Developing Instructional Leadership in Tanzania: Impact of a British Council Initiative

Abstract

Instructional leadership is widely recognized as important for school improvement and a significant tool for creating an effective teaching and learning environment. The British Council is committed to promoting and developing instructional leadership and is offering programmes to develop it in several African countries, including Tanzania. These programmes focus on developing and improving instructional leadership in schools. The programme is provided by British Council facilitators to school leaders and is delivered over a period of six to nine months, including time for a school-based project. Previous research shows that leadership in many sub-Saharan African countries, including Tanzania, is primarily administrative and that instructional leadership is often neglected. Data were collected with 20 participants of the British Council programme, all primary school leaders, chosen through volunteer and purposive sampling. The findings show many reported gains from participation, notably greater understanding of key concepts such as vision and missions distributed leadership, and instructional leadership processes, notably classroom observation.

Keywords

• British Council
• Instructional Leadership
• Tanzania

References

1. Abonyi, U.K. and Sofo, F. (2019). Exploring instructional leadership practices of leaders in Ghanaian basic schools. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 17(1), 1-14.
2. Allieu. J. (2019). Training of head teachers’ workshop in supportive supervision and instructional leadership. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Publications, 1(10), 1-12.
3. Bello, B. (2015). Towards revitalization of instructional leadership for effective implementation of universal basic education in Nigeria, Sokoto Educational Review, 16(1), 9.
4. Bush, T. (2013). Instructional leadership and leadership for learning, Education as Change, 17(S1), 5-20.
5. Bush, T. (2020). Theories of Educational Leadership and Management: Fifth Edition, London: Sage.
6. Bush, T. and Glover, D. (2003). School Leadership: Concepts and Evidence, Nottingham: NCSL.
7. Bush, T. and Glover, D. (2012). Leadership development and learner outcomes: Evidence from South Africa. Journal of Educational Leadership, Policy and Practice, 27(2), 3-15.
8. Bush, T. and Glover, D. (2014). School leadership models: What do we know? School Leadership and management, 34(5), 1-19.

9. Bush, T, Fadare, M., Chirimambowa, T., Enukorah, E., Musam D., Nur, H. Nyamo, T. and Shipota, M. (in press, 2021). Instructional leadership in sub-Saharan Africa: Policy and practice, International Journal of Educational Management.
10. Bush, T., Maringe, F. and Glover, D. (2021). Effective School Leadership and Effective Capacity Building for School Leadership in Africa: A literature review, Kigali: VVOB Education for Development.
11. Bush, T., Ng, A., Too, W.K., Glover, D. and Chay, J. (2021). Ensuring acceptability and feasibility: The challenges of educational policy reform in Malaysia, Leadership and Policy in Schools, doi.org/10.1080/15700763.2021.1933063 Emiru, E.K. (2020). Instructional leadership: The role of heads of schools in managing the instructional program. International Journal of Academic Research, 8(2), 37-40.
12. Hallinger, P. (Ed.). (2003). Reshaping the landscape of school leadership development: A global perspective. Taylor & Francis.
13. Hallinger, P. (2005). Instructional leadership and the school principal: A passing fancy that refuses to go away. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 4(3), 221-239.
14. Hallinger, P. (2013). A conceptual framework for systematic reviews of research in educational leadership and management. Journal of Educational Administration, 51(2), 126-149.
15. Hallinger, P. (2018). Bringing context out of the shadows of leadership. Educational Management, Administration & Leadership, 46(1), 5–24.
16. Hallinger, P. (2019). Instructional leadership 1950-2018: Transformation from an American to a global leadership construct, in T. Bush, L. Bell and D. Middlewood (Eds.), Principles of Educational Leadership and Management, London: Sage.
17. Hallinger, P. and Heck, R. (1999). Can leadership enhance school effectiveness? In T. Bush, L. Bell, R. Bolam, R. Glatter and P. Ribbins (Eds.), Educational Management: Redefining Theory, Policy and Practice, London: Paul Chapman. Hallinger, P. and Lee, M. (2014). Mapping instructional leadership in Thailand: Has education reform impacted principal practice? Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 42(1), 6–29.
18. Hallinger, P. and Walker, A. (2014). Exploring whole school vs. subject department improvement in Hong Kong secondary schools. School improvement and school effectiveness Retrieved from http://www.philliphallinger.com. on 1st April 2015
19. Kaai, P. (2016). Understanding and improving instructional leadership practices in primary schools in Karatu district, Arusha, Tanzania.
20. Leithwood, K., Day, C. and Sammons, P. (2006). Seven strong claims about successful school leadership. School Leadership and Management.
21. Leithwood, K., Harris, A., Hopkins, D. (2020). Seven strong claims about successful school leadership revisited. School Leadership and Management, 40(1), 5-22.
22. Manaseh, A. M. (2016). Instructional leadership: The role of heads of schools in managing the instructional programme. International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 4(1), 30- 47.
23. Mestry, R. (2017). Principals' perspectives and experiences of their instructional leadership functions to enhance learner achievement in public schools. Journal of Education (University of KwaZulu-Natal), (69), 257-280. Mestry,R, Moonsammy-Koopasammy, I. and Schmidt, M. (2013). The instructional leadership role of primary school principals. Education as Change, 17(S1), S49-S64.
24. Ministry of Education (2013). Malaysia Education Blueprint, Putrajaya: Ministry of Education. Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. (2018). Education Sector Development Plan (2016/17-2020/21), United Republic of Tanzania (URT).
25. Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (Tanzania) (2013), Government Policy, Dar Es Salaam. Musumi, K. and Mkulu, D. G. (2020). Instructional leadership styles on students’ academic performance on Tarime Urban District, Mara-Tanzania, Journal of Humanities and Education Development, 2(6), 454-463.
26. Mushi, E. P., and Ye, Y. (2021). Instructional leadership practices for developing the 21st century competences of undergraduate students at public universities in Tanzania. Human Sciences, 13(1), 291-305.
27. Mutuku, M. P. (2018). Influence of instructional leadership practices on academic performance in public secondary schools in Machakos County, Kenya. Doctoral Dissertation. Kenyatta University.
28. Nguni, S. C. (2005). A Study of the effects of transformational leadership on teachers’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behaviour in Tanzanian primary and secondary schools. PhD Thesis, Radboud University.
29. Nyambo, L. (2017). The role of head teachers as internal instruction supervisors of pupils’ academic performance in Tanzania, M.Ed. dissertation. The University of Dodoma, Tanzania.
30. Office for Standards in Education (2003). Leadership and Management: What Inspection Tells Us? London, Ofsted.
31. Onyinye, A. A. and Nwanne, J.D. (2018). Instructional leadership practices for managing functional education in secondary schools in Abia state, Nigeria. International Journal of Research in Social Sciences, 8(5), 526-535.
32. Robinson, V., Lloyd, C. and Rowe, K. (2008). The impact of leadership on student outcomes: An analysis of the differential effects of leadership type. Educational Administration Quarterly, 44(5), 635-674.
33. Shatzer, R. H., Caldarella, P., Hallam, P. and Brown, B. (2014). Comparing the effects of instructional and transformational leadership on student achievement: Implications for practice. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 42(4), 445–459.
34. Siamoo, P. N. (2013). Developing the Instructional Leadership Skills of High School Principals in Tanzania: A Problem-Based Learning Approach. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses 410.
35. Southworth, G. (2004). Learning-Centred Leadership, in Davies, B. (Ed.), The Essentials of School Leadership, London, Paul Chapman Publishing.
36. Tedla, B. A. (2012). Instructional leadership and school climate: A case study of a secondary school in Eritrea. Literacy Information and Computer Education Journal, 1(1), 846-860.