Instructional leadership for inclusive curriculum delivery in full-service schools of the Limpopo province, South Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63569/ajopac/08/01/04Keywords:
instructional leadership; inclusive education; inclusive curriculum; curriculum delivery; learner performance; full-service schoolsAbstract
South Africa's commitment to inclusive and equitable quality education positions instructional leadership as a central lever for strengthening curriculum delivery in contexts of learner diversity. Full-service schools are mandated to model inclusive education by providing a continuum of support that enables learners who experience barriers to learning to access, participate in, and achieve. This article examines how instructional leaders enact instructional leadership to promote inclusive curriculum delivery and strengthen learner performance in two full-service schools in Limpopo Province. Guided by Transformational Leadership Theory and located within an interpretivist qualitative paradigm, the study adopted a multiple-case study design across one primary and one secondary full-service school. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve instructional leaders (principals, deputy principals, and heads of department) and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings indicate that instructional leaders conceptualise inclusive curriculum delivery as culturally responsive, learner-centred, and participatory. Leadership practices prioritised positive learning cultures, curriculum relevance, learner voice, and differentiated pedagogy. Teacher support was enacted primarily through informal professional learning, collegial collaboration, and creative resource mobilisation rather than formalised professional development structures. Resource shortages limited specialised training in inclusive education, curriculum rigidity, and resistance to pedagogical change constrained these efforts. Notwithstanding these constraints, leaders implemented contextually responsive strategies, such as remedial support, peer tutoring, learner-led projects, and strengthened school–community partnerships to enhance learner engagement and performance. The article argues that strengthening instructional leadership capacity in full-service schools is essential for narrowing the policy-practice gap in inclusive education and improving learner outcomes. It recommends institutionalising professional learning communities, providing sustained practice-based professional development, and aligning resources and monitoring systems with inclusive curriculum priorities.
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