IJECE Published Articles

Abstract This study examined the instructional leadership practices of Master Teachers and used the integrated findings as the basis for developing a context-responsive instructional mentoring program for island school contexts. The study employed a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. The qualitative phase used phenomenological interviews with Master Teachers to identify mentoring practices, instructional leadership dimensions, and contextual constraints. The quantitative phase validated the emergent dimensions through a survey of 135 teachers from a target population of 160, yielding an 84.38% response rate. Qualitative results showed that Master Teachers enacted instructional leadership through mentoring, coaching, modeling, instructional supervision, professional dialogue, Learning Action Cell facilitation, data-informed support, and contextualized instructional assistance. Quantitative results showed a high overall level of instructional leadership practices (M = 3.51, SD = 0.61), very high perceived instructional support (M = 3.50, SD = 0.67), and very high mentoring needs and priorities (M = 3.56, SD = 0.63). Significant differences were found in perceived instructional leadership practices by teaching experience, teaching position, and mentoring frequency, while mentoring needs differed significantly by school level. Integrated findings supported the development of a structured instructional mentoring program consisting of needs assessment, goal setting, coaching and modeling, observation, feedback and reflective dialogue, professional learning facilitation, differentiated mentoring tracks, contextualized instructional support, action planning, monitoring, and program evaluation. Keywords: Instructional Leadership, Master Teachers, Mentoring Program, Instructional Coaching, Teacher Professional Development, Mixed Methods, Island Schools