Abstract:
The aims of this research were to develop a system to assess the relative performance of secondary schools in order to compare the nature and impact of principals’ instructional leadership in more and less effective schools. Study 1 developed a multi-indicator method for assessing the relative performance of 102 New Zealand secondary schools, using publicly available examination data. Five indicators were used to categorise schools of similar type as either higher-, mid-, or lower-performing and to identify schools that showed sustained improvement in performance. In Study 2, 651 teachers in 29 schools completed surveys about school culture and the principal’s leadership. Principals’ instructional leadership and school cultural indicators were then categorised as either direct or indirect, and their impact on performance levels investigated. Six major findings emerged. First, improving schools tended to be located in low or middle socio-economic (SES) communities and were more often those already mid- or higher-performing. Second, the best predictor of whether a school was categorised as improving was a principal’s previous leadership experience as a deputy principal or principal, whereas a principal’s length of tenure in a school was the best predictor of a school being categorised as higher-performing. Third, principal leadership factors explained up to 20% of the variance in school performance. Fourth, different types of instructional leadership predicted school improvement and performance. While school performance was predicted by indirect instructional leadership, only the direct leadership behaviours had significant effects in improving schools. Fifth, structural models indicated that while principal instructional leadership was mediated by the culture of the school, it had a stronger direct impact on school performance. Sixth, principals in improving schools had an indirect effect on school performance via a strong managerial infrastructure (indirect culture) while principals in higher-performing schools had an indirect effect via a strong teaching and curriculum infrastructure (direct culture). Further research into systems and management practices is suggested as the possible main mediator of principal instructional leadership in secondary schools.