School Leadership in Ethiopian Somali Region: Policies, Practices and Student Achievement
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Date
2023-06-01
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the practices of school leadership (defining school
mission, managing instructional program and developing positive school learning climate) within
the context of Somali region and how these practices influence student academic achievement
(natural, social and grade 10 students) and the effect of school context (school level, location and
size) on the school leadership practices of the school principal. Explanatory correlational
research design was used. Data were collected from six zones, 5 city administrations, 3 woredas,
10 schools, 337 teachers, 10 school principals and 10 school supervisors by using multi-stage
sampling. Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale (PIMRS) which consists of three
dimensions and 10 leadership functions were used to measure school leadership practices.
Student academic achievement is measured by grade 10th and 12th national examination result. In
this study, the three highest rated subscales are framing school goals (M=2.95, SD=0.70),
communicating school goals (M=2.77, SD=0.72) and maintaining high visibility (M=2.76,
SD=0.79). The three lowest rated subscales were providing incentives for teachers (M=2.36,
SD=0.87), providing incentive for learning (M=2.60, SD=0.88) and promoting professional
development (M=2.62, SD=0.80). The leadership dimensions of defining school mission,
managing instructional program and developing positive school climate were compared with
school location, level and size, there was no significant difference in the means for secondary
and preparatory schools; or whether the school is located in pastoralist or agro-pastoralist areas;
or the size of the school is small, medium or large; and the magnitude of the difference in the
means was very small. In the last seven years, 40,587 natural science students, 25,118 social
science students and 136,051 grade 10 students took grade 10th and 12th national examinations in
Somali region. 48.49%, 44.15% and 25.69% of natural science, social science and grade 10
students respectively failed to join in higher education institutions. For grade 12, natural science
students, there was strong positive correlation between student academic achievement and
framing school goals (r=0.93, p < 0.01), communicating school goals (r=0.75, p < 0.05),
supervising and evaluating instruction (r=0.64, p < 0.05) and protecting instructional time
(r=0.68, p < 0.05). For social science student, there was strong positive correlation between
student academic achievement and framing school goals (r=0.80, p < 0.05). For grade 10
students, there was strong positive correlation between student academic achievement and
IV
framing school goals (r=0.72, p < 0.05), communicating school goals (r=0.85, p < 0.01),
coordinating curriculum (r=0.67, p < 0.05), providing incentives for teachers (r=0.71, p < 0.05)
and providing incentive for learning (r=0.74, p < 0.05). Ethiopian school leaders’ standard is not
Ethiopian standard, because the main purpose of Ethiopian school principal’s standard is the
Australian school leaders' objective and the central role of the Ethiopian principal is the
England's head teachers' role. . For the student academic achievement of preparatory school
students, the education system of the region favors more the promotion of agro-pastoralist male
natural science and female social students. For grade 10 students, it favors more the promotion of
pastoralist female grade 10 students. School principals should be aware and trained on generally
accepted instructional leadership practices and should create and develop policies, practices,
expectations, norms, and rewards that forces students to master basic skills, earn good grades,
complete school successfully, and go on to higher education