INFLUENCE OF PRINCIPALS' LEADERSHIP STYLES ON STUDENTS' ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN LAIKIPIA EAST SUB COUNTY, KENYA

John Mwaniki Murage, Dr. Ronald Kikechi

Abstract


Studies on student accomplishment in Kenya have mainly concentrated on the classroom methods employed by instructors, ignoring the possible impact of school leadership. This study was to look at how school leadership affects students' academic success. The study objectives were to establish the influences of principals’ democratic leadership and transformational leadership styles on students' academic achievement in public secondary schools in the Laikipia East sub county's Kenya. A descriptive survey research design was used for the investigation. 200 teachers from 22 public secondary schools made up the target group, and 140 people made up the sample. The study sampled 10 principals in schools that submitted students for the KCSE exams between 2017 and 2021 using stratified random and purposive selection approaches. Two self-administered questionnaires and a document analysis checklist were used to gather data for the study. The data was coded and analyzed using frequencies, percentages, descriptive statistics, and the statistical software for social sciences (SPSS). The findings indicate that democratic leadership style significantly and positively influences students' academic achievement (=.612, p=.000). Academic achievement of pupils is significantly impacted by the transformational leadership style (=.104, p=.000). According to this coefficient of determination, the independent factors in this study only account for 66% of the variations in the students' academic performance. There is need to ensure that everyone in the organization, whether it's a business or a school, is aware of the overall goals and strategies. Make these goals transparent and accessible to all members of the organization. Regularly communicate progress and updates related to these goals. Encourage a democratic leadership style that allows employees or stakeholders to participate in decision-making processes. Maintain transparency regarding the organization's future plans, and the reasons behind various work tasks.

Keywords: Democratic Leadership, Transformational Leadership, Students' Academic Achievement       


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