Relationship between selected head teachers’ leadership styles and their effectiveness in public primary school management in Bomet District, Kenya

Abstract

Head teachers’ leadership has to do with the execution of those policies and decisions which help to direct the activities of a school towards the achievement of its specified goals. Their effectiveness in school management is determined by whether they perform their assigned roles as required by the Ministry of Education in managing pupils, staff, curriculum implementation and school finances. Available Reports indicate that the government of Kenya has heavily invested in Free Primary Education since it was introduced in 2003. Despite this, performance of pupils in National Examinations in Bomet District is below average. Head teachers’ greatest challenge is to effectively manage schools. It appears there is a link between leadership styles and effective management of organizations. Therefore, this study sought to determine the relationship between head teachers’ leadership styles and their effectiveness in public primary school management in Bomet district, Kenya. A correlation research design was used in this study. A sample of 120 head teachers was selected from a population of 174 head teachers of public primary schools in the District using proportionate and simple random sampling techniques. Questionnaires for head teachers with both closeended and open-ended questions were used to collect data. Their validity and reliability were determined before they were used to collect data. Data were analysed with the aid of a computer programme, the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 11.5. Frequencies and percentages were computed to determine the most preferred leadership style among head teachers, and to determine head teachers’ effectiveness in public primary school management. Pearsons product moment correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between independent and dependent variables in the study. All statistical test were subjected to tests of significance at a=0.05. The study found that democratic leadership style was the most preferred among head teachers while Laissez-faire was the least preferred leadership style. The study also found that, there was no statistically significant relationship between head teachers’ leadership styles and their effectiveness in school management. Most head teachers were found to be ineffective in the management of school finances. The researcher recommends that the government intensify school-based in-service trainings at the divisional level to benefit head teachers on the strengths and limitations of the various leadership styles. It is further recommended that the Government should employ accounts clerks to assist head teachers in the proper management of school finances. Findings of this study should be of great value to all stakeholders in education namely; the Government and the School Management Committees in their endeavours to enhance head teachers’ effectiveness in managing pupils, staff, curriculum implementation and school finances.