THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF SCHOOL CULTURE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DEPUTY PRINCIPAL’S INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS IN MALDIVES

Abstract

Quality of education is a major concern in Maldives and the low performance of students has been a persistent problem in Maldivian schools. Instructional leadership is observed to have direct as well as indirect relationships with school effectiveness. However, despite being an integral part of school leadership, the instructional leadership role of deputy principal has been overlooked by educational research. Hence, this quantitative study aims to study the impact of deputy principal’s instructional leadership and school culture on school effectiveness in the government schools of Male’, the capital city of Maldives. Quantitative research approach was used for this study. A descriptive survey design was adopted using questionnaires to collect data. The sample consisted of 370 teachers working in the governments schools of the capital city, Male’. Data was analysed through Structural Equation Modeling technique using AMOS-23. Results indicated that deputy principal’s instructional leadership has direct and positive relationships with school effectiveness and school culture. Additionally, school culture has a direct and positive relationship with school effectiveness. Finally, from the results of mediation analysis it was found that school culture partially mediates the relationship between deputy principal’s instructional leadership practices and school effectiveness. In conclusion, the study validates that deputy principal’s instructional leadership has direct and indirect effects on school effectiveness.