Instructional Leadership in Schools: Reflections and empirical evidence

Abstract

This paper examines the notion of instructional leadership. The paper opens with a review of current work on school leadership, arguing that more inclusive, differentiated, holistic and learning-centred accounts are needed. Next the paper examines definitions of 'instructional leadership'. In the third section the discussion looks at the empirical evidence we have about such leadership, drawing upon work in the USA and England. The latter study was conducted into leadership in small primary schools. Parallels between the studies are drawn and links made with the definitions of instructional leadership. The concluding section highlights the importance of leaders being learners, the implications for leadership development and the importance of creating and sustaining certain organisational conditions which facilitate instructional leadership. The paper ends with the point that instructional leadership is becoming more significant with the growing emphasis on organisational learning.