The Effectiveness of School Heads Towards Enhancing Students’ Academic Performance in Secondary Schools in Urban District - Unguja.

Mtolera, Lucy Matern (2021) The Effectiveness of School Heads Towards Enhancing Students’ Academic Performance in Secondary Schools in Urban District - Unguja. Masters thesis, The Open University of Tanzania.

Microsoft Word - Submitted Version Download (2MB)

Abstract

Poor student’s academic performance is a serious problem facing public secondary schools both in the Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. This study the effectiveness of school heads towards enhancing student’s academic performance in Urban District in Unguja-Zanzibar has been assessed using five secondary schools. Target population comprised of five school heads and eighty-five informants, namely one District Education Officer, five head prefects, twenty-five teachers, forty-five students and nine school committee members. The study used descriptive survey design with questionnaires and interviews as data collection instruments. School heads in poorly performing schools were found with skill deficiencies in carrying some management and leadership duties for effective enhancement of student’s academic performance such as (i) development of appealing school visions and their effective communication to stakeholders to rally support and assistance, (ii) effective supervision/monitoring of teaching and learning processes, and (iii) development of motivation systems for promoting teaching and learning processes. School heads of better performing schools (a) had more regular tendency of supervising teachers’ and students’ academic works, (b) were clearer in motivation system used to promote teaching and learning, (c) attended their classes more regularly than those in low performing schools. In view of the findings, it was concluded that the more the school heads were equipped with skills relevant for promoting effective teaching and learning, the greater were the impacts of such school heads. It is recommended that school heads recruitment processes should consider assessing management and leadership skills and in-service training sessions to update such skills. Key words: Academic, Effectiveness, Performance, Secondary School.

Actions (login required)

View Item