LEADERSHIP STYLES AND SCHOOL CLIMATES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF DINSHO DISTRICT IN BALE ZONE, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess school leadership styles and school climates in secondary schools of Dinsho district, Bale Zone, Oromia Regional state. To achieve the purpose, quantitative and qualitative research approaches and a correlation research design was used. The two secondary schools found in the districtwere selected by using availablity sampling technique. The sources of data were primary and secondary. Data were collected from teachers and expert using self developed questionnaire to measure principal leadership styles and school climate. In addition,interview was employed to gather data from principals supervisors, as well as focus group discussion was employed to collect dataand PTA headsto triangulate the data obtained through questionnaire.The participants of the study, i.e teachers, principals, supervisors, and PTA heads were selected by using simple random, availability and purposive sampling techniques respectively. A total of 84 questionnaire were distributed for 46 experts and 38 teachers. Among 76 questionnaire was returned which constituted 90% of return rate. The analysis was done using SPSS (Version-20). The data were analyzed with both descriptive and inferential statistics using frequency, percentages, mean scores, standard deviations, t-test, Pearson correlation and regression analysis. The data obtained from interviewandfocus group discussion were analyzed qualitatively using narrative approach. The findings of the study indicated that selling leadership style was the most commonly employed by principal leadership style in secondary schools of Dinsho district, which was followed by delegated leadership style. The findings also exposed that telling leadership style was the least commonly employed leadership style in secondary schools of Dinsho district which was followed by participating leadership style. The findings also indicated that, the contributions of stakeholders was towards improving school climate. Moreover, the findings of the study indicated that school climate improvement had strong positive statistically significant relationship with school principal leadership style. From the findings it was concluded that school climate improvement was assumed to be improved when school principal leadership exercised selling leadership style. It was a dominant leadership style, it played a key role in improving school climate condition to attain educational goal particularly quality of education as well as the implementation of school improvement program in secondary schools of Dinsho district. Thus, it has been recommended that, school principals to use selling and delegating leadership styles in combination in order to improve school climate as well as to achieve the education goals effectively and efficiently. Furthermore, educational office of zonal and district leaders need to organize school improvement program training for teachers and school leaders which ultimately will help to achieve the school improvement program in the school effectively and efficiently in secondary schools of Dinsho district.