Abstract
This study investigated the instructional leadership role of subject advisors in enhancing educators’ data-driven instruction (DDI) in a Gauteng education district. Guided by Weber’s (1996) Instructional Leadership Model, Light et al.’s (2004) data- driven instruction cycle, and complemented by Transformational Leadership Theory (Burns, 1978), the research explored how subject advisors understand and enact their instructional leadership responsibilities, the strategies they use to promote data- driven instruction, the challenges they encounter, and the approaches they employ to mitigate these challenges.
A qualitative case-study design was adopted. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews with 14 participants (two subject advisors and ten FET educators in Mathematics and Physical Sciences), non-participant observations of school visits and subject meetings, and documentary analysis. Findings revealed that subject advisors perceive their role as extending beyond administrative compliance to include mentoring, modelling effective data use, cultivating a data-driven culture, and translating policy expectations into classroom-relevant practices. Key strategies involved collaborative data analysis sessions, differentiated support to educators, use of diagnostic reports for instructional planning, and sustained follow-up through school visits and feedback meetings. Persistent challenges included limited time for in-depth data dialogue, uneven educator data-literacy skills, resource constraints, and systemic pressures linked to accountability measures. To address these, subject advisors leveraged peer-learning communities, capacity-building workshops, digital data tools, and motivational leadership practices.
The study concludes that strengthening subject advisors’ instructional leadership capacities is critical for embedding a culture of evidence-based instruction. Recommendations highlight the need for ongoing professional development, clearer policy frameworks for data use, and supportive district-school partnerships to sustain data-driven instruction and improve learner outcomes.