Effectiveness of Heads of Community Secondary Schools’ Leadership Practice of Setting Goals and Expectations in Enhancing Equity in Education in Kigoma Region, Tanzania

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of heads of community secondary schools’ leadership practice of setting goals and expectations in enhancing equity in education in Kigoma region. The study was informed by the Student-Centred Model of Effective Leadership Practices by Robinson et al. (2008). Convergent design under the mixed method approach was used to collect, analyse, and report both qualitative and quantitative data. The target population was 140 community secondary schools, 140 heads of schools,2049 teachers and 15, 543 Form IV students. Probability and non-probability sampling techniques were used to obtain a sample of 24 community secondary schools and a total of 312 respondents consisting of 144 Form IV students, 144 teachers, and 24 heads of schools. The researcher employed a questionnaire, interview guide, focus group discussion guide and document analysis guide for collecting data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data and to test the hypothesis, and results were presented using tables. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to test the hypothesis. Thematic analysis was used for analysing qualitative data. Findings were presented using frequencies, percentages, mean, narration and direct quotations. The study found that heads of community secondary schools’ leadership practice of setting goals and expectations has a moderate and highly significant statistical relationship with equity in education (r = 0.367, p = 0.000). The study concluded that setting goals and expectations is effective in enhancing equity in education. However, equity in education has not been enhanced to the expected levels due to factors such as an inadequate focus on providing academic support, marginal support to at-risk students and ensuring students complete Form IV. The study recommended that in setting goals and expectations, heads of schools need to give priority to all dimensions of equity in education. Also, the study recommended that the Government in collaboration with intermediary bodies should provide leadership training to optimise the effectiveness of leadership roles of heads of schools in enhancing equity in education.