THE RELATIONSHIPS AMONG PRINCIPALS’ LEADERSHIP PRACTICES, TEACHERS’ EMPOWERMENT AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF DIRE DAWA CITY ADMINISTRATION, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between principals’ leadership practices, teachers’ empowerment and students’ academic achievement in Secondary Schools of Dire Dawa City Administration. Concurrent mixed research design that simultaneously collect quantitative and qualitative data was used to investigate the issues under study. A total of 447 teachers in eight schools, eight principals and five supervisors were participated in the study. Teachers were selected using simple random sampling method to fill in the surveys. All principals and supervisors of the sample schools were included for collecting qualitative data. The Leadership Behavior survey and school participant empowerment scale were used to collect quantitative data from teachers. Interviews were used to collect qualitative data from principals and supervisors. Student achievement of five consecutive years in EGSECE was used to measure students’ academic achievement. Pearson’s correlation, regression analysis and Haye’s process model of mediation analysis were employed to analyze quantitative data. Qualitative data were presented and interpreted in descriptive ways to triangulate the results of the quantitative analysis. The study result unveiled that students’ academic achievement had significant relationships with principals’ leadership practices and teachers’ empowerment. Significant relationship was also reported between principals’ leadership practices and teachers’ empowerment. The status dimensions of teachers’ empowerment was found the most predictor of students’ academic achievement. Teachers’ empowerment was found a partial mediator of the relationship between principals’ leadership practices and students’ academic achievement. Qualitative data confirmed the quantitative results. Thus, the effect of principals’ leadership practices on students’ academic achievement is direct and more significantly indirect, mediated by teachers’ empowerment. School principals are therefore required to become familiar with leadership practices that facilitate teachers’ empowerment. Finally, recommendations for future researches, policy, and practices were forwarded