The Impact Of Leadership Styles On Students’ Academic Performance In Public Secondary Schools In Mwanga District, Tanzania

ABSTRACT

This study examined the impact of leadership styles on students‟ academic performance in public secondary schools in Mwanga District. The study specifically examined the leadership styles used by heads of schools in public secondary schools. This purpose was to determine the specific leadership style perceived by heads of schools to have positive impact on students‟ academic performance. In addition, challenges facing heads of schools in applying different leadership styles were also identified. Both qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used. Furthermore, descriptive survey design was conducted in five public secondary schools. A total of 45 participants were involved in this study. Data collection was done using questionnaire, interviews and documentary reviews. The findings revealed that school heads from the selected public secondary schools use different leadership styles to manage school resources. It was found that democratic leadership was the most preferred style while autocratic and laissez-faire were less preferred by school heads. Moreover, democratic leadership style was found to have positive impact on students‟ academic performance while the autocratic and laissez-faire had negative impact on students‟ academic performance. Based on the research findings, the study recommended that, the government and all other education stakeholders should recognize a strong need to create an effective school leadership which is able to enhance students‟ academic performance.