A systematic review of instructional leadership research conducted with the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS),1983–2024

Abstract

This systematic review documented and synthesized conceptual and topical trends in research on instructional leadership that employed the Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS). The authors used content analysis to synthesize data extracted from all studies that employed the PIMRS from 1983–2024. In 2011 Hallinger identified 136 PIMRS-related documents that had accumulated from 11 societies. The current review sourced 791 documents from 65 nations. We found that the PIMRS has been translated into 39 languages, with published validation studies conducted in 13 societies. Content analyses found that univariate and bivariate conceptual models coninute to predominate, accounting for almost 80% of the research. In contrast, multivariate mediated and moderated effect models that hold greater promise for contributing to knowledge were far less common in this literature. Topical analysis found that leadership effects on student achievement and school performance were most frequently studied, followed by research on teacher attitudes, school climate, gender, and instruction. The authors concluded that knowledge accumulation has often been handicapped by the application of incorrect analytical models to the selected topics. Guidance is offered on model selection and variable ordering. Additionally, the reviewed identified state-of-the-art studies guided by robust analytical models that can serve as resources for scholars in future studies of instructional leadership.