International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR)

Background: Existing reviews have addressed instructional leadership in selected Sub-Saharan African contexts, but a region-wide synthesis of indexed empirical evidence remains limited. Objectives: To synthesise peer-reviewed empirical research on instructional leadership in Sub-Saharan Africa (January 2000–February 2026), describe geographic and methodological characteristics, and identify research gaps. Eligibility criteria: Original empirical studies examining instructional leadership as a primary variable in educational institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa, published in English in journals indexed in Scopus, ERIC, or DOAJ. Information sources: Scopus (n = 180), ERIC (n = 288), DOAJ (n = 6), and supplementary Google Scholar searches (n = 126). Searches were completed on 28 February 2026. Results: Of 600 records identified, 26 met the eligibility criteria. Twenty-two studies (84.6%) met four or more of five MMAT appraisal criteria. Criterion-level MMAT appraisal identified methodological strengths alongside limitations across the included studies. GRADE assessments indicated moderate certainty for teacher-effectiveness outcomes and very low certainty for student-performance outcomes. GRADE-CERQual assessments indicated moderate confidence in evidence relating to contextual barriers to instructional leadership implementation. Conclusions: Evidence remains geographically and methodologically uneven, with gaps in Francophone and Lusophone contexts, TVET, longitudinal research, and middle leadership. Five research priorities are proposed.