Headteachers' leadership behaviour and students’ academic performance at Kenya certificate of secondary education: a case of Vihiga district

Abstract

This study primarily deals with headteachers' leadership behaviour and students' academic performance at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education in Vihiga District. The study sought to fulfill four objectives:- to determine headteachers' leadership behaviour as perceived by their teachers in secondary schools; to examine if there is a significant relationship between the headtechers' leadership behaviour and the students' academic performance; to establish if there is a significant difference in performance between schools of different categories, i.e. girls, boys and mixed schools; to determine whether performance at Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination varies with the quality of the school.

The study may be of great significance to the following: Educational policy makers, headteachers, teachers, teacher training colleges, Universities and to the resource persons in educational seminars and workshops.

A review of related literature was carried out under the following sub-titles: The concept of leadership, importance of leadership in schools, studies in leadership and leadership bahaviour and performance in schools.

The selected design for this study was Ex post Facto. The target population was teachers who gave information about their headteachers in 52 schools in Vihiga District. The research Instrument that was used was a questionnaire which was divided into two parts and which was tested for validity and reliability. Student's t-test, correlation coefficients and the analysis of variance were used in the analysis of the data obtained.

The following were the findings:

1) The headteachers were rated significantly higher in initiating structure than in consideration dimension.

2) There was a significant relationship between headteachers' leadership behaviour and students' academic performance.

3) There was a significant difference in performance between Girls' schools and Mixed schools and also between Boys' schools and Mixed schools but insignificant difference between Girls' schools and Boys' schools. 4) There was a significant effect of school quality on students' performance index.

On the basis of the above enumerated findings the following recommendations were made: 1) Headteachers to be inserviced to make them aware that a balance between consideration and initiating dimensions is essential for effective leadership hence good performance.

2) In Mixed schools, boys and girls to be separated to have more of single sexed schools for improved performance.

3) Headteachers to be trained in management skills before being promoted to head any school.