This Thesis draws on mixed methods survey research conducted to examine how public secondary school principals can be empowered to perform instructional leadership roles in the Amhara region, Ethiopia. This approach allows for the concurrent analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. The study relies on related literature review along with primary data collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The units of analysis were 358 teachers and 76 principals for quantitative data as well as 6 head principals and 12 owners of core processes for teachers, principal, and supervisors development (OCPTPSD) for qualitative data. These subjects were selected on the basis of inclusion criteria to make them eligible subjects. Therefore, 378 eligible teachers 92 principals who matched the selection criteria were identified by the researcher. Teachers and principals were selected using random and convenience sampling methods respectively for quantitative data as well as 6 head principals and 12 OCPTPD were selected through available sampling techniques for the qualitative informants. Detailed reviewing of related literature to give profound insights about the research problems and objectives, a structured questionnaire made up of categorical and scaled questions and the semi-structured interviews widely used supplement and extend our knowledge about individual thoughts, feelings and behaviours, meanings, and interpretations obtained from quantitative data were included as tools of data collection. While quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), Version 20, qualitative data were analysed using verbatim transcripts. The results gained from quantitative and qualitative data were integrated and interpreted using nested or concurrent transformative procedures. This study identified that principals credited much of their empowerment to access for resources and support from supervisors, they also attributed much of their perceptions to themselves. Empowerment is a very significant tool in promoting principals’ performance thereby improving overall school performance. Measures of structural empowerment; psychological empowerment; and leadership behaviour have significant relationships with effective instructional leadership role performance of principals. Inadequate top management support, lack of awareness, absence of clear regulations on ways and tools of empowerment and insufficient funds, undue interference of top leaders, intimidation of principals and promoting unnecessary reshuffle of school principals were identified as major challenges of empowering PSSP in the ARSE. From the dimensions of structural empowerment (access to support and opportunity for resources); psychological empowerment (meaning); and leadership behaviour (delegation of authority, skill development, and coaching for innovative performance) were found to be significant predictors of empowerment. It was also identified that principals experience more empowered when they have more sociopolitical support from top management, subordinates, peers, superiors and even customers. The researcher recommended that principals required professional freedom to effectively perform instructional leadership roles. If this is not to be happened, the principal feels unhappy and returns to his or her old ways of working. Therefore, policy makers are required to formulate and implement empowerment process model for principals of public secondary schools so that this study challenges all leaders to rethink on how they can empower school principals to effectively perform instructional leadership roles in the region. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

This thesis draws on a case study research method conducted to identify the challenges of school leadership and to investigate the opportunities of instructional leadership practices via a distributive approach for secondary school principals in Haramaya District of Oromia region, Ethiopia. This qualitative research approach allows for obtaining detailed information from the participants for the issue under study. The participants of the study were five secondary school principals, 25 secondary school management members and five Haramaya District Education Office experts. Totally 35 participants were the subjects of the study. The data collected from the participants were analysed using a thematic analysis by employing the necessary steps of qualitative data analysis. Therefore, the study identified that school principals do not give equal emphasis for some of the instructional leadership roles and distribute instructional leadership roles based on a traditional ways rather than using a theme approach. The support provided to school principals from stakeholders to strengthen their instructional leadership practices using a distributive approach is also low. In addition, lack of knowledge and skill of principals to understand the recent school leadership theories and a distributive approach make principals not to practice instructional leadership via a distributive approach effectively and efficiently. Moreover, low commitment of stakeholders to take instructional leadership roles and activities, lack of adequate support from stakeholders to principals and lack of instructional materials and qualified personnel were the major challenges of principals in practicing instructional leadership via a distributive approach. Finally, the researcher recommended that school principals, Haramaya District Education Office and East Hararghe Zone Education Desk should work collaboratively to formulate and communicate a school vision, to use technology for assisting learning and strengthen CPD programme based on need assessment. Moreover, school principals should work on the approach of distributive leadership on a team base to use the various knowledge, skill, expertise and experience of stakeholders. Teachers, students, parents, community, educational authorities at different levels, GO and NGOs should distribute instructional leadership roles and activities to support principals. Haramaya District Education Office and East Hararghe Zone Education Desk in collaboration with NGOs should prepare up-to-date training and strengthen school-community relationships. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. (Education Management)

The aim of the current research was to analyse existing trends in school leadership and to explore how transformational leadership could be the root for aligning the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) with school change and transformation. Accordingly, the study was conducted in two phases. The first phase was to identify the type of leadership style currently practised by school leaders (principals). The second phase was to implement transformational leadership in the educational leadership system of the country. In this research project, the researcher used the mixed-method approach. The data collection methods used were a structured questionnaire and unstructured interviews. Data were analysed using the Social Sciences Statistical Package (SPSS) and the computer data analysis system for the ATLAS-TI software. The general findings of this study are the following: currently the transactional leadership style is more common among school principals in Ethiopia. Many respondents explained that the focus of their principals was on routine work and much of the training content provided by Region Education Bureau (REB) was not related to the actual problems of schools, which made them reluctant to work towards the development of their school. The other major finding was that school leaders had no motivation to develop and maintain the teachers’ commitment for effective teaching and school reform. Teachers perceived their principals as passive and inactive in their efforts to adjust themselves to reform and transformation in their schools. From the analysis of interview data, it was found that the education plan, the GTP and leadership guidelines were not synchronised; students, teachers, and school leaders were not visionary people who could effectively facilitate the school reform and transformation. The interview results showed that the current school leadership system is not transformational. Respondents confirmed that though in some schools, leaders reflected some characteristics of transformational leadership, in most cases, the prevailing practices in school systems reflected transactional leadership behaviour. Generally, the results of analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data showed that in the Harari region (Ethiopia) currently the most practised leadership style at school level is the transactional leadership one. After intervention, at the school level, the transformational leadership style (TrLS) began to be implemented by principals as opposed to the transactional leadership style. Therefore, adequate training on the model of transformational leadership should be given to school principals and community. In addition, continuous follow-up and updating the awareness of school leaders is essential for effectiveness and quality of the school system. The Ministry of Education (MOE) should incorporate transformational leadership behaviour in the national training programme for leadership in conjunction with the GTP for the incumbent school leaders. / Educational Management and Leadership / Ph. D. (Education Management)

Instructional leadership is essential for the academic success of any schooling situation. Given this background, the researcher set out to investigate how instructional leadership is practiced and also could be improved in the Southern nations, nationalities and people’s region of Ethiopia; to this end, the researcher used a case study of four secondary schools. The main research question that framed the study was: How do principals practice effective instructional leadership role in secondary schools? A qualitative research method formed the basis of this study. The choice of schools for this study was deliberate, and was solely based on convenience. Participants in this study consisted of national educational experts, regional and district supervisors, as well as the principals of the selected schools from the sample areas. The following were selected from the sample areas: four school principals, six district supervisors and six regional experts. In addition, there were four experts from the Ministry of Education who also participated in the study. The analysis of the research data revealed that there is strong evidence of effective instructional leadership at the selected schools. However, despite the existence of this instructional leadership, these schools, like all other organizations, are still faced with a number of challenges that limit the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process. These challenges include lack of discipline, inadequate support, poor time management, lack of teaching and learning resources and poor training system. Participants were provided with a number of possible solutions to the problems identified. Principals were expected to be good role models in order to set examples for their staff members. An enabling environment had to be created for effective teaching and learning to take place. The researcher recommended the following new model: secondary school principals in the selected region were expected to have a vision and knowledge of instruction. In addition, they had to be committed to their work and be capable of creating a safe environment and a school culture conducive to effective teaching and learning. / Educational Management and Leadership / D. Ed. ( Educational Management)

The purpose of this mixed methods research was to investigate the transformational leadership role of principals in Ethiopian secondary schools. The research examined the existence of transformational school leadership behaviours, strategies that leaders were employing and the relationship between transformational leadership roles of the principal and student achievement (10th grade GESLCE). Mixed methods involving qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used in order to triangulate the data and increase the validity of empirical material. The student achievement was assessed on the basis of on the percentage of passes in standardized assessments for the school year (2012/2005-2015/2007). Secondary schools in South Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ Regional State (SNNPRS) whose principals had been the incumbent for three or more years were selected purposively. A total of 80 surveys were distributed to school principals and 680 survey questionnaires to teachers in identified schools. Seventy-six school principals and 642 teachers returned the surveys representing 95% and 94.4 % return rate for principals and teachers, respectively. Interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with supervisors and teachers who worked with principals. Participants were informed of the objectives of the study and assured of the confidentiality of the research both in formal letters and in person. Factor analysis, means, standard deviations, Pearson and Spearman rho correlations, t-test and standard multiple regression were used to analyse quantitative data. In contrast, qualitative data were analyzed by grouping together common themes in each category and constructing a description of the participants’ views and perspectives. The findings revealed that transformational school leadership and its dimensions exist in secondary schools of SNNPR, Ethiopia. Among the six dimensions (namely; sharing school vision and building consensus, high performance expectation, individualized support, intellectual stimulation, modelling behaviour and building collaborative structure and strengthening school culture) three of them were ranked highly. These are, building collaborative structure, strengthening school culture and sharing school vision. On the other hand, building consensus and modelling behaviour had moderate score whereas, individualized support had relatively very low rank. Transformational leadership was accomplished through involving staff to be part of the mission, encouraging staff to come up with new initiatives, challenging the staff to meet beyond agreed standards, building trust, coach and support at individual level, sharing tasks as well as power, acting ethically and celebrating achievements to make their school effective. The relationship between transformational school leadership and student achievement showed that there is positive and moderate relationship, although it was statistically not significant. Socio-demographic data such as number of students in a school showed a negative correlation with student achievement. It is concluded that there was relationship between the principals’ transformational leadership role and student achievement in secondary school of SNNPRS of Ethiopia. Finally, the research calls for the principals to focus on more moral and material assistance to their staff’s professional growth, significant attention to the preparation and development of principals and adoption of transformational school leadership model in secondary school. The findings of the study add to limited but growing body of research on student achievement and the role of the transformational school leadership of the principal in school effectiveness. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Litt. et Phil. (Education Management)

The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership styles adopted by school principals and their influence on the job performance of primary school teachers in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The study was designed to gain insight into the kinds of leadership styles presently used, the leadership preference of principals, the perceptions of the teachers and principals regarding the leadership styles of the principals and the effect of the leadership styles on teachers’ performance. The main research question that guided this study was: Which leadership styles are most commonly used by primary school principals in the Tigray region and what is their effect on the performance of teachers? A mixed-methods research design was used with questionnaires as well as a focus group interview as means of data-collection. One hundred and seventy eight principals and 446 teachers comprising 69% male and 31% female teachers participated in the study. The path-goal leadership questionnaire as well as a self-constructed questionnaire to measure teacher performance was self-administered to collect data from the selected principals and teachers, which secured a 97% response rate. During the qualitative phase, eight supervisors participated in the focus group interview. The questionnaire data were analysed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted and presented in a clear and logical manner. The principals and teachers indicated that all the leadership styles, except the directive leadership style, have a positive impact on the teachers’ performance. Furthermore, the supportive leadership style is the most frequently used style. Importantly, age, qualifications and experience as independent variables had an effect on teachers’ performance. The data also indicated a statistically significant relationship between the job performance of teachers and the leadership styles employed by the principals. The study results make a contribution to the research on the relation between leadership styles and teachers’ performance, especially since no study has been conducted on this issue in the Tigray region of Ethiopia before. It was possible to make several meaningful recommendations for implementation in the Tigray region. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Education Management)

Instructional leadership is essential for the academic success of any schooling situation. Given this background, the researcher set out to investigate how instructional leadership is practiced and also could be improved in the Southern nations, nationalities and people’s region of Ethiopia; to this end, the researcher used a case study of four secondary schools. The main research question that framed the study was: How do principals practice effective instructional leadership role in secondary schools? A qualitative research method formed the basis of this study. The choice of schools for this study was deliberate, and was solely based on convenience. Participants in this study consisted of national educational experts, regional and district supervisors, as well as the principals of the selected schools from the sample areas. The following were selected from the sample areas: four school principals, six district supervisors and six regional experts. In addition, there were four experts from the Ministry of Education who also participated in the study. The analysis of the research data revealed that there is strong evidence of effective instructional leadership at the selected schools. However, despite the existence of this instructional leadership, these schools, like all other organizations, are still faced with a number of challenges that limit the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process. These challenges include lack of discipline, inadequate support, poor time management, lack of teaching and learning resources and poor training system. Participants were provided with a number of possible solutions to the problems identified. Principals were expected to be good role models in order to set examples for their staff members. An enabling environment had to be created for effective teaching and learning to take place. The researcher recommended the following new model: secondary school principals in the selected region were expected to have a vision and knowledge of instruction. In addition, they had to be committed to their work and be capable of creating a safe environment and a school culture conducive to effective teaching and learning. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. ( Educational Management)