The instructional leadership roles of principles and their relationship with school improvement of public secondary schools of SNNPR Ethoipia

Abstract

The major purpose of this study was to assess the instructional leadership roles of principals in public secondary schools of two selected zones of SNNPR and scrutinize the relationship of these roles with school improvement. The research was conducted in five secondary schools that were selected using a random sampling technique. The subjects of the study were 231 teachers, 317 preparatory students, five school principals, 12 PTA members (two groups), and two zonal education Department staff members. Questionnaires were pre-tested in adjacent secondary school and necessary rectifications were made before dispatching them to the subjects of the study. Information was solicited from teachers and students using questionnaires while the interview was employed to collect data from principals, and zonal staff members. Further, information from PTA members was gathered using focus group discussion method. Descriptive statistics such as percentage, mean, and standard deviation and inferential statistics like One-way ANOVA and Pearson s product moment correlation coefficient were used for data analysis. The findings of the research revealed that there was a strong positive relationship between instructional leadership and school improvement, and between school improvement and student achievement. There were good practices of CPD and resource allotment by school principals, but teachers were not fully involved in school CPD. The practices of supervisory services were relatively minimal. Principals emphasized the instructional aspect of their job but the budget allotted to the instructional program was inadequate. Hence, it was recommended that the share of the budget allotted to the instructional programs need to be augmented. Students and teachers should also be involved in school supervision. Further, school based training on CPD should be arranged for teachers.