Instructional leadership experiences of departmental heads in five public primary schools in Gauteng province, South Africa

Departmental heads are increasingly recognised as pivotal instructional leaders within schools, serving as a bridge between senior management and classroom practice. Despite this recognition, the existing literature predominantly focuses on principals, often neglecting the leadership roles of departmental heads, particularly in South African public primary schools. This under-representation creates a gap in understanding how these middle leaders interpret and enact instructional leadership within complex and under-resourced educational environments. This study aimed to explore the instructional leadership experiences of departmental heads in five public primary schools in Gauteng Province, South Africa. A qualitative research approach, underpinned by the interpretive paradigm, was adopted, employing a generic qualitative design. Ten departmental heads were purposively selected, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations, and document analysis. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the findings. Results revealed varied understandings of instructional leadership, shaped by personal orientations, school culture, and leadership structures. Departmental heads actively engaged in curriculum planning, classroom monitoring, and mentoring but faced challenges due to curriculum changes, limited autonomy, administrative overload, and a lack of formal leadership training. These challenges created a disparity between policy expectations and practical realities. Participants highlighted the necessity for structured leadership capacity development, peer support, and access to digital tools. The study concludes that departmental heads are crucial to instructional improvement, yet they remain under-supported and overburdened.