Prioritising teaching and learning for quality instruction: school leadership practices of public primary headteachers in Gasabo District, Rwanda

This study investigated how headteachers in Gasabo District prioritise teaching and learning through coordinating instructional activities, motivating teaching-learning, and monitoring assessment. The study’s novelty lies in its integrative analysis of relational and technical leadership practices, offering empirical insights into the mechanisms through which learning-centered and transformational leadership theories translate into tangible instructional outcomes. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining quantitative questionnaires administered to purposively selected 99 teachers, 37 Directors of Studies, and 37 headteachers, with semi-structured interview to 15 headteachers. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were thematically analysed, with triangulation employed to ensure credibility and depth of interpretation. Quantitative findings reveal that headteachers engage moderately in coordinating teaching and learning. Motivation strategies include professional development, public recognition, and parental engagement, while formal incentives are inconsistently applied. Assessment monitoring is moderately implemented, emphasising collaborative review over personalised support. Qualitative findings from headteachers highlight variability in leadership practice, compounded by structural challenges such as overcrowding, limited resources, and administrative workload. This study advances knowledge by providing empirical evidence on the nuanced ways leadership practices interact with school context, offering practical guidance for policy-makers, headteachers, and researchers seeking to strengthen primary education leadership in Rwanda and similar settings.