Leading Learning: First-Year Principals’ Reflections on Instructional Leadership

This qualitative study examined the instructional leadership perceptions of four first-year principals. Findings illuminate five themes drawn from the data: definitions of instructional leadership, challenges that first-year principals faced, how these principals addressed these challenges, how the novice principals plan to enact their instructional leadership during the second year on the job, and an unexpected theme—perceived insider advantage. This study contributes to a better understanding of the instructional leadership challenges that first-year principals face, and it highlights implications for preparation programs and district initiatives that might contribute to more effective support to novice principals as they enact instructional leadership.