Leadership styles and teachers’ work performance: a case of public community secondary schools in Kongwa District

This study focused on the correlation between leadership styles used in public community secondary schools (PCSSs) and teachers’ work performance (TWP). The study had three objectives and tasks that examined the leadership styles (LSs) employed in the studied PCSSs and how they influenced teachers’ work performance. Based on tasks one and two of the study its third objective focused on the influence of policy on the choice of leadership styles employed by the head of schools. The study made use of one hundred and eight participants involving head of schools, teachers, students and community members (CMs) from six selected public community secondary schools in Kongwa District. Data were collected through interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussion, observation and documentary review and they were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. The study revealed different leadership styles used in public community secondary schools ranging from non transactional to transactional. Transactional styles (participatory and autocratic) were found to be mostly used. It was also revealed that transformational leadership that has proved to be most effective in improving employee work performance and that had the capacity to bring together employer and employee to raise one another was hardly used. Moreover the findings disclosed that job performance factors were impacted on differently by different leadership styles employed in the particular public community secondary schools. The study noted scores of challenges and demands made on the leadership styles used by the head of schools to influence the behaviours of teachers in schools. The study underscored the need for the development of management and leadership skills amongst head of schools to improve their leadership styles, which could eventually improve the teachers’ work performance. The study noted the existence of strong relationship between visionary leadership and transformational leadership style which allowed head of secondary schools and teachers to unite in pursuit of higher educational goals. Based on the research findings recommendations for improvement as well as for further research are proposed.