Principals’ Instructional Leadership towards Teachers' Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Principals’ instructional leadership practices have proved to be an imperative predictor to teachers’ self-efficacy. Yet, educators are concerned about the ability to adapt to new instructional leaderships due to unspoken principal-teacher expectations. This paper discusses the extent of instructional leadership practices by two newly transferred principals at two different schools. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine how their instructional leadership practices affected the self-efficacy of the teachers. Through the use of a cross-sectional survey, responses made by 64 teachers employed in one public school and one privately-run school, were compared. The Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) Teacher Short Form and the Teachers’ Sense of Efficacy Scale (TSES) were used for data collection. The findings showed a high level of instructional leadership practices and self-efficacy in both schools. The test results indicated a strong and positive relationship between the principals’ perceived instructional leadership practices and the teachers’ self-efficacy. Some of the details even suggested that newly transferred principals enforce specific school goals as their main agenda. Nevertheless, the areas of significance identified by this study may help district school superintendents develop the right knowledge to support newly transferred principals in their instructional leadership, thus enhancing teachers’ self-efficacy at the school level.