Abstract:
This study aimed to assess the impact of leadership on public secondary schools
performance in Hai District Council and determine if the heads of schools’
leadership style(s) affected schools academic in general. More, specifically the study
determined the heads of schools’ leadership style(s) using the transformational
leadership and transactional models and its effect on academic performance of
schools and teachers’ job motivation in terms of achievement, competency, status,
personal worth, and self-realisation in public secondary schools. The findings of this
study are expected to benefit: school heads and teachers; the general public; and
other researchers who would want to carry out research on similar topics. The
objectives of this study were to: i) find out the relationship between leadership and
school performance as well as teachers’ job performance, job satisfaction and
motivation, ii) examine the effects of heads of schools leadership styles in public
secondary schools and iii) establish the relationship between the impact of head of
schools leadership styles in improving school performance.
A descriptive research design was used and a case study approach was adopted. The
target population of interest was 28 public secondary schools registered in Hai
District Council. A non-probability sampling technique or method was used for this
study. The study purposively selected 6 public secondary schools and 10 respondents
from each of the schools as being representative of the target population. Data was
collected using the questionnaire method. Quantitative data was analysed through the
use of descriptive statistics which included frequencies, percentages and means as
measures of central tendency, while the qualitative data was analysed through the use
of content analysis. The analysed data was presented using tables.
Among the key findings of this study was that teachers who lack enthusiasm are
unable to teach effectively, making students not to learn well. It also showed that
heads of schools’ attitude of not considering teachers’ suggestions in decision
making made teachers lose interest in their job.
The study recommends that the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training
should seek ways to improve school performance through training of both heads of
schools and school boards, making right decision and responding to changes and
espousing the practice of transformational leadership style.
