Investigating Blended Leadership Dynamics: Analysing Transformational, Transactional, Laissez-Faire, and Instructional Approaches in High and Low Achieving Secondary Schools in Ethiopia

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This study delves into the leadership practices within secondary schools in the Gedeo Zone, with a specific focus on those achieving high performance. Employing an embedded mixed research design, the study selected four high-performing and eight low-performing schools. Data collection methods encompassed surveys, document analysis, focus group discussions, and interviews, engaging 48 principals, 311 teachers, 6 senior teachers, and 7 supervisors, totaling 372 participants. Statistical analyses including regression, correlation, and independent t-tests, coupled with thematic analysis, were utilized. Both qualitative and quantitative findings indicate notable differences in leadership practices between high-performing and low-performing schools, with principals in high-performing schools demonstrating a blended approach of instructional and transformational leadership styles. Positive correlations emerged between principal effectiveness, employee effort, and satisfaction, linked to the adoption of instructional and transformational leadership styles. Regression analysis suggested that blended leadership styles positively impact academic achievement in high-performing schools but may have adverse effects in low-performing schools due to insufficient implementation of such leadership styles. The study proposes that principals in Gedeo Zone's secondary schools adopt a blended leadership approach, incorporating full-range and instructional models to enhance school performance. Additionally, the education department in the zone is encouraged to arrange workshops integrating full-range and instructional leadership practices. Received: 11 March 2024 / Accepted: 29 October 2024 / Published: 05 November 2024