Investigation of Shared Leadership Strategies on Teachers’ Instructional Effectiveness in Kigamboni Municipal Council, Tanzania

Abstract

Shared leadership may strengthen instructional practice by involving teachers in decision-making, professional development, and school improvement. This study investigated shared leadership strategies and teachers’ instructional effectiveness in Kigamboni Municipal Council, Tanzania, drawing on lessons from international and local literature. A convergent mixed-methods approach was employed with 44 respondents (40 teachers and four Heads of Schools). Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews and analysed using SPSS Version 20. The findings indicated that shared leadership increased teachers’ motivation, facilitated collaborative decision-making, improved teachers’ professional development, promoted innovation, supported classroom management, and strengthened accountability. Furthermore, participatory leadership enabled instruction to be contextualised to community realities, fostered supportive school cultures, and contributed to sustainable improvements in instructional quality. Quotations from the Heads of Schools indicated that teachers felt respected, empowered, and more effective when they participated in leadership processes. The study suggests that shared leadership may contribute to enhanced instructional effectiveness. It therefore recommends that Heads of Schools consider fostering a culture of trust and openness in which teachers feel supported to experiment and contextualise learning in response to community needs.