The Influence Of Head Teachers’ Leadership Competence On The Pupils’ Academic Performance: A Case Of Mkuranga District

ABSTRACT

This study explored the influence of head teachers‟ leadership competence on

pupils‟ academic performance in Mkuranga District-Tanzania. The study was

conducted in twenty five public primary schools of Mkuranga District involving 25

head teachers, 120 teachers, 1 district education quality assurer and 1 district

academic officer. The study was exploratory in nature, based on descriptive survey

involving ex-post facto research design. House‟s Path-Goal Theory was employed in

the study in attaining its goals and providing the necessary direction and/or support

to ensure the compatibility with the overall objectives of the study. Moreover, the

study utilised both quantitative and qualitative research approach but quantitative

approach was more dominant while qualitative supplemented to it. To achieve the

objectives of the study, open-ended and Likerts Scale questionnaires were used

along with documentary analysis.

The findings of this study suggest that the leadership competence for public primary

school head teachers in Mkuranga District has an indirect impact on pupils‟

academic performance. Task oriented competence and behavioural competence were

identified as important types of competence for the head teacher to be active for the

better academic performance of the school. However, this study revealed that most

of the head teachers work under pressure since they face different kinds of adverse

situations like inadequate infrastructures, shortage of teachers in remote areas and

negative attitude of most of the parents towards education for their children.

Generally, it was concluded that the Government should employ many teachers and

allocate them in rural schools at first and ensure that; head teachers get sufficient

leadership skills before being appointed to the position.