PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES OF INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF WEST HARARGHE ZONE, IN OROMIA REGIONAL STATE

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to find out practices and challenge of instructional leadership in secondary schools of west Hararghe zone. Participant of the study were 139 teachers and 24 principals and supervisors. Participant teachers were selected based on simple random sampling whereas the rest respondents were taken based on availability sampling techniques. The data were collected using questionnaire, interview and observations. Both the qualitative and quantitative data analysis methods were employed.The finding identifies the most important skills for instructional leaders, which includes; interpersonal communication skill, motivation and coordination skill, organizational skill in human and material resource in effective and efficient ways at school environment to deliver access and quality of education for learner. Moreover, the study revealed, how the majority leaders’ came to position before they fill necessary requirement like having leadership training, experience and qualification. On other hand, there were many challenges that encountered the practices of the program. The major problems identified by the study were lack/absence of training for principals on instructional leadership practice to fill the required skill, lack of qualified instructional leader that have not commitment for change, form cooperation/team sprit among the school community, skill in budget generation and allocation, adequate knowledge in base of instruction, unwillingness to devote more time for instructional issues and perform the school’s performance appraisal to teacher and encouragement to use different instructional method and give feedback to teacher. Therefore, based on the results of finding the researcher recommended the following comment. Hence, instructional leadership practice requires necessary skills, any concerned body mainly education sectors from top to down should prepare and deliver necessary skills building training which includes;interpersonal communication skill, motivation and coordination skill, organizational skill in human and material resource for school leaders. Again, the school administrator mainly the school principals should to form strong relation between school communities.The principal should be to prepare staff regular meeting by identifying possible resources and personnel that could assist in a follow-up plan prior to the meeting. Finally, to alleviate related problems more research should conduct by concerned body or other researcher