THE ROLE OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP PRACTICES IN IMPROVING STUDENTS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN GOVERNMENT PRIMARY SCHOOLS OF ALLE SPECIAL WOREDA

Abstract

In the effort undertaken by this study to explore and analyze the role of school leadership practice in improving students’ achievement in government primary schools of Alle Special Woreda, descriptive survey research design was used and both quantitative and qualitative data were employed. In this regard, out of 17 government primary schools, 9 schools with total of xi 1224 population were selected through simple random sampling technique. Among these, 312 were participated in the study; 30 teachers, 271 students, 9 principals and 2 cluster supervisors. Data were collected through questionnaire, interview and relevant document analysis. Quantitative data were collected through open and closed-ended questions and KII guide were used for qualitative data collection. Purposive and simple random sampling technique was employed. As a result, the collected data was tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics including percentage, mean, standard deviation and grand mean. For this purpose, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25 was used. In these effort, the study has identified best practices and roles played by the existing leadership which were acknowledged by this study, as well as, weakness of the school leadership and other associated factors affecting students achievement were identified. Among the roles and practices of school’s leadership; awareness creation by explaining school vision and creating a sense of mission, regular follow-u p and encouragement of teachers to relate lessons with student expectation and goals, encouraging teachers to undertake action research, and co-working with student parents in several aspects are found as best practices of the school leadership. In contrast, lack of awareness by study community about the significance of education, high turnover of senior teachers, scarcity of laboratory facility, and relevant book, problem of accommodation facing by some student are found as major direct factors affecting student achievement. Besides, limited attention and effort for teacher development and professional support, absence of suitable working environment and limited academic rank upgrading opportunities for teachers were found as the major indirect factors influencing the achievement of the targeted students. As a result, in order to overcome the issues identified as limitation and associated factors affecting student achievement, the leadership should have to play unreserved role in planning, coordinating all relevant stakeholders, monitoring, organizing and facilitating activitIn the effort undertaken by this study to explore and analyze the role of school leadership practice in improving students’ achievement in government primary schools of Alle Special Woreda, descriptive survey research design was used and both quantitative and qualitative data were employed. In this regard, out of 17 government primary schools, 9 schools with total of xi 1224 population were selected through simple random sampling technique. Among these, 312 were participated in the study; 30 teachers, 271 students, 9 principals and 2 cluster supervisors. Data were collected through questionnaire, interview and relevant document analysis. Quantitative data were collected through open and closed-ended questions and KII guide were used for qualitative data collection. Purposive and simple random sampling technique was employed. As a result, the collected data was tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics including percentage, mean, standard deviation and grand mean. For this purpose, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25 was used. In these effort, the study has identified best practices and roles played by the existing leadership which were acknowledged by this study, as well as, weakness of the school leadership and other associated factors affecting students achievement were identified. Among the roles and practices of school’s leadership; awareness creation by explaining school vision and creating a sense of mission, regular follow-u p and encouragement of teachers to relate lessons with student expectation and goals, encouraging teachers to undertake action research, and co-working with student parents in several aspects are found as best practices of the school leadership. In contrast, lack of awareness by study community about the significance of education, high turnover of senior teachers, scarcity of laboratory facility, and relevant book, problem of accommodation facing by some student are found as major direct factors affecting student achievement. Besides, limited attention and effort for teacher development and professional support, absence of suitable working environment and limited academic rank upgrading opportunities for teachers were found as the major indirect factors influencing the achievement of the targeted students. As a result, in order to overcome the issues identified as limitation and associated factors affecting student achievement, the leadership should have to play unreserved role in planning, coordinating all relevant stakeholders, monitoring, organizing and facilitating activitIn the effort undertaken by this study to explore and analyze the role of school leadership practice in improving students’ achievement in government primary schools of Alle Special Woreda, descriptive survey research design was used and both quantitative and qualitative data were employed. In this regard, out of 17 government primary schools, 9 schools with total of xi 1224 population were selected through simple random sampling technique. Among these, 312 were participated in the study; 30 teachers, 271 students, 9 principals and 2 cluster supervisors. Data were collected through questionnaire, interview and relevant document analysis. Quantitative data were collected through open and closed-ended questions and KII guide were used for qualitative data collection. Purposive and simple random sampling technique was employed. As a result, the collected data was tabulated and analyzed using descriptive statistics including percentage, mean, standard deviation and grand mean. For this purpose, Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 25 was used. In these effort, the study has identified best practices and roles played by the existing leadership which were acknowledged by this study, as well as, weakness of the school leadership and other associated factors affecting students achievement were identified. Among the roles and practices of school’s leadership; awareness creation by explaining school vision and creating a sense of mission, regular follow-u p and encouragement of teachers to relate lessons with student expectation and goals, encouraging teachers to undertake action research, and co-working with student parents in several aspects are found as best practices of the school leadership. In contrast, lack of awareness by study community about the significance of education, high turnover of senior teachers, scarcity of laboratory facility, and relevant book, problem of accommodation facing by some student are found as major direct factors affecting student achievement. Besides, limited attention and effort for teacher development and professional support, absence of suitable working environment and limited academic rank upgrading opportunities for teachers were found as the major indirect factors influencing the achievement of the targeted students. As a result, in order to overcome the issues identified as limitation and associated factors affecting student achievement, the leadership should have to play unreserved role in planning, coordinating all relevant stakeholders, monitoring, organizing and facilitating activities