LEADERSHIP STYLES ON STUDENTS’ DISCIPLINE OF EAST HARARGHE

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate leadership styles on students’ discipline in government secondary schools of Eastern Hararge Zone. To attain the objectives, basic research questions were asked. Descriptive survey research design was used. A mixed qualitative and quantitative method of data collection was employed to conduct the study and then stratified random sampling; simple random sampling and available sampling techniques were used. In order to collect data, the researcher used questionnaires, interview and documentary sources. To analyze the data both descriptive statistics (percentage, mean, frequency and standard deviation) and inferential statistics independent samples t-test for the significance difference between mean values were employed. Accordingly, the status of student’s problem, the school leadership attention on students’ disciplinary problem, the major challenges, type of leadership style used to improve students’ behavior were used as indicators to assess the leadership styles on students’ discipline. The study was conducted in 11 selected government secondary schools in East Hararghe zone. Eleven school principals, 11 unit leaders, 356 students, 8 supervisors, informations. The major findings of the study revealed that most school leaders have not given attentions to student’s disciplinary problems. The major challenges for school leaders to manage the student disciplinary problems were, students tardiness, truancy, communication barrier among school community, lack of adequate trained and experienced leader, lack of team spirit formulated, lack of parents involvement in students’ problems and lack of awareness of them, lack of commitment of school leaders, lack of active participation of PSTA leaders. So, experienced principals are required for the school. Assigning school leaders those trained in leadership is better for long term solution, Therefore, concerned bodies should provide supplementing training for them, minimizing turnover of school leaders, establishing regular meeting with students, have to support and monitor day-to-day school activities, involve parents on the disciplinary problems, implementing tardiness and truancy strategy in the schools and different leadership styles needed for different situations.