Pupils, teachers and the community's views about the management effectiveness of female and male public secondary school head teachers in Lusaka district.
Date
2011-05-24
Authors
Muchelemba, Violet
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Abstract
This study found out the views of the immediate stakeholders in schools about
management effectiveness of the male and female head teachers of public secondary
schools in Lusaka district. The sample consisted of six secondary schools. Two were
girls' secondary schools, a male head headed one of these whereas a female head headed the other one. Two of the other schools were co-educational secondary schools. Both of these schools had female heads. The last two schools were boys' secondary schools. Male head teachers headed them both. The sample had a total of three male head teachers and three female head teachers. A total number of six grade 12 pupils and four teachers were purposively picked as respondents in each school. The pupil respondents included both boys and girls in coeducation schools and boys only or girls only in other schools. The sample had both male and female teachers as respondents. About eight members of the Parent-Teacher Associations (P.T.A.) at each school were sampled as respondents. The qualitative research paradigm was used for data collection. The instruments were both open ended and closed interview guide. The following variables relevant to management effectiveness were studied: Communication in schools, decision- making, delegation, teaching materials, leadership style and interpersonal relationships in the schools. Data analysis was done by categorising themes that emerged. The overall analysis showed that there were no major gender differences in school management effectiveness. The data showed that management effectiveness was more tied to an individual person than it was to the sex of the person exercising the power. The study revealed that most schools in the study area did not have enough teaching materials. Another finding was that most decisions in the schools took the up-down trend. Stakeholders linked management effectiveness to the good results foj the pupils in the school. This did not mean only a few pupils performing very well but that the majority of pupils did very well in the school. The yardsticks were the number of pupils qualifying to higher institutions of learning like UNZA after grade 12 and the quality of the results in general. This means that the head and a click of senior teachers made most of the decisions on school policy. In most cases teachers and pupils were left out of the decision- making process. Both pupils and teachers felt the need to be involved fully in decision making in their respective schools. In relation to delegation, it was found out that there was very little delegation from the head to other members of staff. The little delegation involved only the senior teachers
and the deputy head. The findings from these variables could be used to indicate that there was poor communication between the heads and teachers, the head and pupils.
Communication among the stakeholders is an essential ingredient for management
effectiveness. The views of the respondents were that the head was very important in
fostering school management effectiveness although the whole process was a collective
responsibility among teachers, pupils and the parents.
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Keywords
School principals--Zambia. , School management and organization--Decision making--Lusaka--Zambia. , School management and organization--Parent participation--Lusaka.