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From administrative to instructional leadership: A systematic review of the role orientations and practices of secondary school principals in sub-Saharan Africa.

2026Open access

Abstract

The global shift from viewing school principals as administrative managers to instructional leaders has gained substantial traction in education policy and research over the past two decades. Yet in Sub-Saharan Africa, where principals operate within resource-constrained, centralised, and culturally distinct education systems, the extent to which this transition has occurred, and the conditions that enable or impede it, remain insufficiently synthesised. This systematic review examined the role orientations and practices of secondary school principals across the region.

Research topics

  • Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
  • African Education and Politics
  • Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies

Sustainable Development Goals

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DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/8xek3

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