Exploring the Transformational Nature of Instructional Leadership

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between instructional leadership and selected school-level characteristics essential to the development of successful schools. Data were collected from a random sample of teachers (n=624) and subjected to multiple regression analysis. This study found that statistically significant positive relationships existed between instructional leadership behaviors of school principals and the selected characteristics: teacher commitment, professional involvement, and innovativeness (p<.0005). Also, the researcher developed “best fitting” models of instructional leadership that account for variance of each characteristic. Models for professional involvement and innovativeness vary with school type (elementary or high). Results of this study reinforce the validity of instructional leadership and suggest that particular instructional leadership behaviours contribute to school characteristics that facilitate school improvement.