Instructional Leadership Practices of K-12 School Principals Regarding Teachers\u27 Burnout

Teachers who experience burnout leave the teaching profession. School principals in a public school district located in the southern United States are inconsistently implementing instructional leadership practices to support teachers who experience burnout. The purpose of this basic qualitative research study was to understand the instructional leadership practices of school principals regarding teachersâ burnout. The conceptual framework was Vygotskyâs theory of zone of proximal development, which posits that people are more motivated to learn when they are supported and encouraged and is based on Malcolm Knowlesâ theory of andragogy, known as the adult leaning theory. The research question considered how school principals inconsistently implement instructional leadership practices to support teachers who experience burnout. Purposive sampling was used to select 15 principals. Data were collected via interviews using Zoom and an interview protocol. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis for emergent themes. The emergent themes showed that school principals should: collaborate and foster positive relationships with teachers, provide feedback, support, offer professional development, and communicate effectively with teachers. The findings have implications for positive social change for school principals to better implement their instructional leadership practices and support teachers experiencing burnout