Influence of headteachers' leadership styles on students' KCSE performance in public secondary schools in Masaba South District, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of headteachers' leadership styles on students' Kenya Certificate Secondary Examination performance in Masaba south district. Specifically, the study sought to determine the various leadership styles used by headteachers of public secondary school , determine the extent to which headteachers leadership styles affect KCSE performance, determine whether the headteachers leadership styles are influenced by age and gender. In addition the study sought to determine the extent to which headteachers' professional qualifications affect students KCSE performance. The study adopted McGregor's X theory (1960) (Okumbe 1998) .

The study targeted all the 39 principals and 366 teachers of public secondary schools in Masaba South district. A sample of 39 principals and 110 teachers was selected through simple random sampling technique. A total of 149 questionnaires were administered and out of which 108 were collected giving a response rate of 72.3%. The filled questionnaires were coded, cleaned and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and data presented using frequency tables, charts and thematic analysis, percentages, standard deviations and correlation, coefficient. Linear regression techniques were used to test the relationships between the variables.

The study established that headteachers leadership styles in Masaba South district did not influence students' performance in KCSE examinations, that headteachers' gender did not have any effect on performance in KCSE examinations, and that headteachers' academic qualifications did not have any effect on performance in KCSE examination in: the district suggesting that there were other factors responsible for performance in KCSE.

The study concluded that, there are other factors which affect academic achievements and not leadership styles. Also the study found out that age, gender, academic qualification and experience of headteachers' do not influence performance. The study concluded that headteachers should be sensitized to vary their leadership styles and above all more female teachers' should be appointed to headship positions.