The influence of educational leaders' practices on school culture affecting academic performance: a Lesotho perspective

Abstract

English: Poor academic performance in high schools continues to be a concern to Lesotho. It is this apprehension, which has prompted this study. On the research front, the disquiet has been with scarcity of investigations on what school principals, through their leadership practices, could do to influence a school culture that supports high academic performance of learners. As a result, the main aim of the study was to investigate and identify the leadership practices of school principals that are intended to create and nurture a culture conducive to high academic performance in high schools in Lesotho. The study also compared the leadership practices at schools that perform academically well with those typical of schools that display poor academic performance. There are conflicting views on the influence of school principals‟ leadership practices on school culture, which supports high academic performance of learners. Some researchers maintain that the influence is little, but significant. However, principals are held accountable for the advancement of schools and academic performance of learners. It is therefore, in order that principals, through their leadership skills, should effectively utilise human and material resources for the wellbeing of the schools they lead. Leadership and school culture are considered as intertwined processes, which exhibit reciprocal effects. The challenge has been to investigate what principals could do to create and maintain an environment that enables teachers and learners to work effectively. The study adopted a positivist approach, which employed a quantitative research designed to identify and describe the leadership practices of school principals and the cultures prevailing at schools. A questionnaire was developed and used to collect data from 120 respondents comprising teachers and principals chosen from 20 high schools in the Maseru district of Lesotho. The data collected were analysed and interpreted statistically for the results to be displayed in tables. Given the scope of the research and the limiting factors therein, the results of the study cannot be generalised to other settings of a similar nature. However, the study has made recommendations that may help to alleviate the problem of poor academic performance in schools. The study has also contributed to the existing knowledge by providing further areas of research in the field of educational leadership and management.

Afrikaans: Swak akademiese prestasie in hoërskole is nog steeds ‟n probleem in Lesotho. Dit is hierdie besorgdheid wat tot hierdie studie gelei het. Op die navorsingsfront bestaan daar kommer as gevolg van die gebrek aan ondersoek oor wat skoolhoofde, deur hulle leierskapspraktyke, kan doen om ‟n skoolkultuur te beïnvloed wat sterk akademiese prestasie van leerders ondersteun. Gevolglik was die hoofdoel met hierdie studie om die leierskapspraktyke van skoolhoofde te ondersoek en te identifiseer wat kan lei tot die skep en instandhouding van ‟n kultuur bevorderlik vir sterk akademiese prestasie by hoërskole in Lesotho. Die studie het ook die leierskapspraktyke by skole wat akademies goed presteer, vergelyk met dié tipies by skole wat akademies swak presteer. Daar bestaan teenstrydige standpunte oor die invloed van skoolhoofde se leierskapspraktyke op ‟n skoolkultuur wat die sterk akademiese prestasie van leerders ondersteun. Sommige navorsers huldig die standpunt dat die invloed klein, maar betekenisvol is. Skoolhoofde word egter verantwoordelik gehou vir die vordering van skole en die akademiese prestasie van leerders. Dit is gevolglik in orde dat skoolhoofde, deur hulle leierskapsvaardighede mens- en materiële hulpbronne doeltreffend sal aanwend ter wille van die welstand van die skole wat hulle lei. Leierskap en skoolkultuur word beskou as vervlegde prosesse wat wederkerige resultate oplewer. Die uitdaging was om vas te stel wat skoolhoofde kan doen om ‟n omgewing te skep en te handhaaf wat onderwysers en leerders in staat stel om effektief te werk. Die studie het ‟n positivistiese benadering gevolg, met ‟n kwantitatiewe navorsingsmodel wat ontwerp is om die leierskapspraktyke van skoolhoofde en die heersende kulture by skole te identifiseer en te beskryf. ‟n Vraelys is ontwikkel en gebruik om data van 120 respondente, bestaande uit geselekteerde onderwysers en skoolhoofde afkomstig van 20 hoërskole in die Maseru-distrik van Lesotho, in te samel. Die versamelde data is geanaliseer en statisties geïnterpreteer, en die resultate is in tabelle voorgestel. Gegewe die omvang van die navorsing en die beperkende faktore daaraan verbonde, kan die resultate van die studie nie veralgemeen word om op ander soortgelyke omgewings van toepassing te maak nie. Die studie het egter aanbevelings gemaak wat moontlik mag help om die probleem van swak akademiese prestasie by skole te verlig. Die studie het ook ‟n bydrae gelewer tot bestaande kennis, deur verdere navorsingsareas op die gebied van opvoedkundige leierskap en bestuur te lewer.