INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF RURAL SINDH: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF TEACHER MOTIVATION AND PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT

Abstract

Educational leadership is a critical factor in developing the quality, effectiveness and sustainability of school education, especially in rural settings where institutional, pedagogical and resource related issues often limit educational outcomes. The study examines the relationship between instructional leadership and school effectiveness in public secondary schools of rural area of Sindh, Pakistan, while considering a role of the teacher professional commitment and teacher motivation as a mediating variable. The study adopts a multidimensional leadership perspective of instructional leadership for the instructional leadership theory and the organizational perspectives on teacher motivation and commitment to conceptualize instructional leadership as a leadership practice with five dimensions: setting clear academic goals, supervising and evaluating teaching, coordinating curriculum, developing teachers, and creating an environment conducive to learning. School effectiveness is reflected in various aspects of school effectiveness, including quality of teaching, student engagement, academic achievement, school operations, and school improvement. The study has a sequential explanatory mixed methods design. The quantitative data were gathered from teachers and school heads from public secondary schools in selected rural districts of Sindh. The study shows that the effectiveness of instructional leadership can be realized not just in the managerial and pedagogical actions, but also in the enhancement of teachers' motivation and professional commitment, which in turn makes a contribution to the effectiveness of the school. The results have implications for school leadership training, teacher professional development, school policies, school performance management and school improvement programmes in the rural areas of Sindh.