TEACHER S’PERCEPTION S’TOWARDS SCHOOL LEADERS (PRINCIPALS) LEADERSHIP STYLES PRACTICED IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF DIRE DAWA CITY

Abstract

The study sought to determine teachers’ perception towards school leaders(Principals) leadership styles practiced in secondary schools of dire dawa city. This research was designed to compare leadership styles practiced in public and private secondary schools of dire dawa city and to identify the leadership styles preferred by teachers in both types of schools. It was a survey study which was delimited to the leadership styles of leaders with respect to the practice of autocratic, democratic and laissez faire leadership styles. The target population of this study consisted of 46 private and 44 public secondary schools leaders and 57 public and 32 private secondary schools teachers. Also 6 principals, 5 PTA heads, 5 students’ council chairmen and 4 supervisors were interviewed. The target population consisted of the 3 public/government and 3 private secondary schools in dire dawa city. This study targeted 6 schools that had done for at least five years. Teachers (89) and school leaders (90) were the target respondents for this study. Simple Random sampling was used to select 89 teachers from schools and then purposive sampling techniques to select the 90school leaders’ principals from 6 of the selected schools after the random sampling. This sampling gave a total of 179 respondents. Questionnaires were used as the tools for collecting the data from the teachers and school leaders. Interview and focus group discussion to collect qualitative data from principals, supervisors. And these questionnaires were designed based on the objectives of the study and on the literature review. The study yielded data that required both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Quantitative data were collected on the personal characteristics of respondents; school leaders’ leadership style, the teachers’ perceptions towards the practiced leadership styles and teachers preference of leadership style(s). The quantitative data were analyzed using frequency, percentages and independent samples t-test by using SPSS version 20. The data collected through interview were analyzed using narration. The analysis of data indicated that the democratic leadership style was the most commonly used leadership style among leaders of government secondary schools where as autocratic leadership style was most commonly used leadership style among leaders of private secondary schools in dire dawa city administration council. Teachers in both types of schools perceived their schools practice of leadership style as autocratic but they preferred mostly practice of laissez faire and democratic leadership styles. Based on the findings it is recommended that school leaders should imbibe a mixture of democratic and laissez faire styles. The educational leaders of secondary schools, policy makers and other stakeholders may get some important information about the leadership styles which is most common in school leaders practice. It may recommend whether the leadership styles in secondary schools of targeted in the city is similar or not.