An experimental study examining the effectiveness of an instructional leadership training program for school principals

This study examined the effect of an instructional leadership training program for school principals in Türkiye on teachers' perceptions. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was employed. The experimental group comprised 23 public school principals who received training and 171 teachers working in their schools. The control group included 171 teachers whose principals received no training. The principals completed 24 hours of instructional leadership training over three months, delivered in four-hour sessions every two weeks. Data were collected using the Instructional Leadership Behaviors Scale. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) compared posttest scores while controlling for pretest scores, while paired-samples t-tests examined within-group changes. Results revealed significantly higher posttest instructional leadership perceptions in the experimental group than in the control group across the total scale and all subdimensions. Significant pretest–posttest increases occurred in the experimental group, whereas no significant changes were observed in the control group. Continuous leadership training incorporating presentations, coaching, group work, workshops, and practical applications is recommended.