Shaping success: How instructional leadership influences teaching practices and self-efficacy

Abstract

This study explores teachers’ perceptions of instructional leadership qualities that enhance self-efficacy and classroom practices through Q-methodology, using a snowball sample of state-certified teachers from Pennsylvania and Ohio. Key findings highlight leadership qualities such as positive reinforcement, support, constructive feedback, modeling, trust, autonomy, and collaboration as crucial for teacher growth and instructional effectiveness. Differences in perceptions between elementary and secondary teachers are also examined. The results are organized into five thematic profiles: Sculptors of Curiosity and Creativity, Orchestrators of Harmony and Growth, Champions of Potential and Possibility, Architects of Confidence and Curiosity, and Masterminds of Adaptability and Structure. The study provides valuable insights into leadership traits that foster teacher development and improve classroom outcomes.