Lugiye, Victoria M2021-02-222021-02-222019Lugiye, Victoria M (2019) Contribution of leadership practices to students’ academic performances: a comparative study to government and private secondary schools in Kasulu district, Tanzania, Masters dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaamhttp://41.86.178.5:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/14877Available in print form, EAF collection, Dr. Wilbert Chagula Library (THS EAF LB2822.T34L83)This study investigated the contribution of leadership practices to students' academic performance in Kasulu District secondary schools. The objectives of the study were; To identify leadership practices that influence students' academic performance in government and private schools in Kasulu District, to examine the influence of the identified leadership practices on students' academic performance in government and private secondary schools, and to seek respondents view on the other leadership practices that are relevant for improvement of students' academic performance in government and private secondary schools in Kasulu District. The study adopted Transformational and Shared leadership theories. It also employed concurrent triangulation design whereby 8 secondary schools were selected and studied. Total sample of 196 respondents, including 8 heads of schools were purposively selected and 188 teachers were selected conveniently. Instruments for data collection included survey questionnaires, interview guides and documentary review check list. Statistical measures such as mean, standard deviation and chi-square tests were used to analyse quantitative data to identify and compare leadership practices that are influential to students’ academic in schools. The content analysis technique facilitated the analysis of qualitative data while excel software was used to draw table and figure. The findings revealed that leadership practices such as involvement of teachers and students in planning and making decisions in schools, teachers and parents' access to information about students' academic progress and cooperation in teaching and learning were statistically significant in contributing to students' academic performance in both government and private secondary schools. However, ineffective application of such leadership practices in government secondary schools cause variation on students' academic performance. As the result, private secondary schools had higher students' academic performance than in government schools. Furthermore, leadership practices like controlling students' absenteeism, improvement of infrastructures of schools, recruitment of quality and high magnitudes of teachers required in a school and ensure proper allocation of funds to schools were proposed to be used to improve students' academic performance in government and private secondary schools. The study recommends that heads of schools should promote good leadership practices that can influence positively students’ academic performance while cooperating with teachers, parents, community members and students. Also, heads of government schools have to be given power over teachers' recruitment as in private schools. This will lead to proper allocation of teachers in schools according to needs.enSchool supervisionSecondaryEducation leadershipSchool management and organizationStudentsAcademic achievementsGovermrnt and private secondary schoolsKasulu districtTanzaniaThesis