Examining the Factors that Influence the School Leadership Practices in Senior High School Teachers at the Tano North District, Ghana

Abstract

Leadership practices of school heads can positively or negatively affect learning outcomes and ultimately the educational goals of the country. Understanding the influence factors of leadership practices is fundamental to school improvement. The main aim of this article was to present factors that influence the leadership practices of heads of schools. Using public senior high school teachers and heads in the Tano North District in the Ahafo Region of Ghana as the target population, 158 of them including 154 teachers and 4 headmasters from all 4 schools in the District were selected through a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using the authors’ self-developed questionnaire after pilot-testing for its refinement.The content and construct validity of the instruments were reviewed and validated by experts in the authors' institutions. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) were used to analyse the data. The study found that communication, intelligence and inclusive approach are factors that influence school leadership practices. Based on the findings of the study, the researchers recommend the Ghana Education Service through the Ministry of Education organize periodic leadership training for heads of senior high schools to equip them with appropriate and innovative leadership practices.