Instructional leadership in Maltese schools : myth or reality?

Abstract

This cross-sectional study has been set to investigate the extent to which Heads of Schools in Malta enact instructional leadership. The research has been conducted with the School Management Team and teaching staff members of seven primary schools and two secondary schools within one college. The quantitative research was conducted through the use of the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale instrument, which have been developed specifically for rating instructional leadership performance. This study sheds lights on the ways instructional leadership is being enacted within Maltese schools. The findings suggest that practices and behaviours, which are regarded as means through which instructional leadership is enacted, are frequently evident in some dimensions while lacking in other ones. Hence, some dimensions need to be worked upon more than others. The conclusions drawn from this study not only identifies ways how instructional leadership can be enacted more often, but also suggests what is hindering this from occurring. This study has highlighted some issues of particular concern, mainly being those of lack of communication flow amongst staff, the focus on administrative matters by heads of school, and the need of more time and energy devoted to relationship building amongst staff.