Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Education

Advisor

Felicia D. Blacher-Wilson

Abstract

AbstractThe lack of achievement in public schools has been a concern globally and has negatively affected the growth of communities and the economy. School principals have a central role in implementing effective instructional practices and creating a positive teaching and learning environment that fosters student achievement. The problem addressed was a lack of instructional leadership in a British territory. The conceptual framework for this research was the instructional leadership model of Hallinger and Murphy, which defines three main dimensions of instructional leadership: (a) defining the school's mission, (b) managing the instructional program, and (c) promoting a positive school learning climate. The research question concerned how school administrators use instructional leadership practices to increase student achievement. Purposive sampling was used to collect data for this basic qualitative research study. The participants were 16 public school educators from a local school district. The data were collected by conducting interviews on Zoom. Data analysis involved a systematic process of coding and thematic analysis. The identified themes were understanding of instructional leadership, common instructional leadership practices, and the challenges of instructional leadership. The findings reinforce that a principal’s instructional leadership practices are critical to increase student success, although there remains some ambiguity regarding what constitutes instructional leadership. This study's implications for positive social change include increasing principals’ awareness of the best practices for instructional leadership, which they can potentially apply to increase student achievement. Higher student achievement may encourage the growth of communities and the economy.

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