TITLE:
Developing Human Capital through Instructional Leadership: Learning to Coach during Principal Preparation
AUTHORS:
Irma L. Almager, Selenda Cumby, Mhd Hasan Almekdash
KEYWORDS:
Teacher Development, Human Capital, Instructional Coaching, Principal Preparation, Instructional Leadership, Transformational Leadership
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Leadership,
Vol.10 No.2,
June
30,
2021
ABSTRACT: Purpose: Aspiring leaders need to be equipped to transform schools with both the
understanding and skills to purposefully increase implementation of a rigorous
curriculum in every classroom as they learn to lead diverse schools. To provide
a rigorous curriculum, principals need effective skills to grow teachers’
instructional and pedagogical competencies. The development of these necessary
skills should begin during the principal preparation program with the
candidate’s ability to demonstrate instructional coaching competencies. Methods: The purpose of this mixed methods research study was to determine whether there
was an improvement in principal candidates’ performance on the linear
combinations of the indicators across the four examined Evaluation Cycles and
in a qualitative phase, to pinpoint the significant improvements in principal
candidates’ performances on observed indicators. Findings: The
quantitative data showed that as candidates received ongoing coaching specific
to their needs, their ratings improved. The qualitative results furthered the
finding. This article argues that transforming schools must include developing
human capital through instructional leadership and it must begin during
principal preparation. Implications: Principal preparation programs and
school districts should emphasize the importance for the principal’s
instructional leadership skills as they are responsible for hiring, growing,
and retaining effective teachers.