Publication: Comparative study of headteachers' leadership styles in private and public primary schools in Mathioya district and implications on academic performance
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2013
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Mount Kenya University
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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare leadership styles of head teachers’ on academic
performance in public primary school in Mathioya District. The objectives of the proposed study
were to establish leadership styles used in private and public primary schools in Mathioya District
and show their implications on academic performance. The study employed a mixed research
design. The target population was the 62 head teachers and 420 teachers of the 62 primary schools
in Mathioya District. In the selection of the schools to participate in this study, stratified random
sampling was used. After selecting the schools, simple random sampling was used to select the
teachers to participate in the study. The sample consisted of all (5) private and 20 public head
teachers; 10 private and 60 public teachers. Headteachers and teachers questionnaires were used
to collect data from the respondents in the study. The study observed that head teachers in public
primary schools have shied away from leadership styles that motivate their teachers. This contrasts
with the head teachers in the private primary schools who have embraced affiliation, pacesetting
and transformational leadership styles as identified by the presence of elements of these types of
leadership styles from the respondents. The leadership styles adopted by the private primary school
head teachers have led to better performance as compared to that of public primary schools. Public
primary school head teachers will be advised to embrace the leadership styles of their private
schools counterparts to ensure greater commitment by the teachers and therefore improve
performance in public primary schools in Mathioya district.