EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICES OF PRINCIPALS: PERSPECTIVES OF PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS AT SELECTED PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN ADDIS ABABA CITY ADMINISTRATION, ETHIOPIA
Date
2024-09-19
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0009-0007-7120-6582
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Doctoral
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore perceived features of effective instructional leadership practices of principals (ILPP) at selected primary schools in Addis Ababa Education Bureau (AAEB), Ethiopia. The study was guided by a conceptual framework adapted from the instructional leadership work of DiPaola and Hoy (2008). Ten participants (four principals and six teachers), from five well performed selected primary schools in Addis Ababa Education Bureau (AAEB), were the key informants to this study. The schools received an invitation to participate after they were selected with the following three criteria: willingness to participate, having a status of level 3 (met minimum requirements) based on the Ethiopia Ministry of Education (2013) inspection guideline, and having the highest promotion rate of students in the primary school examination (as compared to other primary schools in AAEB school system). The teachers and the principals were invited based on their willingness to participate and their experiences in the profession of teaching for at least three years. Semi-structured interview with appreciative inquiry were used to collect data from participants using one-to-one interviews. Then, data were analysed to address the research questions.
The findings of the study revealed that effective ILPP at the selected primary schools in AAEB can be characterized by four key components by which participants believed that their schools were successful. These four components were: (a) availability of appropriate physical school environment and resources, (b) having principals who facilitated positive social school environment, (c) having principals who promoted positive academic environment, and (d) having principals who focused on supervision rather than evaluation as a strategy to support teachers’ classroom instruction capacity.
This study has implications for practices, policy, and subsequent research. To enhance effective ILPP, the AAEB leaders should support and encourage primary school principals to build strong positive relationship with staff and other school community members and facilitate internal supervision, school-based supervision to support teachers’ classroom instruction capacity. The AAEB school policy should support and encourage to ensure school principals be friendly, approachable, collaborative, and humble leadership in the process of selecting and promoting an individual to a position of principalship. The school system policy should also encourage principals to share their best leadership experiences in a way that transferring best practice to other schools in the study context.
Finally, this study contributes to expand diversity on the body literature in the subject of instructional leadership and can be a starting point for future study in the area.
Description
Keywords
principals, instructional leadership, perspective, leadership, primary schools
Citation
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Department
Educational Administration
Program
Educational Administration