The Relationship Between Instructional Leadership and Student Learning Outcomes

A Case of Two Universities in the Eastern Cape

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between instructional leadership and student learning outcomes at two selected universities in the Eastern Cape, employing a mixed-methods research design. It examined how instructional leadership practices impact academic success and student experiences. A convergent parallel design combined qualitative (interviews, observations, document analysis) and quantitative data (student performance records, course evaluations, and questionnaires for lecturers and students). The research targeted four local universities, selecting two intentionally, with qualitative participants including two deans, two department heads, five senior lecturers, one curriculum coordinator, and ten students. The quantitative sample consisted of 120 students and 35 lecturers, selected using convenience sampling. Grounded in Hallinger and Murphy’s Instructional Leadership Model and Spillane’s Distributed Leadership Theory, findings indicated varying implementations of instructional leadership, inconsistent curriculum alignment, and a significant link between leadership practices and academic achievement. The results emphasise the importance of instructional leadership in enhancing educational quality, with recommendations for university-wide leadership standards, mentoring frameworks, collaborative curriculum design, and formal student feedback mechanisms.