Date of Conferral
7-13-2026
Date of Award
July 2026
Degree
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
School
Education
Advisor
Patricia Brewer
Abstract
The research problem guiding this study was K–12 principals are challenged to manage their responsibilities for instructional leadership. Grounded in instructional leadership theory and Covey's Time Management Matrix, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore K–12 principals' perspectives of the challenges they face in managing instructional leadership responsibilities and how they categorize the significance of those responsibilities. Using a basic qualitative design, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 K–12 principals from a suburban Midwestern public school district with at least 2 years of principal experience, and the data were analyzed using a hybrid a priori and inductive thematic analysis approach. Five themes emerged: principals reported challenges with (a) time constraints and competing managerial responsibilities, (b) instructional implementation, (c) instructional decision-making within organizational and district expectations, (d) data-informed instructional decision-making, and (e) contextual factors affecting instructional leadership. For RQ2, teaching-and-learning responsibilities were most frequently categorized as urgent and important, whereas instructional improvement processes were categorized as important but not urgent, highlighting the potential for district leaders and policymakers to strengthen organizational supports that enable principals to prioritize instructional leadership, ultimately improving instructional practice and benefiting teachers and students.
Recommended Citation
Poli, Natalie Marie, "Managing Instructional Leadership: K–12 Principals Seen Through the Lens of Instructional Leadership Theory" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20385.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20385
