INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP AMONG PRIVATE PRESCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN SELANGOR, MALAYSIA

Abstract

Instructional leadership has become a central focus in Malaysia’s educational reform agenda, particularly under the National Education Blueprint (NEB) (2013–2025). This study investigates how private preschool principals in Selangor practice instructional leadership and the challenges they encounter in fulfilling this role. A qualitative case study approach was employed, involving ten purposively selected principals with more than ten years of experience in early childhood education. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and triangulated with document analysis to ensure validity. The findings reveal that principals actively engage in instructional leadership through curriculum supervision, teacher mentoring, and parent engagement. They consistently emphasized the importance of aligning classroom practices with the National Preschool Standard Curriculum while adapting lessons to meet children’s developmental needs. However, the principals faced persistent challenges, including teacher resistance to adopt new pedagogical approaches, parental demands for academic outcomes over holistic development, and administrative overload that reduced time for instructional activities. Access to Continuous Professional Development (CPD) was also limited, with principals citing time constraints, financial barriers, and the lack of tailored training programs as major obstacles. Despite these challenges, principals demonstrated resilience and creativity, organizing in-house training sessions, leveraging online platforms, and fostering collaborative learning among teachers. Their commitment to instructional leadership reflects both professional responsibility and moral duty to ensure quality learning experiences for children. The study concludes that instructional leadership among private preschool principals is evolving but constrained by systemic barriers. Tailored CPD programs, supportive policies, and strategies to reduce administrative burdens are essential to empower principals. Strengthening instructional leadership will enable private preschool leaders to contribute more effectively to Malaysia’s vision of high-quality early childhood education under the NEB.