Protecting instructional time is an embedded component of instructional leadership. While the broader concept of instructional leadership has been widely studied, the specific role of protecting instructional time has received relatively little attention. This study seeks to fill that gap by exploring the strategies principals use to preserve instructional time. The participants in this qualitative study were 24 principals in elementary schools in Israel. Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews, and data analysis included three stages: Sorting, coding, and categorizing. The study identified a variety of actions that principals take to protect instructional time. These activities were classified according to a model of time in school. The current study proposes a model for protecting instructional time, which includes three key strategies: Expanding instructional time, preserving instructional time, and maximizing instructional time.
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