Project – Data-Informed School Leadership and Teachers’ Instructional Decision-Making: The Mediating Role of Organisational Learning in Selected Public Secondary Schools in the FCT.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Title: Data-Informed School Leadership and Teachers’ Instructional Decision-Making: The Mediating Role of Organisational Learning in Selected Public Secondary Schools in the FCT

1.1 Background to the Study

The quality of education in any society depends not only on the availability of school infrastructure, qualified teachers and instructional materials but also on the quality of decisions made by school leaders and teachers. Schools operate in increasingly complex environments where educational expectations, learners’ needs, curriculum demands and accountability requirements continually influence teaching and learning. Consequently, effective school leadership requires more than administrative experience or personal judgement; it requires the ability to obtain, interpret and apply relevant information when making decisions. Data-informed school leadership refers to the systematic use of available evidence, including students’ academic results, attendance records, classroom assessments, teacher observations, school performance reports and feedback from stakeholders, to guide school improvement and instructional practices. Schildkamp (2019) explains that data use in education involves the purposeful collection, analysis and interpretation of information to improve educational processes and outcomes. Similarly, Mandinach and Gummer (2016) emphasise that educators require data literacy to transform different forms of educational information into meaningful instructional decisions. This suggests that school leadership should be evidence-conscious, ensuring that decisions concerning teaching, learning, resource allocation and school improvement are informed by reliable information rather than assumptions alone.

The growing emphasis on evidence-informed educational practice has changed the expectations placed on school leaders. Traditionally, many school management decisions were influenced by administrative routines, personal experience, professional authority and established institutional practices. Although these factors remain relevant, they may not adequately reveal the actual learning difficulties of students or the instructional needs of teachers. Data-informed leadership provides school leaders with opportunities to identify performance patterns, monitor teaching and learning, evaluate school programmes and determine areas requiring improvement. For instance, examination results may reveal weaknesses in particular subjects, attendance records may indicate patterns of absenteeism, and classroom assessment records may expose learning difficulties that require changes in teaching methods. Datnow and Park (2014) argue that effective data use in schools involves collaborative inquiry in which educators interpret evidence, examine instructional practices and develop strategies for improving student learning. Likewise, Marsh (2012) observes that data-driven decision-making in education is influenced by organisational conditions, leadership practices and the capacity of educators to interpret evidence. Therefore, data-informed school leadership is not simply about collecting school records; it involves establishing processes through which educational information is meaningfully translated into decisions that improve teaching and learning.

Teachers occupy a central position in the implementation of educational policies and the achievement of school objectives because they make continuous instructional decisions that directly influence students’ learning experiences. Instructional decision-making involves the choices teachers make concerning lesson planning, teaching methods, learning activities, classroom assessment, instructional materials, feedback and the adjustment of teaching strategies to meet students’ needs. Such decisions require teachers to understand learners’ abilities, identify learning gaps and select appropriate approaches for achieving curriculum objectives. Wiliam (2011) explains that formative assessment provides evidence about students’ learning that teachers can use to adapt instruction and improve learning outcomes. Similarly, Mandinach and Gummer (2016) maintain that data literacy enables educators to interpret evidence and connect it to appropriate professional actions. When teachers have access to relevant and timely information, they are better positioned to identify students who require additional support, determine whether instructional objectives have been achieved and modify teaching strategies where necessary. However, when instructional decisions are made without adequate evidence, teachers may rely excessively on general assumptions, routine practices or examination outcomes that do not fully explain individual learning needs. This makes the relationship between school leadership, educational data and teachers’ instructional decision-making an important issue in contemporary school administration.

However, the availability of educational data does not automatically guarantee effective instructional decisions. School leaders and teachers must possess the knowledge, skills, attitudes and organisational support required to interpret and use information appropriately. Data may be collected regularly but remain underutilised if teachers lack the capacity to analyse assessment results, school leaders do not communicate findings effectively, or institutional practices discourage collaboration and professional reflection. Coburn and Turner (2011) explain that data use is a complex social process involving the interpretation of evidence, the influence of professional beliefs and the organisational contexts in which educators work. Similarly, Schildkamp and Kuiper (2010) demonstrate that teachers’ use of data is shaped by the availability of information, their capacity to interpret it and the opportunities provided for collaborative decision-making. This indicates that data-informed leadership must extend beyond the provision of school records to include professional discussions, shared interpretation of evidence, teacher participation and continuous evaluation of instructional practices. Consequently, the effectiveness of data-informed school leadership may depend on the extent to which schools create organisational conditions that support the meaningful use of information in everyday teaching and management.

Organisational learning is particularly important in this process because it explains how schools acquire, share, interpret and apply knowledge to improve their practices. In educational institutions, organisational learning occurs when school leaders and teachers collectively examine experiences, discuss challenges, exchange professional knowledge, reflect on evidence and use the lessons obtained to improve institutional performance. It involves more than the individual acquisition of knowledge; it requires the development of shared understanding and the ability to translate learning into improved organisational practices. Argyris and Schön (1978) explain organisational learning through the processes by which organisations detect and correct errors, while Senge (1990) emphasises the importance of developing learning organisations in which members continuously expand their capacity to achieve desired results. In the school environment, organisational learning may be reflected in professional learning communities, collaborative lesson planning, departmental meetings, peer observation, mentoring, reflective discussions and the collective analysis of students’ performance. These practices allow teachers to learn from one another and enable school leaders to connect evidence from different parts of the institution to school improvement strategies. Therefore, organisational learning provides a possible mechanism through which data-informed leadership can influence teachers’ instructional decision-making.

The mediating role of organisational learning becomes relevant when considering how leadership practices are translated into changes in teachers’ professional behaviour. A school leader may provide examination records, classroom assessment information and performance reports, but the information may have limited instructional value if teachers do not have opportunities to discuss and interpret it collectively. Through organisational learning, teachers can compare instructional experiences, identify common learning difficulties, share successful teaching strategies and develop collective responses to students’ needs. This process can strengthen the relationship between leadership decisions and classroom practices because information is converted into shared professional knowledge. Kools and Stoll (2016) identify the development of learning organisations as an important direction for improving educational institutions, highlighting the importance of shared vision, collaborative learning and knowledge creation. Similarly, Stoll, Bolam, McMahon, Wallace and Thomas (2006) explain that professional learning communities support collaborative professional development and improvement in teaching and learning. These perspectives suggest that organisational learning may serve as an important link between data-informed school leadership and teachers’ instructional decision-making. Rather than assuming that leadership influences instructional decisions directly, it is necessary to examine whether the learning processes established within schools help explain how and why such influence occurs.

In Nigeria, the effective management of public secondary schools remains an important concern because school leaders and teachers are expected to improve educational quality within varying institutional, administrative and resource conditions. Public secondary schools operate under education policies and administrative structures that require school heads to supervise instruction, monitor teachers’ performance, manage school resources and promote students’ academic achievement. The National Policy on Education identifies education as an instrument for national development and provides the broad policy framework for the administration and delivery of education in Nigeria (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2013). The implementation of these expectations requires school leaders to make informed decisions about curriculum delivery, teacher support, students’ performance and institutional improvement. The National Policy on Education also places importance on effective educational planning, supervision and the provision of quality learning opportunities. In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), public secondary schools operate within a distinctive administrative environment involving the coordination of educational services across the territory. The FCT Education Secretariat has responsibilities relating to the administration and supervision of public education, making effective school-level leadership and instructional improvement important to the achievement of educational objectives. Against this background, examining data-informed school leadership, teachers’ instructional decision-making and organisational learning in selected public secondary schools in the FCT is necessary to understand how evidence is used, how professional knowledge is developed and how these processes contribute to improved instructional practice.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The effective use of data in school leadership has become increasingly important because educational institutions are expected to make decisions that respond to the actual needs of learners, teachers and the wider school community. However, the existence of school records and performance reports does not necessarily mean that such information is consistently used to guide school improvement. In some school environments, examination results, attendance records, continuous assessment scores, classroom observations and teachers’ feedback may be collected mainly for documentation, inspection or administrative reporting rather than systematic instructional improvement. This creates a gap between the availability of educational information and its practical application in school management. Schildkamp (2019) argues that data-based decision-making should involve analysing evidence, implementing improvement actions and evaluating their effects, rather than merely collecting information. Similarly, Schildkamp, Poortman, Ebbeler and Pieters (2019) identify leadership support, shared goals and a positive climate for data use as important conditions for effective data teams. The problem, therefore, is whether school leaders in selected public secondary schools in the FCT adequately use available educational data to guide school improvement and support teachers’ instructional decisions.

Another concern relates to the extent to which teachers’ instructional decisions are informed by reliable evidence about students’ learning needs. Teachers are expected to make decisions about teaching methods, lesson content, classroom activities, assessment procedures and remedial support. These decisions are more likely to address learners’ actual difficulties when teachers can interpret and apply information from classroom assessments, examination performance, observation and feedback. Nevertheless, teachers may experience difficulties in analysing data, identifying patterns in students’ performance or translating assessment findings into appropriate instructional adjustments. Datnow, Lockton and Weddle (2021) explain that teachers may struggle to use data, particularly external assessment information, to inform everyday instruction and require capacity-building opportunities to connect evidence with instructional improvement. In addition, Schildkamp, Poortman, Luyten and Ebbeler (2017) found that school organisational characteristics and collaboration influence teachers’ use of data, with some forms of data being used more frequently for accountability and school development than for instruction. This raises the concern that teachers in selected public secondary schools in the FCT may not be receiving sufficient leadership support, professional development and opportunities to use educational evidence consistently in making classroom decisions.

A further problem concerns the role of organisational learning in connecting data-informed school leadership with teachers’ instructional decision-making. Even where school leaders make efforts to collect and analyse educational information, the benefits may remain limited if teachers do not have opportunities to discuss findings, share experiences, reflect on instructional challenges and develop collective solutions. Organisational learning is important because it enables knowledge obtained from school data and professional experiences to become shared institutional knowledge that can influence teaching practices. However, where professional collaboration is weak, departmental meetings are largely administrative, or teachers work independently without meaningful professional exchange, the capacity of the school to learn from evidence may be restricted. Coburn and Turner (2011) explain that data use is shaped by social and organisational processes through which educators interpret and act on evidence. Kools and Stoll (2016) also emphasise the importance of developing schools as learning organisations through shared vision, collaboration and continuous professional learning. The problem is therefore whether organisational learning within selected public secondary schools in the FCT provides the necessary mechanism through which data-informed leadership can influence teachers’ instructional decisions.

Furthermore, although research has examined data use in educational improvement, school leadership, teacher effectiveness and professional collaboration, there is a need to investigate how these factors operate together within the context of public secondary schools in the FCT. Evidence from other educational settings cannot automatically explain the specific conditions under which school leaders and teachers in the FCT access, interpret, share and apply educational data. For example, Bada, Tengku Ariffin and Nordin (2024) found a positive association between principals’ instructional leadership practices and teachers’ effectiveness in public secondary schools in Nigeria’s North Central geopolitical zone. Schildkamp and Datnow (2022), however, show that data teams may struggle when data use is driven more by accountability than by genuine improvement. These findings reinforce the importance of investigating not only whether school leaders use data but also whether organisational learning helps convert leadership practices into better instructional decisions. Accordingly, this study seeks to examine the relationship between data-informed school leadership and teachers’ instructional decision-making, with particular attention to the mediating role of organisational learning in selected public secondary schools in the FCT.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The main aim of this study is to examine data-informed school leadership and teachers’ instructional decision-making, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of organisational learning in selected public secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The specific objectives are to:

1. Examine the extent to which school leaders use educational data to guide leadership and school improvement decisions in selected public secondary schools in the FCT.

2. Assess the influence of data-informed school leadership on teachers’ instructional decision-making in selected public secondary schools in the FCT.

3. Examine the influence of data-informed school leadership on organisational learning in selected public secondary schools in the FCT.

4. Investigate the mediating role of organisational learning in the relationship between data-informed school leadership and teachers’ instructional decision-making in selected public secondary schools in the FCT.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. To what extent do school leaders use educational data to guide leadership and school improvement decisions in selected public secondary schools in the FCT?

2. How does data-informed school leadership influence teachers’ instructional decision-making in selected public secondary schools in the FCT?

3. How does data-informed school leadership influence organisational learning in selected public secondary schools in the FCT?

4. To what extent does organisational learning mediate the relationship between data-informed school leadership and teachers’ instructional decision-making in selected public secondary schools in the FCT?

1.5 Significance of the Study

This study will be significant to school leaders, particularly principals and vice-principals, because it will provide insight into the importance of using educational data to guide school administration and instructional improvement. The findings may help school leaders recognise the value of examining students’ academic performance, attendance, assessment records, classroom observations and teachers’ feedback before making decisions. It may also encourage the development of systematic approaches to collecting, interpreting and applying educational information.

The study will also be beneficial to teachers because it will emphasise the importance of evidence-informed instructional decisions. Teachers may gain a better understanding of how assessment results, students’ learning progress and classroom observations can guide lesson planning, teaching strategies, classroom assessment and remedial instruction. The study may further encourage teachers to participate actively in professional discussions and collaborative learning activities.

The study will be useful to the FCT Education Secretariat and other educational policymakers because it will provide information on the relationship between school leadership, organisational learning and instructional decision-making. The findings may assist education administrators in developing policies and programmes that promote data literacy, professional development, effective supervision and evidence-based school improvement.

Furthermore, the research will contribute to academic knowledge in Educational Administration and Planning by examining organisational learning as a mediating factor between data-informed school leadership and teachers’ instructional decision-making. It will provide a conceptual basis for further empirical studies on educational data use, school leadership and organisational development.

Finally, the study will serve as reference material for researchers, postgraduate students and other scholars interested in data-informed leadership, teacher decision-making, organisational learning and the administration of public secondary schools in Nigeria. It may also provide a foundation for comparative studies across different educational levels, states and school management systems.

1.6 Scope of the Study

The study will focus on data-informed school leadership and teachers’ instructional decision-making, with organisational learning examined as a mediating variable. Geographically, it will be limited to selected public secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria.

In terms of content, the study will examine the use of educational data by school leaders, including students’ academic performance, continuous assessment records, attendance information, classroom observations, teachers’ reports and other relevant school records. It will also examine teachers’ instructional decision-making in relation to lesson planning, teaching methods, classroom assessment, instructional materials and responses to students’ learning needs.

Organisational learning will be examined through professional collaboration, knowledge sharing, collective reflection, professional learning activities and the application of lessons learned to school practices. The study will focus on public secondary schools and will not cover private secondary schools, primary schools or tertiary institutions in the FCT.

1.7 Research Methodology

The study will adopt a quantitative research approach using a descriptive survey and correlational research design. The descriptive survey design will be appropriate because information will be obtained from respondents concerning data-informed leadership practices, organisational learning and teachers’ instructional decision-making in selected public secondary schools.

The population will comprise principals, vice-principals and teachers in the selected public secondary schools in the FCT. A sample will be drawn from the population using an appropriate sampling technique. The sample size will be determined based on the established population of the selected schools and an appropriate sample-size procedure.

Data will be collected through a structured questionnaire designed around the major variables of the study. The questionnaire will contain items measuring data-informed school leadership, organisational learning and teachers’ instructional decision-making. Responses will be obtained using an appropriate rating scale.

The instrument will be subjected to face and content validation by experts in Educational Administration and Planning, while its reliability will be determined through an appropriate reliability procedure, such as Cronbach’s alpha. Data collected will be analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics, including frequency counts, percentages, means and standard deviations, will be used to answer relevant descriptive questions. Correlation and regression-based mediation analysis will be employed to examine the relationships among the variables and determine whether organisational learning mediates the relationship between data-informed school leadership and teachers’ instructional decision-making. The significance of the mediation effect will be assessed using an appropriate indirect-effect procedure, such as bootstrapping.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Data-Informed School Leadership: A leadership approach in which school administrators systematically collect, analyse, interpret and apply relevant educational information to guide school management, instructional supervision and institutional improvement.

Educational Data: Information generated within the school system, including students’ examination results, continuous assessment records, attendance records, classroom observations, teachers’ reports and other information relevant to educational planning and decision-making.

Teachers’ Instructional Decision-Making: The professional process through which teachers make choices concerning lesson planning, teaching methods, classroom activities, instructional materials, assessment procedures and strategies for addressing students’ learning needs.

Organisational Learning: The process through which members of a school acquire, share, interpret and apply knowledge and experiences to improve teaching practices, institutional procedures and overall school performance.

Mediating Role: The explanatory function of an intervening variable through which the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable may operate. In this study, organisational learning is examined as the mechanism through which data-informed school leadership may influence teachers’ instructional decision-making.

School Leadership: The process of directing, coordinating, supervising and supporting the activities of a school to achieve educational objectives. It includes the responsibilities of principals and other designated school administrators.

Instructional Improvement: The deliberate process of strengthening teaching and learning through better instructional strategies, effective assessment, professional development and the use of relevant educational evidence.

Public Secondary Schools: Government-established or government-managed secondary schools that provide formal post-primary education. In this study, the term refers specifically to selected government secondary schools in the FCT.

Professional Collaboration: The process through which teachers and school leaders work together, exchange knowledge, discuss instructional challenges and develop strategies for improving teaching and learning.

Project – Data-Informed School Leadership and Teachers’ Instructional Decision-Making: The Mediating Role of Organisational Learning in Selected Public Secondary Schools in the FCT.