RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN LEADERSHIP STYLES AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF DARO LEBU WOREDA, WEST HARARGHE ZONE, OROMIA

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to investigate relationship between leadership styles (transformational, transactional and Lassiez-fair) and students’ academic achievement. The study employed correlation research design specifically correlation study. Five government secondary schools in Daro Lebu, 127 teachers and 10 principals were the target population of the study. Out of total population mentioned above, five government secondary schools were selected using purposive sampling, 96 teachers were selected as sample size using simple random sampling and 9 principals were taken as whole using census sampling. The study used correlational research design and it followed (QUAN-qual) model. To answer the three basic research question, Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis and stepwise regression analysis were used. The result of the research indicates that transactional leadership style and teachers’ job satisfaction found has significant positive relationship with the students' academic achievement. In addition, results of the stepwise regression analysis have showed that teachers’ job satisfaction is the only significant predictor of student academic achievement. Moreover, transformational leadership style and laissez-fair leadership style have no significant relationship with students' academic achievement. Accordingly, school leaders are recommend to employ transactional leadership style to improve students' academic achievement and educational leaders in general and school leaders in particular must give special attention to teachers’ job satisfaction.