Leadership Practices and Implementation of English as Medium of Instruction in Public Day Secondary Schools in Karongi District, Rwanda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53983/ijmds.v15n05.008Keywords:
leadership practices, instructional supervision, teacher professional development, resource allocation, English Medium Instruction, RwandaAbstract
This study examined the influence of leadership practices on the implementation of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) in public day secondary schools in Karongi District, Rwanda. Specifically, the study evaluated the influence of instructional supervision by school leaders, assessed the influence of teacher professional development programs, and examined how resource allocation by school leadership affects EMI implementation. Guided by Instructional Leadership Theory, the study adopted a descriptive survey design with a mixed-methods approach, collecting data from 154 respondents (77 school leaders and 77 deans of teachers) selected through census sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires and interview guides, and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (SPSS v.21) alongside thematic analysis. Findings showed that instructional supervision significantly enhanced teachers’ professional development, with classroom observation, feedback, and lesson plan review emerging as significant predictors (R = 0.854, R² = 0.729, p = 0.000). Teacher professional development programs also showed a strong positive relationship with teaching effectiveness (R = 0.87, R² = 0.76, p = 0.000), although participation in in-service training (35.6%) and English proficiency workshops (21.3%) remained low. Resource allocation strongly predicted teaching effectiveness (R = 0.88, R² = 0.77, p = 0.000), with teacher guides and teaching aids exerting the greatest influence, despite persistent shortages of English textbooks (51.9% inadequate). The study concludes that instructional supervision, teacher professional development, and resource allocation are critical leadership levers for effective EMI implementation, and recommends strengthening supervision systems, redesigning professional development to be context-responsive, and ensuring equitable distribution of instructional materials.
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