Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

School

Education

Advisor

Peter Kiriakidis

Abstract

Elementary school principals, as instructional leaders, are critical to improving

mathematics proficiency. The research problem was that elementary school principals are

inconsistently applying instructional leadership to support mathematics teachers' efforts

to improve students' proficiency. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to

understand how elementary school principals apply instructional leadership to support

mathematics teachers in their efforts to improve student proficiency in mathematics. The

conceptual framework was the instructional leadership model of Hallinger and Murphy,

which defines three main dimensions of instructional leadership: (a) the school mission,

(b) the instructional program, and (c) the school climate. The research question was how

elementary school principals apply instructional leadership to support mathematics

teachers to improve student proficiency in mathematics. The participants were 12

elementary school principals who were purposefully selected. Data were collected via

semistructured interviews via Zoom using an interview protocol. Thematic analysis was

used to analyze the data. The themes revealed that principals should set goals based on

student achievement while fostering communication with all stakeholders. The themes

are embedded in the job functions within instructional leadership's three dimensions.

Implications for positive social change include providing new information on how school

principals can apply instructional leadership practices to better support mathematics

teachers' work with students. These efforts may help students to improve their

proficiency in mathematics and graduate from school.

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