SCHOOL LEADERSHIP MATTERS: THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPHASIS ON ACADEMIC SUCCESS

School principals are no longer seen only as managers and administrators but are expected to be instructional leaders – the facilitators of teaching and learning activities where the emphasis is placed on academic success. South African secondary schools function in disparate socioeconomic conditions, and principals in each distinct context face challenges that may require different leadership and management approaches. These challenges must be overcome while quality educational outcomes are strived for. Andrea Juan uses the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2019 grade 9 data for South Africa to examine instructional leadership and how its associated elements are expressed in different local contexts