Influence of principals’ leadership styles on school climate in secondary schools in Ganze district, Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate influence of principals leadership styles on school climate in secondary school in Ganze district. The objectives of the study were: to determine the influence of democratic leadeship style on school climate, determine the influence of laissez-faire leadership on school climate & participatory leadership style. The literature review relevant to this study laid the background for the study. Using a cross sectional survey design and systematic random sampling, the researcher sample 15 schools in Ganze district. From each school a principal and six regular teachers were interviewed using a structured questionnaire during the early part of June 2015. A pilot study was carried out prior to data collection. On the influence of principals democratic leadership style on the school climate the principals responses indicated that they always allowed members to participate in decision making, assigned school members particular tasks in school after consultations, a few principals indicated that they never allowed students to elect school prefects. Some principals indicated that they had a good working relationship with the school members. In their responses most teachers indicated that democratic school environment, morale was always high, and they always enjoyed working in such an atmosphere. Majority of the teachers always spent time after school with students who have individual problems. It was important that none of the teachers indicated that they were never friendly to students who had in a democratic school environment. On the effect of principals laissez-faire leadership style on the school climate the study found that some principals never expected teachers to set their own targets and accomplish them on their own. Principals never allowed teachers to establish quality control standards in school without supervision. The researcher concluded that autocratic leadership style was the most popular style of leadership employed by principals in Ganze district. The study also concluded that the types of leadership style employed by the principals on school mangement had an influence in establishing a positive or negative school climate. The study recommends that among others the teachers’ service commission in its management of teachers should train principals in school leadership. The principals should also undertake in-service courses in order to improve school climate through leadership.