Investigating the Relationship Between School Principals’ Educational Leadership Styles and the Quality of Instructional Processes
Keywords:
Educational leadership, leadership styles, instructional quality, school management, teaching and learningAbstract
This study aims to systematically explain the relationship between school principals’ educational leadership styles and the quality of teaching–learning processes in schools. This qualitative review study employed a theoretical analysis approach through a systematic review of the literature. After a multi-stage screening process, 15 relevant peer-reviewed articles were purposefully selected from major international databases. Data were collected exclusively through document analysis and analyzed using thematic analysis with NVivo software (version 14). The coding process continued until theoretical saturation was achieved, resulting in the development of a comprehensive conceptual framework linking leadership styles to instructional quality. The results indicated that transformational and participative leadership styles exert the strongest influence on improving instructional quality. These leadership approaches enhance teaching–learning processes by increasing teachers’ professional motivation, strengthening school organizational culture, promoting active teaching strategies, improving formative assessment practices, and fostering student engagement. Moreover, effective educational leadership contributes to higher school effectiveness, greater stakeholder satisfaction, and improved student academic outcomes. Educational leadership plays a pivotal role in the sustainable improvement of instructional quality, and investing in leadership development for school principals is essential for achieving long-term educational transformation.
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