Instructional Leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review of Empirical Evidence and Research Gaps (2000–2026)

This project registers the protocol for a systematic review examining empirical research on instructional leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa published between 2000 and 2026. The review aims to synthesise peer-reviewed literature to identify the geographic distribution, methodological characteristics, theoretical frameworks, and outcome variables examined in studies of instructional leadership within the region. The study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) guidelines to ensure transparency and reproducibility. Systematic searches were conducted in Scopus, DOAJ, and ERIC, with Google Scholar used as a supplementary search tool to identify potentially missed indexed articles. Studies are screened using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the methodological quality of included studies is assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT 2018). The findings will provide a comprehensive synthesis of instructional leadership research in Sub-Saharan Africa and identify key gaps requiring further scholarly attention, particularly in under-represented regions and educational sectors such as Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).