Received: 30-May-2023, Manuscript No. JEAM-23-100626; Editor assigned: 01-Jun-2023, Pre QC No. JEAM-23-100626 (PQ); Reviewed: 15-Jun-2023, QC No. JEAM-23-100626; Revised: 28-Jul-2023, Manuscript No. JEAM-23-100626 (R); Published: 04-Aug-2023, DOI: 10.15651/2465-7204.23.9.017
This study investigates how teachers perceive the leadership role of the principal at Kolfe Keranyo sub city of Yemanbirihan secondary school. A qualitative research method with a case study design was used. Ten teachers were selected using purposive sampling techniques. Semi-structured interviews were used for the study to collect data from FGD participants. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings demonstrate that teacher's perspectives on the extent of their professional experiences in relation to the instructional leadership assistance provided by the principle to advance teaching and learning are varied. The study demonstrates that principals do not give teacher's professional development the support it needs. Political interferences, a lack of resources, a lack of skills and training for principals, and a lack of time given to principals to carry out teaching activities and concentrate on administrative issues are some of the challenges that principals face in performing their instructional leadership role. It's interesting to note that the principals themselves acknowledged in casual conversations that they were put in charge without having received the proper training. It was concluded that the school's identification as a low-performing school in the sub-city may have been influenced by the principal inability to demonstrate the leadership necessary to take on a critical instructional role. Hence, Kolfa Keranyo subcity education department needs to be taken into account; school principals should be well trained and have better educational preparation for the position. It’s also critical to improve the leadership abilities of present school principals through a variety of leadership development programme.
Perceptions, Instructional leadership, Principals, Educational preparation, Leadership development programme
The concept of instructional leadership emerged and developed in the United States during the effective school movement of the 1980’s. The research resulting from this movement revealed that a principal is critical to a student's success in learning.
Murphy, cited in Sheppard claims that there are ‘narrow’ and ‘broad’ conceptions of instructional leadership where the latter also involves variables, such as school culture, which may have important consequences for teacher perception.
The narrow definition focuses on instructional leadership as a separate entity from administration. In the narrow view, instructional leadership is defined as those actions that are directly related to teaching and learning observable behavior's such as classroom supervision. In the broad view, instructional leadership entails all leadership activities that affect student learning. Leadership these are the “narrow conception-those action that are directly related to teaching and learning or observable behavior such as classroom supervision and the broad conception which entitles all leadership activities that affect student learning” (Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman et al., 2020).
South worth, emphasizing the idea of instructional leadership, argued that it is more likely to be successful when conceptualized as "broad" rather than "narrow" because it expands the scope of other leadership activities and helps principals understand how a school will operate. On the basis of the above debate it could be argued that instructional leadership should be seen from the perspectives of broad in which the principal should exercise all leadership activities in the school to achieve better student learning as well as to excel the school in a better position (Alfredo Ramirez et al., 2007).
Teachers and school administrators play a key role in fostering a positive learning environment. They work in an area where it's crucial to invest in ongoing professional development to ensure the success of the following generations. Schools must understand the principal's crucial position in the educational setting if they are to function effectively. As a result, the principal may concentrate on the needs of the students and their education while also overseeing the day to day operations of the school, which includes resolving issues that arise for instructors while they are at work (Bada HA et al., 2020).
According to studies on school effectiveness, teachers opinions of the principals instructional leadership can be used to predict how well a school would do. For instance, the principal's ability to inspire and motivate instructors in the classroom has a direct impact on the achievement of the pupils.
Similarly, it was also indicated that successful principals spend ample time and energy on the professional development of teachers and help teachers with their classroom instruction. Such principals provide opportunities for teachers to attend professional courses that assist them in discharging their duties (Bailey KD, 1994).
Although research on leadership have shown that there are many different leadership styles, the instructional leadership styles of the principal are those that are most needed in the school. With this approach, teachers may give their pupils high quality education and boost their academic achievement. A study on effective high school principals supports the aforementioned finding, showing that they have a general impact on teacher's time on task. High standards for student performance and a focus on problem solving.
Thus, considering the importance of instructional leadership role of a principal’s; understanding teacher’s perceptions will foster the continuous improvement of the school (Baxter P et al., 2008).
For instance, there have been criticisms from the general public concerning the effectiveness of the educational system in Ethiopia. In order to enhance school performance and sustain educational quality, the principal may therefore be a crucial educational component. To put it another way, it is critical to look into the principal's instructional practices from the viewpoint of the teachers. The support of the principal, according to Hallinger and Lee, has a significant impact on how well teachers instruct their students. According to earlier research, principal’s support for teachers can have an impact on their teaching strategies, which in turn can improve student learning and overall school success. In recent years, researchers interest in how much of an impact or impact principals has on the academic performance of the students they serve in today's schools has grown. However, little is known about the direct influence that principals have on the instructional practises of the teachers and the general caliber of educational programmes in the schools (Barth RS, 1990).
According to research, teachers believed that effective principal teacher interactions on instruction and staff development involved inquiry; reflection; exploration and experimentation. Therefore, instructional leaders are obliged to implement staff development practices in order to increase the effectiveness of the school and promote greater learning.
Principal’s must exhibit the traits listed above as a whole to be successful in their function as instructional leaders. Principal’s may experience issues when carrying out their responsibilities as instructional leaders, according to researchers. The complexity and ambiguity of the roles, a lack of specialised training in performing an instructional leadership role, and a lack of understanding of how students learn are some of these obstacles (Bendikson L et al., 2012).
Statement of the Problem
The majority of principals appointed to the job in high schools in Ethiopia lack any formal training in instructional leadership. It was discovered that just 30.2% of primary school leaders were competent, much below the desired 100%. Similar statistics are seen in secondary education, where only 29% of leaders are qualified and only 8% of female leaders are qualified.
It also points out that the low increase in the number of qualified instructional leader is due to the lack of interest of trainees, since qualifications are not highly valued. All of this is contrary to the ministry of education's guidelines. In other words, the limitations of leadership training, the short duration of training, and the incompetence of trainees are not in line with the ministry of education's guidelines. The ministry clarifies that principals must have the necessary qualifications and preparation to promote the quality of teaching in their schools and to fulfill their duties and responsibilities (Blase J, 2000).
A study conducted by Geleta indicated that the current situation in Ethiopia indicates that school principals are not able to fulfill their role at the expected level. According to the study, this could be due to various factors such as lack of professional skills and knowledge, commitment to more administrative tasks, inadequate training, and preparation, lack of interest, etc. As an experienced expert, the above problems are also observed in Addis Ababa secondary schools. Because of this urgent problem, although Geleta's study focused on elementary schools in the West Shewa zone of Oromiya, I am very motivated to extend the study at a different level and in a different area, i.e., secondary schools in Addis Ababa; especially from the perspective of secondary school teachers (Blase J et al., 1999).
Also, Amal and Yasser's study on school effectiveness showed that school effectiveness can be predicted by teacher’s perceptions of principal’s educational leadership. Hence, it was a timely search for the problem that exists in Yemana Berhan secondary school (Bruce Sheppard, 1996).
Although the importance of the instructional leadership role to be performed by school leaders is undisputed, little attention has been paid to Ethiopia. For example, the review of Ethiopian education and training policy implementations indicated that school principals in Ethiopian secondary education are underperforming in exercising instructional leadership.
Although a number of researchers have widely acknowledged that a school leader's leadership role is critical to achieving effective schools. Most school leaders focused their leadership practices on school administration rather than on instructional leadership of student learning.
According to Geleta, of the numerous tasks that school principals perform, only one-tenth are related to instructional leadership. From this it is clear that the instructional leadership of the school principal does not receive the attention it deserves (Cohen L et al., 2000).
In contrast to Geleta's findings, research from the 1970s on successful schools consistently found that principals who made a special effort and spent time to improve the teaching and learning aspects of the school. A study by Bada et al., on teachers perceptions of instructional leadership by principals in the United States found that teachers believe that effective principals are those who provide strong support to teachers in instructional leadership (Creswell JW, 2009).
Globally, many research studies have been conducted on the instructional leadership of principals, raising different research questions and using quantitative research methods. Another study by Blase and Blase examined teachers perceptions of how principal characteristics promote teaching and learning in schools. Similarly, Hafsat et al., examined teachers perceptions of principals instructional leadership practices using a quantitative method and considering gender. My study differ from the above researchers was in terms of methods, and considering teachers perception based on their work experiences.
In the Ethiopian context, a study of school leaders instructional roles was conducted using quantitative and mixed methods. The study sites were also in Bhardhar and West Shewa. However, this study differs from the above researchers in that it was a fully qualitative study and focused on secondary school and Addis Ababa city government (Darling-Hammond L et al., 2017).
Empirical research suggests that the instructional leadership of principals can make a difference in improving student achievement. According to Allyn and Bacon, a principal who wants to be a leader in the classroom must have a vision and commitment to high student achievement. However, some principals are able to effectively fulfill their role, while others are not.
Therefore, on the bases of the above literature; if principals instructional leadership roles ensure for the success of the school and students achievement why Yemanaberhan secondary school lags behind and categorized as low performing school from other secondary schools in the sub-city. This condition initiates the interest of the researcher to conduct a study to investigate the instructional leadership roles and practices of the principals as perceived by the teachers.
Basic Research Questions
The study is guided by the following questions:
• How do teachers perceive the instructional leadership roles of the principals to promote teaching and learning?
• How do teachers perceive their principals roles in promoting professional development?
• How do principals overcome challenges face in executing their instructional leadership roles?
Research Methodology
This study used a case study research design, which is helpful in exploring a phenomenon within a specific context through multiple data sources. In conducting this study, I considered Baxter and Jack's observation that the case study design is useful for examining a problem through a variety of lenses to uncover multiple facets of the phenomenon. The technique of purposive selection was used to select study participants; because they have the potential to provide rich information about the phenomenon being studied. The basic idea of qualitative research is to purposefully select subjects or study sites that will best help the researcher understand the research question (Dawson C, 2007).
Consequently, in qualitative research it was appropriate to conduct the study in actual setting Bogdan and Biklen Thus, the study was conducted in the kolfe keranyo subcity. The sampling strategy that was utilized in the study is convenience sampling. It means cases are selected simply because they are available and easy to study. Hence, the sample is connivance, because the sub-city is located close to the researcher’s residence, which allow easy of contact with the participants.
Yemanabirhan secondary school was selected through purposive sampling because it was one of the lowestperforming secondary schools in the 2013 school year, as determined by the Kolfe Keranyo inspection department. Although teacher quality directly affects student achievement, the principal has an impact on teacher motivation and the quality of instruction. In terms of the study's participant selection, 10 (ten) teachers with various degrees of work experience were chosen to investigate if their backgrounds would have an impact on how they see their principal's function as an instructional leader. For these reasons, five teachers with a lot of expertise and five teachers with less experience were used as sources for the study Purposive sampling was used to choose the participants. According to the description of this method in Bailey, it is best applied to small groups or individuals, which may be sufficient to comprehend human perspectives, the primary purpose for qualitative research. A significant qualitative data collection method was used in this study, namely FGDs with 10 instructors, divided into two groups (5 most experienced teachers and 5 least experienced teachers). To investigate whether teacher’s perceptions of principal’s instructional leadership roles vary depending on their experiences, to encourage discussion from multiple perspectives, and to create a safe space for people to express their emotions, the teacher participants were divided into two groups based on their work experiences. As a result, the researcher can discover a variety of viewpoints and compile opinions related to or unrelated to the subject at hand (Day C et al., 2016).
For the purpose of this study, semi-structured interviews were employed in which to get specific information which can be compared and contrast with information gained from other group interview. I facilitate the focus group discussion; in the meantime one (1) rapporteur was selected each from the group. As rapporteur play an important role in the successful follow up of the working group sessions. The aim is to ensure that the proceedings and outcomes of the session are clearly recorded so that the discussions can then be of genuine practical value for the meeting outcome.
Finally the data collected through semi structured interviews from group interviews (FGD) were analyzed and interpreted thematically; then based on the data gathered findings conclusion and recommendation were forwarded.
Method of Data Analysis
The data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. Thematic analysis is one of the "methods for analyzing qualitative data," according to Creswell. Themes are a crucial component of qualitative data analysis since they are comparable codes that are gathered together in a database to generate a main notion (Gale JJ et al., 2014).
It has been proposed that the concept of "trustworthiness" replace the ideas of reliability and validity in qualitative research and that this concept be applied to problems with credibility, conformability, transferability, and dependability. In terms of believability, I tried to triangulate both the procedure for data gathering and the data's sources. By distributing the transcribed data to participants for feedback, a member review was also carried out. In this manner, missing data was gathered and included in the analysis.
The Research Participants and the Research Site
The FGD participants supplied a significant amount of the data for this study, as evidenced by their thoughts, ideas, conversations, and agreement or disagreement with the issue. I gave a thorough rundown of the FGD participants. Two groups participated in the FGD. Five teachers from group 1 had more than ten years of experience, whereas five teachers from group 2 had experience of less than five years. Teachers from both groups, both experienced and less experienced, are listed here under the thorough description of FGD participants. In qualitative research, it is crucial to conceal participant’s identities for obvious reasons; otherwise, they would not be inspired to participate. Consequently, if each player is given a code (Table 1).
| Name of FGD participant | Qualification | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| ET-01 | MA in English Language | 24 |
| ET-02 | BA Biology | 30 |
| ET-03 | BA in Amharic | 16 |
| ET-04 | BA Mathematics | 15 |
| ET-05 | MA Chemistry | 18 |
Table 1: Information about experienced teachers.
Participants came from a variety of academic fields and had extensive teaching experience, as seen in the Table 1. This suggests that these participants had a wealth of knowledge and could offer the information required to answer the research questions (Table 2).
| Name of FGD participant | Qualification | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| LET-01 | MA in Biology | 4 |
| LET-02 | BA Civics | 4 |
| LET-03 | BA in HPE | 2 |
| LET-04 | BA in Physics | 3 |
| LET-05 | BA in Chemistry | 3 |
Table 2: Information about less experienced teachers.
Participants in the FGD had less teaching experience, as seen in Table 2. Their assessment of the principal's instructional leadership technique, however, might be used to contrast it with the more experienced one. Similar viewpoints and discrepancies between the two FGD group conversations may be revealed by the research (Gedifew MT, 2014).
Research Site
The study's research site is Yemanabherhan secondary school. The school used to select all of the FGD participants. Due to the school's 2013 academic year performance as one of the worst achievers among secondary schools in the Kolfe Keranyo sub-city, I selected it using purposive sampling approaches. The performance of the school can therefore be influenced by a variety of factors, including the quality of the teachers, the socioeconomic status of the parents, the interests of the students, etc. However, I chose the school in question in order to investigate the principal's instructional leadership responsibilities because these responsibilities are crucial to both the overall success of the school as well as student learning. This is the main reason I decided to do my study on this particular site.
Results of the Study
This study looks into how teachers view principal’s roles as instructional leaders in the Addis Ababa city administration. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data for the study. Thematic analysis was used to conduct a qualitative study of the acquired data.
The three fundamental questions that served as the study's objectives were given together with the analysis's findings. The study's teachers, both more and less experienced, are denoted anonymously by the letters ET (Experienced Teachers) and LET (Less Experienced Teachers), followed by the numbers assigned to them from 01 to 05 (Geleta Mulugeta W, 2015).
The study tried to investigate to answer the following questions:
• How do teachers perceive the instructional leader’s roles of the principals to promote teaching and learning?
• How do teachers perceived their principals roles in promoting professional development?
• How do principals overcome challenges face in executing their instructional leadership?
Teachers Perceptions on Instructional Leadership
First, I met with more seasoned instructors for a FGD that lasted approximately an hour, and then I met with less seasoned teachers. I questioned each group's understanding of instructional leadership before the discussion began: ET-01, who took part in the FGD, reacted by saying, "The instructional leader is the one who leads the teaching and learning activities of the school."
ET-05 provided a similar response as the answer above, stating that "it is the leader of the school, supervising teachers and supporting staff development." Like the participants above, Fullan described instructional leadership as the principal's primary responsibility and an important first step in enhancing student learning. Their primary responsibilities are overseeing school and staff development, administering teacher supervision, and tracking student success through communication with teachers.
In ET-03, a different participant remarked on her understanding of instructional leadership as "the person who leads the classroom." When prompted to elaborate on her comments, she pointed out that teachers guide classroom instruction and learning. Principal roles, however, consists solely of office duties focused on more administrative tasks; such as writing letters to higher-ups or to departments, signing paperwork, talking to parents, and other things (Hallinger P, 2005).
Additionally, they represent the school at meetings, participate in those meetings, and oversee and manage the school's financial operations. Consequently, one of the duties of classroom teachers is to provide instructional leadership.
I have learned that various instructors have varied understandings of the notions of instructional leadership based on the conversations I have had so far with group 1 (experienced teachers). According to ET-03, it is the responsibility of instructors to guide students learning and teaching while also taking part in their professional development. ET-02, a member of the same group, explained the idea by saying that principals were more involved in running the office than in overseeing instruction. Similar to Geleta findings, the principals spent more time on administrative responsibilities than on teaching activities.
Discussions with FGD participants who had less experience demonstrated "principal instructional leadership.” Similar responses appeared on LET-01 and LET-04: "The one who leads the school regulates the teaching activities, and oversees student discipline.” As a result, the less experienced FGD participants saw the principal’s instructional leadership positions as more of their administrative responsibilities.
Teacher’s Perceptions on the Principal Roles in Promoting Teaching Learning
According to one of the FGD group 2 participants, LET-02. "In fact, our principals were in a position to lead the teaching and learning", when asked how they regarded their principal’s instructional leadership role in fostering teaching and learning at the school. They are discussing teaching strategies that are effective and promote teaching and learning. They oversaw the lesson, provided us with feedback, and gave us suggestions on how to make the necessary changes.
The following is what LET-03, a participant from the same group, said in response to the other participant's statement: "Our school principals are trying to encourage teaching and learning. They oversee our classroom, provide feedback, and discuss issues and potential solutions while also providing teaching and learning tools.” They are open to discussing their teaching experiences with other teachers. They can oversee and plan for classroom teaching and learning, and they can assess teacher’s performance. Therefore, it follows from the conversation with LET that the principal is solely responsible for ensuring that teachers deliver high-quality teaching and learning at the school in order to meet educational objectives.
Another LET-01 participant voiced his belief that his lack of experience as a new teacher and limited knowledge made it difficult for him to teach, particularly in the classroom. He didn't enroll in any classes on instructional strategies. He lacked the classroom management and instruction skills. However, he routinely solicits assistance from school presidents. They would take note of his issues and offer suggestions on how to make the class more engaging and fascinating. They go into great detail about their own teaching background. On the contrary, LET-04, a participant in the FGD for the same group, stated that "the principals were not easily accessible to support and to play their key instructional leadership role." I worked at the school for three years in a row, and I don't recall our principle acting in important instructional leadership roles that supported teaching and learning activities.
I came to the conclusion that principals, as instructional leaders, are largely accountable for encouraging successful teaching based on the participant’s perceptions in the FGD. The principal's involvement in fostering teaching and learning in the school, in contrast to that reaction from the less experienced group; experienced teachers, was described by ET-01 as follows: “Principals should be knowledgeable about successful teaching techniques that increase student accomplishment and school success. Our school's principals, however, do not play a critical role in providing high-quality instruction.” Similar to the first participant, ET-05, ET-03, and ET-02 also agree with him and add that principals are not willing to collaborate with experienced teachers. The intention of the study was to find out the viewpoint differences between less experienced and more experienced teachers.
In response to the guiding question, I discovered that the two group members had different points of view, i.e., the responses suggest that teachers perceptions of their principals role in promoting teaching and learning-related activities; based on their level of experience, the less experienced one responded that they are receiving the necessary assistance.
The more experienced teachers, however, were not receiving the necessary support. This might be the case since inexperienced teachers frequently need help with lesson planning, classroom management, time management, student discipline, test design, etc. Comments from the two groups may have differing points of view since experienced instructors may not approach principals and request help on such matters.
The major themes that emerged from the discussion included: On the one hand, school principals were able to oversee teaching and learning activities, as confirmed by the less experienced FGD participants; on the other hand, the more seasoned group of FGD participants criticized school principals for not playing a key role in providing a key instructional leadership role.
Teacher’s Perception on their principals Roles in Promoting Professional Development
The working conditions for teachers and other school employees are regulated in part by school principals. The attitude of the principals and their initiatives for professional development might boost the instructor’s motivation and chances. To try out the newest teaching methods they have learnt and engage in different activities with the children, teachers need the backing of the school principals. The opinions of school principals about professional development, their belief in it, and the value they attach to it may play a role in shaping teacher’s attitudes and performances.
Both FGD group participants responded to the interview questions during the FGD discussion. I questioned them about how much the principal's assistance fosters the school's teacher’s professional growth. ET03 responded to the preceding interview question in relation to her school's principal's support of teacher’s professional development. These are her opinions: The professional development programme for teachers is obviously in use at the school, and its goals will greatly help instructors by bridging their skill and knowledge gaps. The vice principal is in charge of the professional development programme at this institution. He briefed us on the school's two priorities and requested teachers to design one area of focus for the programme. Everyone would then create a paper plan and submit it to him after scheduling a total of 60 hours of professional development. We were required to provide a report based on the plan each month, and we just copied and pasted from one another's. There is no experiencesharing, professional development, innovation, or creativity. The sole purpose of the entire programme seems to be to satisfy the authorities in reporting.
The aforementioned viewpoint was at contrast with Gale and Bishop's results, according to which a principal's key responsibility is to serve as an instructional leader who will make sure that teachers have access to professional development opportunities in order to enhance their teaching. Teachers also prefer that principals participate actively in all school related activities, including teaching, by attending staff development programmes and workshops.
Similarly, ET-02, an experienced teacher in the same group, remarked that many teachers could benefit from the professional development programme of the school if it were carried out in accordance with the manual's instructions. However, it's just planning and reporting. One could assert that there is no professional development initiative in the school (ET-02).
The FGD 2 group gave an almost identical answer to the question. For instance, LET 04 discussed how she felt about the principal’s function of assisting teacher’s professional development. "Yet, I still don't have any definite ideas about the teacher professional development programme," she remarked. I contacted the concerned principal to clarify matters for me, but he told me to put the notes, exams, and worksheets that I gave to my students in a file. For me, this is professional development. Nearly all participants agree with her viewpoints and emotions. They gave me comfort by indicating that they liked her answers with their facial expressions the opinion reflected by the group is contrary to Paul's findings from 2000, the principal has a special power to affect how the principles of professional developments are applied in the classroom and how well teacher professional development is conducted in general. One of the fundamental responsibilities of school principals is to provide and uphold a supportive and healthy learning and teaching environment for all students and staff members. However at Yamanabherhan secondary school; I may state that the professional development programme was carried out merely for the purpose of carrying it out. The purpose and significance of teacher’s professional development are not even understood by principals.
Therefore, in the school under investigation regarding professional development, three main themes came up during the discussion with the participants: The school principals were unaware of the significance of teacher professional development; there was no real professional development; and the programme was carried out for its own sake, which appears to be to satisfy the authorities in reporting.
Challenges Principals Faces in Executing Instructional Leadership
In my final interview question, I discussed how teachers felt about the challenges principals have in exercising their instructional leadership. The challenges that school principals face in managing a school stem from a variety of sources, some of which are internal, such as a lack of resources and a lack of professional skills. Other challenges come from the outside, like political interference from the government and issues about ethnicity and religion.
Similarly, ET-05, a member of FGD group 1, took the opportunity to discuss some of the difficulties he believes principals encounter in carrying out their responsibilities. In his words, "School principals may face numerous difficulties in implementing instructional leadership. Political interference has resulted in a variety of necessities and challenges, including ethnicity related problems.” I asked him, "What does political meddling and ethnicity mean?" He continued, "They are not qualified principals who are assigned on the basis of merit; rather, they are government nominees because of their political or ethnic background, and they devote their time to carrying out the political purpose of the government rather than performing the instructional roles expected of them. I questioned him on what “ethnicity" actually meant. He responded that, everything the principle says, does, writes, and creates is immediately understood in light of his nationality and religious upbringing.
A participant from LE-03, in an interesting move, presented her personal experiences that occurred at school to support the opinions expressed above. She recalled, "I was one of the teachers who was missing one day; as a result, the principal drafted a letter to cut our salary. We went to his office and informed him that, if we had been from your ethnicity you could not have written such a letter. ”This serves as the best illustration of the difficulties many principals encounter when trying to fulfill their responsibilities.
The internal obstacles that the principal encounters when carrying out his instructional responsibilities on a daily basis could be administrative, organizational, or policy related. According to one of the more experienced group members, internal obstacles include, among others, a lack of leadership training, being untrained for the position, and having less time to carry out instructional roles. I asked her a probing question: Can you please explain what it means when you talk about lack of skills and lack of training? "They are not trained for leadership; they come from different disciplines; some of them are from geography, some of them are from biology, and so on". "I do not think they have had even short leadership training. This view is also shared by both group participants (ET-02).
This study examines teacher’s perceptions of principal’s leadership roles in promoting teaching and learning and professional development and the challenges they face in carrying out their leadership roles. The results of the study show that principals do not play a central role in instructional leadership in schools. Despite the fact that of prior studies has documented that principal instructional support can influence teacher’s instructional practices and that contribute to students learning and overall school effectiveness.
It was discovered in the study that principals were not giving teachers the support they needed. The findings of this study are consistent with those of comparable studies, which showed that despite their importance in achieving school effectiveness, a principal's instructional duties are rarely prioritized.
Additionally, the results of the present study concur with Geleta's finding that the principal of the school did not fulfil their duties to the standard that was expected. In contrast to the findings of this study and those of Geleta, research by Mehmet Ukru Bellibasa claimed that effective schools consistently found principals who were particularly focused on and spent time strengthening the teaching and learning components of the school.
The importance of supporting student’s acquisition of the more sophisticated skills they need to succeed in the twenty first century is growing; teaching professional learning is becoming a more popular approach. The deep knowledge of difficult material, critical thinking, complex problem-solving, effective communication, and teamwork are just a few of the student competencies that require sophisticated teaching methods to develop. In turn, teachers must get quality professional development in order to learn and improve the teaching techniques needed to impart these abilities. However, according to studies, a lot of professional development programs don't seem to be helping teacher’s practices or student’s learning to change.
The majority of published works on professional development show that the school principle has a substantial role in improving the efficiency and usefulness of professional development. Successful professional development experiences, according to Villegas-Reimers, have a noticeable impact on teacher’s work, both inside and outside the classroom, especially in light of the fact that a sizable portion of teachers have less expertise in their field.
Furthermore, a study conducted by Harris et al., indicated that successful principals spend ample time and energy on the professional development of teacher’s, such as by being supportive of teacher’s and helping teachers with their classroom instruction. Such principals provide opportunities for teacher have to attend professional courses that assist in discharging their duties.
Despite this, the results of this study are contrary to what the aforementioned researchers discovered; the discussions in both FGD groups show that principals have little influence over teachers' professional development, which could improve teaching methods. They failed to provide a welcoming learning environment; they failed to fulfill their responsibility as communicators by refusing to discuss the necessity of professional learning, discouraging teachers from continuing their education, and failing to provide the programme with the necessary financial backing.
The study's findings contrary to those of Vanblaere and Devos; instructional leadership can improve the implementation of new learning strategies, find and allocate resources to support teacher’s learning, and support teachers in identifying their own development needs.
Therefore the low achievement at Ymanbirhan secondary school in the sub-city may be due to the principal’s ineffective instructional leadership roles, according to the data collected from the teachers.
The study found that political involvement in principal’s assignments and a lack of leadership training and abilities are the two biggest obstacles that principals must overcome in order to carry out their role as instructional leaders. The study's conclusions concur with those of Geleta and FDRE MoE, who found that principals appointed to positions in Ethiopian high schools might not have had any training in educational leadership. The ESDP IV also revealed that only 29% of secondary school leaders are qualified for the position.
Political Affiliation of a Person Leads to the Principal Position
The refusal of professional graduates to become principals and the appointment of principals based on political affiliation rather than qualifications have an impact on both student learning and school success. However, with the school under investigation, both FGD participants agreed that the principal's appointment should be based on conformity to the ethnic quota or political involvement with the ruling party. Neglecting candidates with professional expertise and knowledge might have a negative impact on student’s learning.
According to the results of the current study, principals are appointed to the position not based on their qualifications but rather on their political affiliation or adherence to an ethnic quota. The findings are comparable to from Gurmu, Sebsibe, findings. Although there are officially specified criteria for appointing principals in Ethiopian schools, a person's party affiliation is taken into account.
Lack of Training and Leadership Skills of principals
Even though principals as leaders who are in a position to influence others must have the abilities that will make them take advantage of that position. Principals require the necessary leadership abilities in order to be effective in their roles as school leaders. I can therefore conclude that school effectiveness would be dependent on a principal's competency.
Similar findings have been made regarding the principal as a crucial aspect of school efficiency. The principal, who serves as the school's instructional leader, exemplifies this leadership by his or her ability to inspire others. A knowledgeable and competent principal is one who ensures the school's usage of the inputs necessary to fulfill its objectives. However, as practically all participants including the principals themselves responded, the main difficulty in the school understudy was the lack of training and leadership abilities of the principals.
The results of the current study indicated that the principals of the school are unqualified and unable to fulfill their responsibilities as instructional leaders. This is comparable to Mengistu's claim that "principals who are not suitably qualified" are running Ethiopian secondary schools. Therefore, one might draw the conclusion that Yemanaberhan Secondary School's status as a low achiever in the Kolfa Keraneyo sub-city may be due to the principal's lack of leadership abilities and training.
According to Leithwood and Riehl, a principal's strong instructional leadership role significantly contributes to student progress and the success of the school. All matters pertaining to the school are primarily the principal's responsibility. The key to a school's success is the leadership of its instructional staff. The study's conclusions pointed to the principal's position as an instructional leader in teaching and learning; the FGD member's different points of view were noted. In the group of less experienced teachers, almost all participants believe that the principal's support for teaching and learning is adequate. However, the experienced teachers indicated that the principal cannot play the expected role in creating an enabling environment for learning and teaching.
The differing perspectives of the two FGD participants suggest that the teacher's experience at the school is critical to how supportive the principal is of instruction. In other words, the need for instructional support from the principal is higher among the less experienced teachers and lower among the more experienced teachers. These could be the reasons for the difference in opinions between the two FGD groups. Additionally, those with less experience frequently approach the principal to request assistance with teaching and learning activities; in contrast, those with more experience may choose not to do so; this could be because they believe they are more knowledgeable about teaching and learning than the principal in some circumstances.
Successful professional development experiences, according to Villegas-Reimers, have a noticeable impact on teacher's work, both inside and outside the classroom, especially in light of the fact that a sizable portion of teachers have less expertise in their field. In contrast, as seen in both FGD groups, the results show that principals have little influence over how teachers develop professionally or how classroom practices are improved. They were unable to foster a conducive learning atmosphere, dared not bring up the value of continuous learning, and did not push teachers to pursue higher learning. As a result, professional development for teachers at Yamanaberhan secondary school is not carried out to address areas for improvement that would enhance teacher's performance and student learning, but rather to provide a report to the superior and placate the authorities.
In addition, the appointment of the principal to the school role disregarded the requirement for training and professionalization in favor of promoting political party identification. The study makes the reasonable inference that the school's reputation as a low-performing school in the sub-city may be caused by the fact that it is run by inexperienced principal’s s that lack the necessary leadership skills.
As can be seen in the conclusion section above and in the discussions in the previous sections, some critical issues were raised that resulted in Yemanabherahn secondary school being the lowest-performing school compared to other secondary schools in the sub-city. Therefore, the study makes the following recommendations so that the school can improve its performance.
There is a belief among educators that principals can improve the teaching and learning environment by creating conditions conducive to better management of instruction. They are responsible for creating a positive school climate to promote optimal instructional practices. Therefore, school leaders should also actively encourage positive behaviours and interactions between teachers and students, establish a programme of classroom visits followed by feedback to teachers, and ensure the availability of appropriate learning and teaching support.
In order for students to benefit from teacher's professional development, the study also advised principals to make sure that teachers put the knowledge and skills they have learned in the professional development courses into action. Additionally, the Addis Ababa education authority ought to take the effort to monitor how teacher professional development initiatives are carried out in schools.
When assigning principals to the posts, Kolfa Keranyo sub-city education department needs to be taken into account; school principals should be well-trained and have better educational preparation for the position. Additionally, it's critical to improve the leadership abilities of present school principals through a variety of leadership development programmes so that they may take on effective instructional leadership responsibilities that will boost student achievement and position the school for success in the future.
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