Examining the notion of instructional leadership among public primary school principals in Khomas region, Namibia: A critical perspective
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Date
2025
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
University of Namibia
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the notion of instructional leadership among public
primary school principals in Khomas Region, Namibia. The study drew from Hallinger’s
Instructional Leadership Theory. The findings from this research study are crucial to the
Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture’s (MoEAC) understanding of the perceptions of the
principals on the concept of instructional leadership and its influence on learner academic
achievement. Moreover, the principles of instructional leadership provide a strong foundation
for schools to attain the (7) key areas identified by the MoEAC to improve the quality and
effectiveness of schools. The study used a qualitative research design from a critical
perspective. The population comprised ten public primary school principals in the Khomas
region, from urban and rural schools. To select the sample, a purposeful sampling criterion was
employed. The sample consisted of five male and five female public primary school principals.
Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the required data.
From the findings, the study established that the principals understood the concept of
instructional leadership and the key responsibilities that are coupled with it. Another aspect that
was revealed through this study is the countless challenges faced by the principals during the
process of implementing instructional leadership. However, measures were suggested in order
to mitigate these challenges. In conclusion, the findings suggest that primary school principals
require assistance in the form of ongoing training and support to execute key aspects of their
duties when implementing instructional leadership, even though they tried to the best of their
abilities. Therefore, the study recommends that the MoEAC and other institutions render
support to principals through targeted professional development, guidance, and adequate
resource provision to ensure that effective teaching and learning take place at all public schools
Description
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Educational Leadership, Management and Policy studies)
Keywords
Challenges, Critical perspective, Effective teaching and learning, Hallinger’s Instructional Leadership Theory, Instructional leadership, Namibia, University of Namibia