Students Performance and Leadership Styles in Ghana Education Service : The Case of Mampong Municipal Assembly in Ashanti Region

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of leadership styles on academic performance in Junior High Schools (JHS) in Mampong in the Mampong Municipal Assembly of Ashanti Region in Ghana. The design for the study was a mixed study using both the qualitative and quantitative analyzes. It was a correlation survey designed to establish the relationship between leadership styles and academic performance in schools in Mampong in the Mampong Municipal Assembly. Data collected on the leadership styles of the school leaders were the independent variables and the academic performance as dependent variables. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22 and Epi-Info, a data capturing and analysis software. The study noted that unless the headmasters are well equipped with knowledge and skills in leadership they would not know if they have any influence on their schools and on academic work. The study also established that even though respondents agreed that a leadership style can affect academic performance, the headmasters do not gain the confidence of the stakeholders enough in order to build terms that can enhance quality of teaching and learning. Based on these establishments, it was recommended that teacher training institutions should incorporate in their curriculum, training in the art and science of leadership in order to groom leaders’ right from school. Again, it is recommended that compulsory continuous professional development in leadership should be institutionalized in Ghana Education Service (GES) for headmasters.