Competencies for Institutionalizing Sustainability-Oriented Instructional Leadership in Schools

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has increased expectations that school leaders contribute not only to educational improvement but also to the long-term sustainability of schools and communities. While research has advanced understanding of the implementation of sustainability initiatives, less attention has been given to the leadership processes through which sustainability becomes embedded within school practices and structures. This study examines how school principals enact Sustainability-Oriented Instructional Leadership (SOIL) to support the institutionalization of ESD. A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted with six principals from schools participating in the Leading Education for Sustainable Futures (LESF) project in South Africa. Data were generated through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using abductive reflexive thematic analysis informed by the SOIL framework. The findings suggest that principals enacted SOIL through systems-thinking, values-thinking, strategic-thinking, interpersonal, and implementation competencies that shaped how they interpreted sustainability challenges and mobilized organizational support. Organizational learning and stakeholder engagement emerged as important organizational processes through which sustainability-related knowledge, practices, and commitments became embedded within schools. Although all participating schools had implemented sustainability initiatives, the extent of institutionalization varied according to the degree to which sustainability was integrated into curriculum practices, organizational routines, professional learning, and stakeholder relationships. The study refines the Sustainability-Oriented Instructional Leadership framework as a process model of ESD institutionalization. By distinguishing between implementation and institutionalization, it contributes a contextually grounded explanation of how school leaders support the long-term embedding of sustainability within schools.