FEMALE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION TOWARDS LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN SECONDARY SCHOOL OF BORENA ZONE, OROMIA REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out the perception of secondary school female teachers towards representation in educational leadership position and to find the causes of this perception and there to determine the possible solutions for these problems. To carry out this study, descriptive survey design was employed. Participants of the study were 100 female teachers, selected by using available sampling technique. The eight school principals, four supervisor, eight bureau officials and eight PTA members were selected by available sampling technique. The data were collected by using questionnaire and interview. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were employed in order to turn up at the results. The findings of the study revealed that the ability of secondary school female teachers have changing to manage school more orderly than men due to capability, collaboration, creative and intuitive , but not as expected. Still they believe that women are reluctant to accept responsibilities of school leadership; men are better leaders in leading secondary school; the school manager should be masculine, selfreliant, ambitious and strong leader; women have no necessary skill to discipline students, supervise other adults and criticize constructively in secondary schools; men consider women as his equal counterpart and women lack confidence in their capabilities, qualifications and experiences. Some of the challenges which could hinder women representation in educational leadership were pressure of home responsibilities, men dominance of management position, political appointment, unclear promotion procedures or informal recruitment selection and training, discrimination in religion and organization, etc. Based on the above finding, it was recommended that put role models female teachers in the educational leadership positions and male dominance should be minimized. In line with this, different education administrative bodies need to play their own roles in enhancing females ‘participation in educational leadership. For example, schools need to encourage female teachers to come to educational leadership areas; schools have to give chances to female teachers to participate in decision making positions such as school committees, unit leaders, heads of department, mentors, and internal supervisors, etc. In addition, schools have to design women empowering strategies like short and long term trainings, giving recognition and encouragement to better performing female teachers and female students at school level. More, schools need to do much work on awareness creation about sex equality among the school communities and the woredas Education Office should have to work jointly with other offices and politicians to bring attitudinal changes in the communities to evade the stereotypic misconception about women