Dissertation (MA Education)This study explored the influence of head teachers' leadership competence on pupils' academic performance in Mkuranga District-Tanzania. The study was conducted in twenty five public primary schools of Mkuranga District involving 25 head teachers, 120 teachers, 1 district education quality assurer and 1 district academic officer. The study was exploratory in nature, based on descriptive survey involving ex-post facto research design. House‟s Path-Goal Theory was employed in the study in attaining its goals and providing the necessary direction and/or support to ensure the compatibility with the overall objectives of the study. Moreover, the study utilised both quantitative and qualitative research approach but quantitative approach was more dominant while qualitative supplemented to it. To achieve the objectives of the study, open-ended and Likerts Scale questionnaires were used along with documentary analysis. The findings of this study suggest that the leadership competence for public primary school head teachers in Mkuranga District has an indirect impact on pupils‟ academic performance. Task oriented competence and behavioural competence were identified as important types of competence for the head teacher to be active for the better academic performance of the school. However, this study revealed that most of the head teachers work under pressure since they face different kinds of adverse situations like inadequate infrastructures, shortage of teachers in remote areas and negative attitude of most of the parents towards education for their children. Generally, it was concluded that the Government should employ many teachers and allocate them in rural schools at first and ensure that; head teachers get sufficient leadership skills before being appointed to the position.