Leadership challenges facing community-based secondary school heads in kigoma municipality
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Date
2015
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Publisher
University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Education is considered as an essential tool for attaining productivity, economic growth and poverty eradication. In this regard, the Tanzanian government in collaboration with local communities instituted community secondary schools in various administrative wards in the country. However, the schools are not performing well in delivering educational services as expected. The challenges that these schools face can be attributed to leadership styles applied and the school leadership in general. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to find out leadership challenges facing heads of schools in their respective community secondary schools. The study employed a qualitative approach with a descriptive case study embedded design. Data were collected from 4 community secondary schools in Kigoma municipality. A sample size of 32 respondents was obtained through purposive sampling. These were 4 heads of community secondary schools, 24 school management team members, and 4 ward education coordinators. The required information was obtained through interviews, focus group discussion, observation and documentary review. Data were analyzed through Content Analysis. The study findings revealed that school heads applied democratic leadership style in their schools. All the studied schools were facing challenges on running with meagre financial resources, insufficient physical resources, and failure in planning as well as monitoring and evaluation of school activities, motivation, and presence of indiscipline acts. Ways that were suggested in overcoming the challenges included sensitizing parents and stakeholders to finance education including construction of students’ hostels, utilising part-time teachers, running meal programmes at school, organising sports and games at school as well as mobilising the community to develop school infrastructure and involving parents and all teachers in planning. Other suggestions were to improve remuneration, professional development opportunities, as well as improve working and living conditions for the teachers. Basing on these findings, it was recommended that the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training has to train more science teachers and employ them with better ways of motivating them. The teachers should also be encouraged to attend professional development courses in order to update their knowledge for the teaching job. In-service training through seminars and workshops for school leaders including the SMT members should be encouraged. Schools were also advised to allocate time in the general time table for sport and games. This study recommended for further research on the same aspect of educational leadership to cover government secondary schools and privately owned secondary schools. Similar studies were also recommended in other parts of the country for comparative analysis of the findings.
Description
: Available in print form, East Africana Collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library, Class mark (THS EAF LB2831.926.T34P4754)
Keywords
School management and organization, High school principals, Community schools, Kigoma municipality, Tanzania
Citation
Philipo, F. (2015). Leadership challenges facing community-based secondary school heads in kigoma municipality, Master dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam.