Mathematics Teachers' Perceptions of the Principal's Role in Managing the Instructional Programme of the School

Instructional leadership practices in terms of defining the school mission, managing instructional programmes, and developing a positive school learning climate are significantly and positively associated with teachers’ effectiveness. Such practices have also been found to be critical in promoting teacher learning and development both at school and higher education levels. The key question posed in this study was what mathematics teachers’ perceptions of their principal’s management of the instructional programme of their schools were. The Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale was used as a lens for evaluating teacher perceptions in the study. The study was conducted in two Quintiles 1–3 schools in the town of Kariega, Eastern Cape, South Africa where two secondary school and three primary school teachers participated. The lower socioeconomic status of the two schools under scrutiny seemed to have played a role in the teachers’ perceptions of the principals’ role as instructional leader. Although the principals conducted and facilitated several professional development sessions with the mathematics teachers, the principal and his assistants were not always familiar with the mathematics pedagogical content knowledge that was required to evaluate lessons at the required level. Factors such as learner discipline, lack of parental support, and socioeconomic problems surrounding the school had an impact on the principals’ ability to exercise instructional leadership in their schools.