Abstract:
The study was conducted to investigate the relationship between principals’ instructional
leadership and students’ academic achievement in governmental primary schools at Kolfe
Keranio sub-city of Addis Ababa. To achieve the research objectives correlational research
design was applied. The target population for this study constituted of students, teachers,
principals, cluster supervisors’ education experts. Considering to teachers, principals, cluster
supervisors, and education experts the sample size drawn was 168. Regarding to the students the
sample size drawn was 565. In this study simple random sampling, purposive sampling, and
systematic random sampling were used to select participants. Pertinent data for the study were
gathered through questionnaires and interview. Lastly data analysis was done through
descriptive statistics and correlation analysis. The following results were summarized. Overall,
there is not a trend of defining and communicating school mission. This is reported by the mean
value (2.55) fall in the range (1.81- 2.60) qualitatively signifying low level. In addition, managing
curriculum and instruction was rated slightly by the respondents. This is reported by the mean
value (2.542) fall in the range (1.81- 2.60) qualitatively signifying low level. Further, there is not
a trend of supervising instruction. This is reported by the mean value (2.29) fall in the range
(1.81- 2.60) qualitatively signifying low level. Moreover, monitoring students’ progress was rated
slightly by the respondents. This is reported by the mean value (2.5) fall in the range (1.81- 2.60)
qualitatively signifying low level. There is not also a trend of promoting the school learning
climate. This is shown by the mean value (2.23) fall in the range (1.81- 2.60) qualitatively
signifying low level. Meanwhile, the correlation between promoting the school learning climate,
monitoring students’ progress, supervising instruction, managing curriculum and instruction,
defining and communicating school mission & students’’ academic achievement was small with r
= 0.175*, p < 0.012; r = 0.166*, p <0.015; r = 0.095*, p <0.017; r = 0.076*, p <0.018; and r =
0.044*, p <0.019 respectively. The results provide support to the relationship between students’
academic achievement and principals’ instructional leadership practice, particularly, it shows
that promoting the school learning climate and monitoring students’ progress have more positive
relationship with instructional leadership. In this sense, it is necessary for the education sector to
put a great deal in labor and time in respect to these principals’ instructional leadership
practice.
