Abstract
Globally, literature on instructional leadership point outs that it is the responsibility of
principals and other school leaders to ensure that learners' academic performance is
improved by additional support to enable teachers to effectively carry out their
curriculum-related duties in the classroom. Many studies mention the critical role that
administrators or school leaders (in the African context) play in the professional
development of teachers. These studies emphasize the necessity for teacher
professional development programs. This study was conducted to determine the
instructional practices or strategies that are employed by school leaders to enhance the
delivery of the curriculum in the selected schools under study.
Three primary public schools in the Omusati Region's Okahao Circuit in Namibia
constituted the research sample. The researcher utilized three domains of instructional
leadership as a theoretical framework to foreground this study. These domains are
defining the school mission statement, administering the instructional program, and
fostering a positive learning climate at school. The researcher used a qualitative
research design employing a case study approach to navigate this study. Three
teachers and three school principals were purposively selected for this study. The
criteria for selection of these participants were dependent on their teaching,
management, and leadership experience. Data was collected through semi-structured
individual interviews, which were then analyzed using thematic content analysis
procedures. Four themes emerged from the study's findings, and these were named as
follows:
The instructional leadership role of school principals in public schools.
Effective practices in managing instructional programs in schools.
Teacher development as an instructional leadership practice.
The role of Circuit Management Teams in assisting with instructional leadership
development.
The study's findings highlighted the importance of educational leaders understanding
that the primary duty of instructional leaders is to oversee/monitor teaching and learning
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activities in the school. Principals must make time in their busy schedules to oversee
the educational program to fulfill their primary responsibility as instructional leaders
within schools. If their roles and responsibilities are unclear, school leaders will have
trouble simultaneously carrying out their dual responsibilities. This research study
recommends that opportunities for training and development in instructional leadership
roles and responsibilities that assist with curriculum implementation be made available
to school principals on an ongoing basis.
Keywords: Instructional leader, principal, professional development, teacher,
instructional programmes, Namibia.