Leadership Style and Their Impact to Primary School Teachers Performance in Tanzania: a case Study of District Education Offices in Ruvuma Region

The researcher sought to investigate the leadership styles practiced by District Education officers and their impact on primary school teachers’ performance, with the view of improving district education offices management and administration styles. The study was guided by open systems model which places emphasis on input factors, processes and products including their interrelationships and interdependence. The study was conducted in three districts in Ruvuma region namely Tunduru, Namtumbo and Songea Rural. The study sample consisted of 102 respondents consisting of 3 DEOs, 9 staff, 12WECs, 24 headteachers and 45 classroom teachers. Sampling procedures included purposive, stratified and simple random sampling. The study was guided by three research tasks which are to identify leadership styles predominantly used by DEOs in the selected district and find out the extent to which they facilitate or inhibit realization of educational goals. Second is to find out the model for leadership that is most appropriate for the enhancing academic performance methods of collecting information and data included interviews, questionnaires, documentary review and non – participative observation. The study findings revealed that the most commonly used style of leadership by district education officers was democratic as indicated by 53.3 percent of teachers and 78 percent of staff members. Other leadership styles included dictatorship and laissez faire. The teachers maintained that there was free communication with DEOs and subordinates as indicated [61.4%] while 38.6 percent indicated they were not free to explain their problems to DEOs. The majority of teachers [ 70%] and [55.6] of staff indicated that they were free to make contributions during meetings. About 62.2% of teachers agreed that DEOs leadership styles had the ability to influence subordinates’ work performance while 37.8 percent were doubtful. It was also disclosed by DEOs that their styles of leadership were influenced by the situation and type of work or activity to be accomplished. Furthermore, 62 percent of teachers indicated that they were satisfied with the DEOs style of leadership, while 38 percent were dissatisfied. Motivation of teachers was one of the techniques used for raising performances and was the major contributing factor to teachers’ morale and work performance. It was therefore recommended that education managers and administrators should acquire the ability to inspire and influence the subordinates towards goal achievement. A similar study should also be conducted to investigate the impact of leadership styles on subordinate’s work performance in other regions and districts.