Principals’ Leadership Style and Students’ Academic Performance in Public Secondary Schools in HomaBay County, Kenya

Abstract

The thrust of this study was to examine the effects of principals’ leadership styles on students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Homabay County, Kenya. This study was based on combinations of modified Bossert’s framework and Pitner’s moderated effects model of effective schools. The main objective of the study was to examine the extent principals leadership styles influence students’ academic performance in national examinations in HomaBay County Kenya. The study adopted the ex-post facto research design. Combinations of stratified random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used to draw 216 secondary school teachers and 39 principals yielding a sample size of 255 respondents. The study employed a questionnaire for teachers and interview guide for principals. It was established that school principals utilize diverse leadership behaviour, some pointing to the more democratic and transactional styles while others skewed towards the more autocratic and laissez-faire types. The use of diverse leadership behaviour notwithstanding, it was evident that most principals were deficient in the types of leadership behaviour that support the creation of a conducive learning environment and support to teachers necessary for effective teaching and the expected enhanced students’ academic achievement. A test of null hypothesis retained the null hypothesis that that there was no statistically significant relationship between principals’ leadership styles and students’ academic performance. It was recommended that school principals should aspire to establish a school environment which is conducive for effective teaching and learning (236 words).