An Analysis of School Heads' Instructional Leadership in Communicating Educational Goals: A Cross-cultural Perspective

Abstract

School heads play a crucial leadership role within educational institutions, particularly at the secondary level in Pakistan, where the focus is on preparing a workforce and providing pathways to higher education. This study aims to evaluate the role of secondary school heads as instructional leaders, specifically concerning their communication of school goals. It further examines whether their involvement in this role varies based on the locality of the school and the gender of the heads. Employing a quantitative research approach, the study used a survey design targeting public secondary school heads, teachers, and District Education Officers in the districts of Bhakkar and Mianwali in Punjab. A multi-stage stratified sampling technique was used to select a manageable and representative sample. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire with 62 items on a 5-point Likert scale. The analysis was conducted with the latest statistical tools: categorical data was examined through descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage), while inferential data was analyzed using t-tests for comparisons. The findings revealed that female school heads were more likely to exhibit instructional leadership than their male counterparts and that heads of urban schools demonstrated higher levels of instructional leadership compared to those in rural schools. Future research could benefit from employing qualitative methods, including a larger sample size and incorporating private schools into the study.