Instructional leadership among elementary school heads: Examining the relationships of demographic profiles, leadership practices and associated challenges

Effective management among teachers, staff, students, and parents requires strong instructional leadership of the school head. Thus, this study aims to investigate the instructional leadership practices and challenges of the school heads in elementary schools in Biliran District and the relationship among the demographic profiles, leadership practices and associated challenges. Utilizing explanatory sequential design, total of 11 elementary school heads are included in this study while adopting the survey questionnaire of Norby and Lhabu (2021) which modified from the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale by Philip Hallinger which is used throughout the world. The findings have shown that school heads in Biliran District, in the Philippines, demonstrated a very high level in leadership practices, exhibiting a strong commitment to their roles and responsibilities. Meanwhile, results indicate that there were no significant relationships shown between school heads' demographic profile and their instructional practices, implying that these personal factors do not impact their effectiveness as instructional leaders. However, a significant negative correlation was found between instructional leadership practices and the challenges they faced. The post-interview through the emerging themes positively supported the claims from the survey results. The report suggests bolstering professional development, enhancing support mechanisms, decentralized decision-making and promoting teacher collaboration.