadership behaviors, and leadership competencies regarding learning. The research model successfully explained 54.70% of the variance in leadership competencies for learning. The results indicate instructional leadership behaviors have the most significant influence on competencies of leadership for learning, followed by shared leadership behaviors and transformational leadership behaviors. This highlights the integral role of school leaders in effectively implementing new curricula in Vietnam and advancing positive change, especially in disadvantaged schools. These insights hold practical implications for developing impactful leadership strategies in educational institutions to benefit students and shape a brighter future for Vietnam’s educational landscape.

Development and validation of the “Instructional Leadership Behaviors Scale”: The Turkish urban sample

BackgroundThe worldwide interest in the instructional leadership behaviors of school administrators has led to the prevalent use of the concept in domestic research. The increasing number of domestic research on instructional leadership research is a challenge but also an opportunity for the fields of educational leadership and management. ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop and validate the “Instructional Leadership Behaviors Scale” (ILBS) to describe the instructional leadership behaviors of school administrators in Turkey. MethodsThe data were collected online from 1100 teachers working in public schools in Turkey for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and reliability analyses. ResultsThe analyses showed that ILBS comprised 28 items and two factors: “instructional management” and “professional development.” The ILBS was a valid and reliable instrument developed according to teachers’ opinions. ConclusionIt is expected that ILBS would be a reliable instrument sensitive to the domestic and legal aspects of “instructional management” and “professional development” in the instructional leadership behaviors of school administrators in Turkey.

The Impact of Shared Instructional Leadership and Social Capital on School Effectiveness

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of shared instructional leadership and social capital on school effectiveness according to teacher perceptions. The study was designed in a descriptive relational survey model. The sample of the study consists of 403 teachers working in schools in the Odunpazarı and Tepebaşı districts located in the city center of Eskişehir, Turkey in the 2021-2022 academic year. In the study, “Shared instructional leadership scale,” “Social capital scale” and “School effectiveness scale” were used. In the study, it was found that teachers’ perceptions of shared instructional leadership, social capital, and school effectiveness levels were high. It was determined that shared instructional leadership and social capital variables together had a high and significant relationship with school effectiveness. The relative importance of the predictor variables on school effectiveness are shared instructional leadership and social capital variables, and these variables were found to be significant predictors of school effectiveness. School principals can contribute to the strengthening of social capital and school effectiveness by exhibiting shared instructional leadership behaviors such as focusing on student learning, sharing authority and responsibilities, strong dialogue and cooperation.

Instructional Leadership Behaviours as Correlate Instructional Practices

The objectives of the study were to determine instructional leadership behaviour commonly practiced by heads, establish relationship between heads instructional leadership behaviours and teachers’ instructional practices. One research question and two hypotheses were raised to guide the study. The study employed descriptive survey design. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the teachers. A sample of 96 teachers was drawn from three senior high schools. Questionnaire was used to gather data from respondents. The overall reliability coefficient of 0.82 was obtained from the pre-testing of the instrument. Data were analyzed using means and standard deviations, Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and standard multiple regression. The results were discussed in relation to the literature. Findings revealed that heads commonly evaluate and supervise instruction. The study established significant and positive relationship between leadership behaviours and teachers’ instructional practices. It was therefore, recommended that Ghana Education Service should accelerate its efforts by providing the needed support for instructional supervisory activities of heads to enable them promote effective instructional delivery of teachers. It was again, recommended that heads should reinforce the use of evaluating and supervising instruction by regularly visiting classrooms to make teachers more effective in lesson delivery.

Effect of principal's instructional leadership practices on teachers' professional development: A cross sectional study of secondary school level from selected areas of Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

This study investigates the intricate relationship between principal instructional leadership practices and their effects on teacher professional development, school culture, and the broader educational environment. The research was conducted in selected areas of Lahore, involving 260 participants from both private and public secondary schools. Data was collected through a Likert scale questionnaire containing 25 items measuring seven dimensions of instructional leadership and 11 items for teacher professional development. Statistical analysis, including Cronbach's Alpha, KMO and Bartlett's tests, factor analysis, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis, were employed to examine the data. The research revealed significant associations between principal instructional leadership practices and teacher professional development, highlighting the influence of instructional leadership behaviors such as providing feedback, setting clear educational objectives, and fostering collaborative learning environments. This study identified a substantial impact of principal instructional leadership on school culture and organizational environment, with instructional leadership practices positively correlating with welcoming environments and a culture of continuous improvement. The findings of this study have practical implications for educational officials and practitioners. Educational leadership development initiatives that focus on enhancing instructional leadership skills among administrators can create conditions conducive to effective teacher professional development. These initiatives should prioritize fostering cooperation, providing constructive feedback, and establishing clear instructional objectives. This research underscores the vital role of instructional leadership in shaping school culture and student outcomes. Effective educational leadership is an ongoing process that encourages trust, collaboration, and adaptability in a rapidly evolving educational landscape. While acknowledging the study's limitations, this research contributes to the ongoing dialogue on educational leadership, emphasizing its significance in promoting successful school communities.

Digital instructional leadership in schools facing different levels of challenging contexts: A survey study during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study highlights the growing significance of integrating digital technology into instructional leadership in schools. Educational administration research cannot ignore the fact that digital technology has become an integral part of human interactions and organizational processes in twenty-first-century workplaces. This paper aims to explore digital instructional leadership behaviours of principals during the COVID-19 pandemic and explain behavioural differences in leadership related to different levels of socio-economic school settings. Data were collected through an online study from 380 teachers in Bahrain. We used a series of two-sample t-tests between percentages to compare differences in digital instructional leadership behaviours. The study revealed that means of principals’ digital instructional leadership behaviours were generally higher in schools serving student populations with a high rather than low socio-economic background. Principals in schools serving student populations with low socio-economic background were higher than their peers only in one digital instructional leadership behaviours, and this was related to socio-economic gaps. The study contributes to better understanding of digital instructional leadership, an approach that is becoming highly prevalent because of the pandemic, and sheds light on how levels of principals’ behaviours vary in different circumstances. Overall, the findings attest to the presence of a digital instructional leadership divide.

Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of An Effective Feedback Program for School Principals to Improve In-class Teaching

This study aims to develop a program on giving effective feedback (GEFP) which is designed to improve principals’ feedback capacities that support teachers’ in-class teaching and to examine the impact of this program. The program covers leadership, supervision, classroom observation, trust, active listening, feedback and statistical analysis topics. Experimental mixed method design was used in this research. The study group and sample of the research consist of 16 school principals and 602 teachers working in the experimental (N=8) and control (N=8) group schools in the province of Hatay in the 2018-2019 academic year. The "school principal feedback scale" was used as the quantitative data collection tool, and a semi-structured interview form was used as the qualitative data collection tool. It was concluded that GEFP contributed significantly to both the process and function factors of the feedback and increased the capacity of school principals to give effective feedback within the scope of improving teaching. The calculated effect size revealed that the contribution of GEFP to the function factor is higher than the process factor. Qualitative findings revealed that school principals realize the importance of supervision and feedback, improve themselves professionally, change their managerial behaviors positively, and show instructional leadership behaviors. As a result, it was determined that school principals started to give effective feedback by demonstrating behaviors related to the feedback process literature after GEFP. Considering the contribution of giving effective feedback to teachers to improve their teaching, it is recommended that GEFP should be provided for all school principals as in-service training.

School Heads’ Instructional Leadership Behavior and Teachers’ Work Engagement in Public Elementary Schools

This study focused in finding out the school head’s instructional leadership behavior and its impact to teacher’s work engagement as perceived by the teachers. Public Elementary School teachers of Tiaong II District, Division of Quezon were chosen as the respondents of the study. The adapted and modified survey questionnaire by Philip Hallinger was utilized to measure the instructional behavior of the school heads and Schaufeli and Bakker (2003), the Utretch Work Engagement Scale (UWES) was used to measure the Teachers Work Engagement in terms of Vigor, Dedication and Absorption using the Likert Scaling of 1-5. The result of the variables showed that there is a significant relationship between the Instructional Leadership Behavior and Teacher’s Work Engagement in terms of (Vigor, Dedication and Absorption). However, the results implied that school leaders with instructional leadership style manifest behavior that is expected by the teachers and make them work with energy, enthusiasm, commitment and dedication at work. Despite of this result, as for the recommendations, school heads may continue lead their teachers and do what is best for teachers and student’s welfare. Also, teachers may continue showing enthusiasm, dedication and full of commitment with their work, duties and responsibilities for their student’s development. School heads may also adopt the effective instructional leadership style and behavior to keep the teachers inspired, motivated, work with energy and dedicated with their work. However, school heads may lessen the extra-curricular and other activities and programs in the school for the teachers to continue work with energy, dedication and commitment.

Relationship between Principal Instructional Leadership, Job Satisfaction, Work Commitment and Performance of SDN Teacher in South Banjarmasin District, Banjarmasin City

The purpose of this study was to analyze the direct and indirect relationship between the Headmaster's Instructional Leadership, Job Satisfaction, Work Commitment and Performance of Elementary School teachers in South Banjarmasin District, Banjarmasin City. The method used in this research is cross sectional using a path analysis model to analyze the pattern of relationships between variables. The study population consisted of 309 teachers from 59 elementary schools in South Banjarmasin District, Banjarmasin City, and 174 respondents were taken as the research sample using the Probability Simple Random Sampling technique. Data collection used a questionnaire instrument and data analysis used descriptive analysis, classic assumption test, hypothesis testing and path analysis. The results of the analysis of the regression coefficient value of the headmaster's instructional leadership behavior variable and performance, job satisfaction variables and performance, work commitment variables and performance, variable headmaster instructional leadership and commitment, variable job satisfaction and work commitment, variable headmaster instructional leadership and performance through work commitment and variable job satisfaction with performance through commitment. This study concludes that the variables of Headmaster Instructional Leadership, Job Satisfaction, Work Commitment and Performance of Elementary School teachers in South Banjarmasin District, Banjarmasin City are all included in the high category. There is a partial direct relationship between the headmaster's instructional leadership, job satisfaction, work commitment and teacher performance. There is an indirect relationship between the headmaster's instructional leadership and job satisfaction and performance through work commitment at Elementary School South Banjarmasin District, Banjarmasin City. The headmaster's suggestion is to continue to maintain this instructional leadership because in practice it can improve teacher performance. Things that need to be improved are relationships with teachers such as providing opportunities to attend various trainings that are in line with their profession. Teachers must put more effort into improving performance by having more strategies and methods for assessing learning outcomes not only for the development of the realm of knowledge but also for the realm of student behavior and morals.

An Analysis of Instructional Leadership Studies in Türkiye: A Meta-Synthesis Study

Instructional leadership has a remarkable importance in student learning and school development in the international literature. This situation enables researchers to examine different aspects of instructional leadership. This study aims to synthesize qualitative research findings examining the instructional leadership behaviors of school principals in Türkiye. Meta-synthesis method was employed; thus, 21 studies that met the inclusion criteria were analyzed using this method. The studies constituting the study's data source were accessed by scanning the databases of ERIC, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, YÖKTEZ (Council of Higher Education, National Thesis Center), and ULAKBİM (Turkish Academic Network and Information Center). As a result of the research, three themes were obtained: Instructional leadership behaviors, effects of instructional leadership, and factors hindering instructional leadership. Although the research results indicate positive relationships between instructional leadership and organizational effectiveness and development, the roles of school principals as instructional leaders in the Turkish education system, which has a centralized structure, are reflected in their actual daily practices to a limited extent. To this end, there is a need for more comprehensive empirical studies and evidence-based models of exactly how instructional leadership affects organizational development in the Turkish literature.

A Meta-analysis: School Administrators’ and Teachers’ Views on The Level of Administrators' Instructional Leadership Behaviours

This study aims to define the effect size of school administrators' and teachers' views on the level of administrators’ instructional leadership behaviors by meta-analysis method. The main data source is master and doctorate dissertations, conducted between 2000-2019, which are in Turkish or English. As a result of scanning out of 460 studies, 37 are included in the meta-analysis. The effect size, variances, and comparison of the groups for each study are calculated. “Funnel plot” and “Orwin’s Fail-Safe N” methods are used to test publication bias. As a result of the analyses, Q-statistic is Q = 172,902, and I2 is calculated as 79 %. The effect size calculated according to the random effects model is 0, 40 in favor of the school administrators [0.27; 0.50], positive and statistically significant. This effect size value (ES = 0.40) means that the school administrators’ views on school administrators’ instructional leadership are more positive than teachers’ views.

Merkezi Sınavlarda Yüksek Performans Gösteren Okullardaki Müdürlerin Öğretim Liderliği Davranışlarını Etkileyen Faktörler

Bu araştırmada merkezi sınavlarda yüksek performans gösteren okullardaki müdürlerin öğretim liderliği davranışlarını etkileyen faktörleri ortaya çıkarmak amaçlanmıştır. Çoklu durum deseninde tasarlanan araştırma üç aşamada yürütülmüştür. Bunlar: durum ve katılımcıların belirlenmesi, veri toplama araçlarının oluşturularak pilot çalışma yapılması ve ana saha çalışmasıdır. Merkezi sınavlarda istikrarlı bir başarı geçmişi olan üç okulda görev yapan okul müdürleri ve dokuz öğretmen, araştırmanın katılımcılarını oluşturmaktadır. Yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler, gözlemler ve doküman incelemeleri ile toplanan veriler içerik analizi ile analiz edilmiştir. Durumlara ait bulgular, benzerlik ve farklılıklar açısından karşılaştırılarak sunulmuş ve kavramsal çerçeve temelinde üç temaya ulaşılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonuçları liderliği bağlam içinde incelemenin önemini ortaya koymaktadır. Bağlamsal faktörler, okul müdürlerinin öğretim liderliği pratiklerini destekleyen veya kısıtlayan yapılar olarak karar ve eylemlerini yönlendirmektedir. Buna göre okul müdürlerinin öğretim liderliği davranışları üzerinde geçmiş deneyimlerinin, kişisel ve mesleki inançlarının ve vizyonerlik, çalışkanlık, kararlılık vb. kişisel özelliklerinin etkili olduğu ortaya çıkmıştır. Ayrıca okul müdürlerinin öğretim liderliği davranışları üzerinde öğretmen, veli ve öğrenci profillerinin, okulların fiziki yapı ve donanımlarının, çevre desteğinin, yüksek beklentilerin de etkili olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Okul gelişimi ve öğrenci öğrenmesi üzerindeki etkisi birçok araştırmada vurgulanan öğretim liderliğinin etkilendiği faktörlerin ortaya çıkarılmasının yönetici ve politika yapıcıların reform çabalarına katkı sağlayacağı ve uygulayıcı olan okul müdürlerine rehberlik edebileceği düşünülmektedir.

Does Instructional Leadership Make a Difference? Investigating the Relationship between Instructional Leadership and Teacher Autonomy

The effect of principals’ instructional leadership style on the teaching profession has received much scrutiny. However, there is an apparent need for more studies in Turkey that address the relationships between instructional leadership and teacher autonomy. This quantitative study aimed to explore the association between principals’ instructional leadership and teacher autonomy. More importantly, the current study sought to determine the extent to which instructional leadership behaviors explain the variance in teacher autonomy. Two existing scales were conducted to collect data from 500 teachers. We conducted descriptive statistics analysis to measure the teachers’ perception of instructional leadership and teacher autonomy, the bivariate correlation was used to assess the relationship between the variables and finally we conducted a regression analysis to examine the extent to which instructional leadership explains variance in teacher autonomy. The result indicates a positive relationship between principals’ instructional leadership and teacher autonomy. More importantly, the result of regression analysis reveals that principals’ instructional leadership style is a predictor of teacher autonomy. The implications and limitations of this study, as well as recommendations for future researchers, are presented.

The Profile of Principals’ Instructional Leadership in Primary Schools with High, Moderate, and Low Achievement

This study aims to examine 1) the profiles of the principal instructional leadership in three different school categories, namely high, moderate, and low-performing public primary schools: and 2) the differences of, if any, principal instructional leadership in those three different school categories. This was a descriptive study. The respondents were 233 classroom teachers, from 10 selected public primary schools in Bandung District, West Java, Indonesia. They were required to fill up a questionnaire in which they assess the instructional leadership behaviors of their principal. The questionnaire was tested for its validity and reliability before being distributed to the respondents. The collected data was then analyzed using quantitative data analysis techniques. The results show that theprofiles of principal instructional leadership in the three different school categories were relatively similar, viewed from the aspects of determining the school missions focusing on academic achievement, managing teaching programs, and developing a positive learning climate. Of those three dimensions, determining school missions was the most prominent. Looking at more details, supervising and monitoring students#39; learning, managing effective learning hours, and maintaininghigh visibility were the least performed. Finally, this study found that there was no behavioral difference in the principal instructional leadership in the three school categories

ASSESSING INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS OF THE HEADS OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Instructional leaders are effective principals and these leaders can lead their team towards achievement of assigned targets. Instructional leadership is directly linked to supporting and helping student learning and classroom teaching. This study intends to evaluate how principals’ instructional leadership behavior make a difference in the instructional process of public secondary school, as perceived by a sample of 185 teachers of Sargodha district. A questionnaire called PIMRS (Hallinger, 1982) was adopted for collection of data. Data analysis made it clear that teachers rated their heads high on all sub scales of instructional leadership and also identified some ignored dimensions in this regard. The results revealed significant gender differences in the perception of teachers about heads’ instructional supervision, their being highly visible, encouraging teachers to develop professionally, and the heads efforts in providing incentives to students for their effective learning and better achievement. Findings also suggest that the opinion of experienced teachers about different dimensions of instructional leadership was more positive as compared to the newly inducted teachers. It was suggested that heads may be trained to be effective instructional leaders for improving students’ achievement and performance.

Instructional Leadership Behavior among Principals of Two Schools in Lalitpur, Nepal

Instructional leadership is the position in any educational institute that can utilize individual skills and knowledge to ensure the academic performance of students with necessary support for all teachers, students, and school staff. There are various components and dimensions of instructional leadership, such as planning, curriculum design and development, training delivery and professional development, evaluation and monitoring of teachers, and assessment of students. The purpose of the study is to explore the perceptions of school principals about instructional leadership and narrate their experiences. The research adopted a qualitative research method in which principals of renowned schools of Lalitpur district of Nepal were interviewed as the participants. The study shows that principals of high-performing schools possess certain qualities as instructional leaders. Since the study was conducted with limited participants, it can be further taken to larger extent to explore additional details and dimension about instructional leadership.

Black Women Principals in American Secondary Schools: Quantitative Evidence of the Link Between Their Leadership and Student Achievement

Purpose: This study aims to provide quantitative knowledge concerning the leadership of Black women principals in American secondary schools. We examined (1) the demographic composition of the schools in which Black women principals serve, (2) these principals’ instructional leadership behaviors, (3) the collective responsibility among teachers in those schools, and (4) the association between their interacting identities and the math achievement scores of the 9th graders at the schools they led. Research Design and Methods: We used a critical quantitative intersectionality framework along with the base-year data from the High School Longitudinal Studies 2009 provided by the National Center for Education Statistics. Multiple regression analysis and linear mixed-effect modeling were used to examine how the convergence of principals’ race or ethnicity and gender is associated with the variables of interest. Findings: The results showed that on average, Black principals served schools with relatively higher percentages of students who were eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch and relatively higher percentages of students of color. We found that Black women principals were associated with a higher level of teachers’ collective responsibility as perceived by teachers and higher math achievement scores among students. There was a positive association between the principals’ instructional leadership behaviors perceived by teachers and female principals. Implications for Research and Practice: The importance of understanding the multiplicative influences of race or ethnicity and gender in research and principal preparation programs are discussed. We suggest that policymakers prepare intersectionality-informed policy interventions that specifically support leadership by Black women principals.

The Mediating Effect of Organizational Climate on The Relationship Between Instructional Leadership and Teacher Autonomous Behaviour

Teacher autonomy is vital component for the productive development of the school and as well as profession. This study determined the mediating effect of organizational climate on the relationship between instructional leadership and teacher autonomous behavior, specifically in the Municipality of Talaingod, Division of Davao del Norte. This study employed a mediation analysis with 300 samples with a thorough interpretation of the data collected through statistical treatments (Mean, Pearson r, Med-graph using Sobel z-test). The findings of the study showed that there is a strong relationship between Instructional Leadership and Teacher Autonomous Behaviour. It was also revealed that Organizational Climate partially mediated the relationship between instructional leadership and the autonomous behavior of Talaingod Public-School Teachers. The result implies that giving opportunities for the teacher to have autonomy when it comes to the teaching-learning process is an integral part of being a great instructional leader.

A Study on the Instructional Leadership Behaviors of Primary School Principals According to the Opinions of Administrators and Teachers

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to determine how often primary school principals perform instructional leadership behaviors and whether their performance differs based on administrator and teacher views.
 Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was designed as a descriptive quantitative study. Convenience sampling was used and 47 administrators and 190 teachers were included in the sample.
 Findings: The study found that principals exhibited instructional leadership behaviors "most of the time" both in general and in its sub-dimensions. Administrator and teacher views regarding the frequency of exhibiting the instructional leadership behaviors of principals differed based on gender, designation and educational levels.
 Implications/Originality/Value: To what extent school principals exhibit instructional leadership behaviors in primary schools is important. Thus, determining how often primary school principals exhibit instructional leadership behaviors and the conditions that influence their behavior was deemed to be important.

Relation of principal instructional leadership, school climate, teacher job performance and student achievement

PurposeWe study the role of school climate, and teacher task, and citizenship performance in mediating the effects of principal instructional leadership behavior on student achievement.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was applied to data obtained from 302 Indian secondary schools to test a mediated-effects model.FindingsSchool climate was examined under two broad dimensions, the social and affective and the physical environment. Results of mediation analysis showed that the benefits of principal instructional leadership for student achievement are operationalized as an indirect effect. This indirect effect is realized primarily through the physical environment, and the in-role task performance of teachers. No significant contribution to the indirect effect through the social and affective environment was found. The latter, nonetheless, fully mediated the relationship between the instructional leadership and extra-role or citizenship behavior of teachers. These findings underscore the different and distinct mediating roles played by the social and affective, and physical dimensions of the school climate in our model.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, the reported associations between principal instructional leadership, school climate and student achievement that take into account both the in-role and extra-role job performance of teachers within the purview of a single framework are new. Also, this is the first study exploring these relations in an Indian context.