FACTORSINFLUENCINGPRINCIPALS'INSTRUCTIONALLEADERSHIP PRACTICESINTHEGOVERNMENTSECONDARYSCHOOLSOFEAST HARARGHEZONE

Abstract

Theobjectiveofthestudywastoidentifyfactorsinfluencingprincipals’instructional leadershippracticesinthegovernmentsecondaryschoolsofEastHarargheZone.It wasconductedin15secondaryschoolsselectedamong58secondaryschoolsofthe zone.Thespecificobjectivesofstudywasto assestheextentwhich principals’ instructionalleadership practices implimenting,to identify if lack of principals' professionalcompetency influencing theirinstructionalleadership practices and identify the internaland externalfactors thatinfluencing principals'instructional leadershippracticesinsecondaryschoolsofthestudyarea.Twohundredfiftyone respondentswereparticipatedinthestudy.Questionnaires,interviewsanddocument analysiswereusedforcollectingdata.Then;thecollecteddatawasanalyzedand interpreted with descriptivestatistics.Findingsofthefirstquestion revealed that principals’instructionalleadershippracticeswerelow.Secondquestionansweredthat principals lacked with required professionalcompetencies such as professional knowledgeofcurriculum,instructionandassessmentandskillsofprovidingresources, showingvisiblepresence,communicationandinstructionalobservation.Thequestion third answered astherearelacksof:-instructionalmaterials,financialresources, communityparticipation,training forprincipals,and technicalsupportfrom higher bodiesandthereishighinterferenceofofficialbodies.Inlinewiththesefindings;East HarargheEducationalBureaurecommendedincollaborationwithworedaeducational offices;tofillgapsrelatedprincipals’professionalcompetencythroughprovidingtrain forprincipals,improveprincipalshipselectioncriteria,improverelationofteachersand principal,reduceinterferanceofthehigherbodiesandsolveproblemsrelatedwith availabilityofmaterialandfinancialresourcesoftheschools