On the practice architectures of instructional leadership

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of instructional leadership and principals' perceptions of the practices of instructional leadership. Despite the emphasis on the effects of school leadership regarding teaching practices and learning outcomes, research on direct instructional leadership is scarce. It is focused either on identifying overall leadership practices or on measuring the effect of various intangible school level variables, such as school climate, on student learning. The concepts related to instructional leadership are ambiguous and vague, and challenged by contemporary understandings of school leadership (transformative and distributed leadership). The data consists of narratives written by principals from Norway, Sweden and Finland on successful and unsuccessful efforts of guiding teachers' work in the classroom. These narratives are used for enabling principals to communicate their experiences of the complexity of interacting with teachers in instructional matters. A theoretical framework of practice architectures is used to elucidate the material, discursive and relational aspects of instructional leadership. A three-step analysis of the data suggests that successful instructional leadership is characterized by solidity, co-production and direction. Interestingly, principals' narratives on instructional leadership lack an explicit vocabulary of didactics, examples of face-to-face guidance of teaching as well as direct professional relationships for strengthening teaching practices.

Aksjonsforskning i Norge: Teoretisk og empirisk mangfold

“…Praksisarkitektur er en teori for å forstå praksis, forandringer i praksis og hva som muliggjør eller hindrer utvikling i en bestemt praksis. Flere i den lokale forskergruppa har tatt i bruk denne teorien for å analysere praksis (Salo, Nylund & Stjernstrøm, 2014;Olin, Karlberg-Granlund & Furu, 2016).…”

Demystifying the Perspectives of School Principals as Leaders of Curriculum Change: The Case of Indonesia

“…Activities of instructional leadership cover development of school vision and missions; coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of the learning curriculum and creation of a learning environment that is safe and supportive for students; as well as to create a work environment that supports collaboration for teachers (DeMatthews, 2014). Principals will succeed in becoming leaders of learning when they are able to provide supervision, foster the confidence of teachers, become a critical friend, affirm the efforts of teachers, and possess competence of teaching, dedication, experiences of control, and skills in communication (Salo, Nylund, & Stjernstrøm, 2015). In this case there needs to be a coaching approach to leadership that stresses on training and guidance in an environment of partner relations, has mutual trust, is appreciative, provides time for learning and freedom of expression, and reduces limits and controls, but still allows for systematic evaluation of results (Luthans, 2005).…”

“…Principals are demanded to be able to condition curricula and learning situations in various ways. The school principal must become an instructional leader that is solid, cooperative, and directed (Salo et al, 2015). Principals possess many things to support his or her leadership (DeMatthews, 2014).…”

Exploring enhanced pedagogical leadership: an action research study involving Swedish principals

“…Nonetheless, there is a presumption that this leadership will have a great impact on the work of improving schools. Therefore, it is surprising that such leadership has only occasionally been theorised or operationalised in research (Salo, Nylund, and Stjernstrøm 2015). Principals' pedagogical leading seems to be happening without anyone being able to document it, even though its actions and results are concrete and tangible.…”