LEADERSHIP ROLES AND CHALLENGES AT THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL: THE PERCEPTION OF HEAD TEACHERS IN THE KASSENA NANKANA WEST DISTRICT OF THE UPPER EAST REGION OF GHANA

Author: Valerius Azuure Sandow

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the study was to find out the leadership roles and challenges facing Junior High School head teachers, as perceived by the head teachers in the Kassena Nankana West District of the Upper East Region of Ghana. The study used a quantitative research approach and a descriptive survey design. The population included all Junior High School Headteachers in the Kassena Nankana West District. A purposive sampling technique was employed to include all 34 Headteachers in the 34 Junior High Schools in the District. Structured questionnaire was the main instrument for data collection. The data was analysed using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. The study found that Junior High School Headteachers were not properly prepared before and after their appointments. It emerged from the study that Headteachers’ were generally satisfied with the performance of their roles and responsibilities, though these responsibilities were considered to be numerous. The study revealed some particular challenges that affected head teachers. Most prominent among these were: performing administrative work and teaching at the same time; inadequate infrastructure; lack of offices for heads and store rooms; late payment of capitation grant; late submission of teaching lesson notes for vetting; misuse of instructional time; lack of teachers’ accommodation; indiscipline among students; non-payment of responsibility allowance and lack of motivation. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that the procedures employed by Ghana Education Service in appointing head teachers should be reviewed and clearly defined procedures be followed in appointing professionals with relevant knowledge and experience as head teachers and not merely those who have achieved academic success or are in the system for long years. The government and GES should supply teaching and learning resources as well as other incentives before the beginning of the academic year.

Keywords: Challenges, Headteacher, Junior High School, Leadership.

REFERENCES

  • Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership: Good, better, best. Organizational dynamics, 13(3), 26-40.
  • Bass, B. M. (1990). From transactional to transformational leadership: Learning to share the vision. Organizational dynamics, 18(3), 19-31.
  • Bass, B. M., & Stogdill, R. M. (1990). Bass & Stogdill’s handbook of leadership: Theory, research, and managerial applications. Simon and Schuster.
  • Bush, T., & Glover, D. (2003). School leadership: Concepts and evidence (pp. 213-217). Nottingham: National College for School Leadership.
  • Cotton, K. (2003). Principals and student achievement: What the research says.
  • Daft, R. L. (1999). Leadership: Theory and practice. (No Title).
  • Deluga, R. J. (1995). The relation between trust in the supervisor and subordinate organizational citizenship behavior. Military Psychology, 7(1), 1-16.
  • Dimmock, C. (1999). The management of dilemmas in school restructuring: A case analysis. School Leadership & Management, 19(1), 97-113.
  • Gorton, R. A., & Snowden, P. E. (1993). School Leadership and Administration Madison: Wm. C. Brown Communications Inc.
  • Grille, A., Schulte, E. M., & Kauffeld, S. (2015). Promoting shared leadership: A multilevel analysis investigating the role of prototypical team leader behavior, psychological empowerment, and fair rewards. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 22(3), 324-339.
  • Ibrahim, N. (2011). Preparation and development of public secondary schools principals in Kenya. International journal of humanities and social science, 1(9), 291-301.
  • Jackall, R. (1990). Nobody’s Man But His Own: Dispassion, Independence, and Intellectual Work.
  • Johnson, C. E., & Hackman, M. Z. (2018). Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press.
  • Joseph, J. S. (1997). Cyprus: Ethnic conflict and international politics: From independence to the threshold of the European Union. London: Macmillan.
  • Khanin, D. (2007). Contrasting Burns and Bass: Does the transactional‐transformational paradigm live up to Burns’ philosophy of transforming leadership?. Journal of leadership studies, 1(3), 7-25.
  • Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (1999). The relative effects of principal and teacher sources of leadership on student engagement with school. Educational administration quarterly, 35(5), 679-706.
  • Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (1999). Transformational school leadership effects: A replication. School effectiveness and school improvement, 10(4), 451-479.
  • Leithwood, K., & Jantzi, D. (2000). The effects of transformational leadership on organizational conditions and student engagement with school. Journal of educational administration, 38(2), 112-129.
  • Leithwood, K., Jantzi, D., & Steinbach, R. (2002). Leadership practices for accountable schools. In Second international handbook of educational leadership and administration         (pp. 849-879). Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands.
  • Miller, M. (2006). Transforming Leadership: What does love have to do with it?. Transformation, 23(2), 94-106.
  • Murphy, J., & Beck, L. G. (1995). School-based management as school reform: Taking stock. Corwin Press, Inc., 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320-2218(paperback: ISBN-0-8039-6176-6, $23.95; hardback: ISBN-0-8039-6175-8).
  • Mushaandja, J. (2006). Investigating in-service professional development of secondary school principals in Namibia (Doctoral dissertation, University of the Western Cape).
  • Ojo, L. B., & Olaniyan, D. A. (2008). Leadership roles of school administrators and challenges ahead in post-primary institutions in Nigeria. European journal of scientific research, 24(2), 172-178.
  • Owens Jr, R. E. (2001). Language development: An introduction. Allyn & Bacon.
  • Somech, A. (2005). Directive versus participative leadership: Two complementary approaches to managing school effectiveness. Educational administration quarterly, 41(5), 777-800.
  • Vasilescu, M. (2019). Leadership styles and theories in an effective management activity. Annals-Economy Series, 4, 47-52.
  • Yukl, G. (2011). Contingency theories of effective leadership. The SAGE handbook of leadership, 24(1), 286-298.
  • Yukl, G. (2012). Leadership. Cases in Leadership (3rd. ed. pp. 1–42). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
  • Yukl, G., & Lepsinger, R. (2005). Why integrating the leading and managing roles is essential for organizational effectiveness. Organizational dynamics, 34(4), 361-375.
  • Zame, M. Y., Hope, W. C., & Respress, T. (2008). Educational reform in Ghana: the leadership challenge. International journal of educational management, 22(2), 115-128.