Investigating the relationship between heads of school leadership styles and students’ academic performance in Hai district
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The University of Dodoma
Abstract
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Dissertation (MA Education)
The study sought to investigate the relationship between leadership styles of heads of community secondary schools and students academic performance. The study employed the following sampling techniques: purposive, stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The theories that guided the study are Fielders' contingency leadership model and Path Goal theory leadership model. The findings of the study indicate that the predominant leadership style used in community secondary schools is democratic leadership style followed by autocratic leadership style with some elements of laissez- faire leadership style. The study have found that school heads encounter the following challenges in the course of apply their leadership styles in order to improve students‟ performance and running the schools effectively: lack of staff offices, poor teaching and learning environment, interference of politics with school leadership, shortage of teaching and learning materials, students' poor command of English language, high students' enrollment, poor students‟ discipline and poor communication between school heads and parents. The study has revealed that there is a direct relationship between leadership styles practiced by the heads of community secondary schools and students' academic performance. This suggests that students' poor performance, among others may be attributed to poor leadership. It is recommended that the government and all education stakeholders should; provide enough teaching and learning materials, not mix academic affairs with politics and provide regular seminars and workshops to both teachers and heads of school. Teachers on the other hand should reinforce language of instruction to students, and control students discipline in cooperation with parents.
The study sought to investigate the relationship between leadership styles of heads of community secondary schools and students academic performance. The study employed the following sampling techniques: purposive, stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The theories that guided the study are Fielders' contingency leadership model and Path Goal theory leadership model. The findings of the study indicate that the predominant leadership style used in community secondary schools is democratic leadership style followed by autocratic leadership style with some elements of laissez- faire leadership style. The study have found that school heads encounter the following challenges in the course of apply their leadership styles in order to improve students‟ performance and running the schools effectively: lack of staff offices, poor teaching and learning environment, interference of politics with school leadership, shortage of teaching and learning materials, students' poor command of English language, high students' enrollment, poor students‟ discipline and poor communication between school heads and parents. The study has revealed that there is a direct relationship between leadership styles practiced by the heads of community secondary schools and students' academic performance. This suggests that students' poor performance, among others may be attributed to poor leadership. It is recommended that the government and all education stakeholders should; provide enough teaching and learning materials, not mix academic affairs with politics and provide regular seminars and workshops to both teachers and heads of school. Teachers on the other hand should reinforce language of instruction to students, and control students discipline in cooperation with parents.
Keywords
Leadership styles, Hai district, Academic performance, School heads, Headmistresses, Headmasters, School leadership styles, Students’ academic performance