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Principal Leadership of Instructional Coaching in Jamaican High Schools: A Mixed Methods Study of the Implementation of the Student Support Pathway Coaches Programme
Edwards, Dwayne Michael
Edwards, Dwayne Michael
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Thesis/Dissertation
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2025-05
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Educational Leadership
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https://doi.org/10.34944/1e98-z722
Abstract
Over the last three decades, instructional coaching has emerged as an influential model for teacher professional development and instructional improvement across educational systems worldwide. While this practice has fueled substantial research, there remains a noticeable gap regarding the educational leadership of instructional coaching, particularly the role of principals in the implementation and operation of these programmes. This study employed an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, using surveys and interviews to investigate the implementation of the eight-year-old Student Support Pathway Coaches (SSPC) programme in Jamaican high schools, focusing on the characteristics of schools and principals engaging SSPCs as instructional coaches, principals’ evaluations of SSPCs’ job performance, and principals’ perceptions of their actions in the programme’s implementation. Statistically significant differences were found between principals and schools that engaged SSPCs and those that did not. The characteristics of Jamaican high schools that engaged SSPCs as instructional coaches reflected various challenges, including significant academic underperformance and socioeconomic difficulties faced by students. Principals’ evaluations of SSPCs were significantly correlated with combined factors including teaching experience, job satisfaction, and active involvement in appraisal process. Principals perceived themselves as central to the programme’s implementation, facilitating collaboration, supporting professional development, and advocating for resources. The transformative potential of the SSPC programme was highlighted by participants, suggesting that with targeted policy and resource support, it could fulfill its intended purpose of improving student outcomes through improved pedagogical practices of the nation’s teachers.
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