INFLUENCE OF PRINCIPALS’ DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP STYLE ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SENIOR SCHOOLS IN TANA RIVER SUB COUNTY, TANA RIVER COUNTY, KENYA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v13i7.6922کلمات کلیدی:
Kenya, principal, democratic, leadership, students, academic, performanceچکیده
This study examined the influence of principals’ democratic leadership style on students’ academic performance in public senior schools in Tana River Sub-County, Tana River County, Kenya. The objectives were to find out the influence of principals’ shared decision-making practices on students’ academic performance and to find out the influence of principals’ open communication practices on students’ academic performance. The study was anchored on the Democratic Leadership Theory and adopted a mixed-methods approach using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Specifically, the study employed a descriptive survey research design for the quantitative component and a qualitative descriptive inquiry design for the qualitative component. The target population consisted of 13 schools, 13 principals, 220 teachers and 1 Sub-County Education Officer, acknowledging the heterogeneity of their roles. Stratified and simple random sampling was used to select 10 schools, while expert purposive sampling was used to select 10 principals and 1 Sub-County Education Officer. Proportionate stratified and simple random sampling was used to select 90 teachers. Data were collected using questionnaires for teachers and in-depth interview guides for principals and the Sub-County Education Officer. Quantitative instruments were validated through consultation with research experts with substantial knowledge and experience in educational leadership and management, while the reliability was determined using Cronbach’s alpha. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) with SPSS version 25 and presented using tables, bar graphs, and pie charts. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically and presented through narratives and direct quotes, with trustworthiness ensured through credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Ethical considerations, including informed consent, confidentiality, and voluntary participation, were strictly observed. The study revealed that principals’ democratic leadership style, through shared decision-making, open communication, teamwork, and collective problem-solving, positively influenced students’ academic performance in public senior schools in Tana River Sub-County. These practices enhanced teacher participation, commitment, collaboration, and collective responsibility for academic achievement. However, student participation and data-driven decision-making were relatively weak. The study recommended strengthening democratic leadership practices, promoting greater stakeholder participation, and enhancing leadership training to improve academic performance.مراجع
Antonakis, J., Fenley, M., & Liechti, S. (2021). Leadership: Theory and practice (8th ed.). Sage Publications.
Bush, T. (2021). Educational leadership and management: Theory, policy, and practice (2nd ed.). Sage Publications. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1150205.pdf
Corcelles-Seuba, M., Cano, M., Liesa, E., & González-Ocampo, G. (2024). Impact of reciprocal peer observation on teacher collaboration. British Educational Research Journal 50(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3958
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2021). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage Publications. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Research_Design.html?id=bttwENORfhgC&redir_esc=y
Ekal, C. S., & Mungai, J. G. (2024). Principals' communication and decision-making practices' influence on students' academic performance in public secondary schools in Turkana County, Kenya. International Academic Journal of Social Sciences and Education, 2(3), 482–514. Retrieved from https://www.iajournals.org/articles/iajsse_v2_i3_482_514.pdf
Hallinger, P., & Hammad, W. (2022). Leadership for learning: A review of research in educational leadership. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 50(5), 789–812. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/rwe/10.1007/978-981-16-8679-5_481
Harris, A., & Jones, M. (2021). Leading educational change and improvement at scale: some inconvenient truths about system performance. School Leadership & Management, 41(5–6), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2016.1274786
Chesseret, F.; Mugun Boit, J. and Kiprop, C. (2024). School leadership and students' academic performance in public secondary schools in Kenya. IOSR Journal of Research & Method in Education, 14(3), 28–38. Retrieved from https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jrme/papers/Vol-14%20Issue-3/Ser-4/C1403042838.pdf
Kariuki, D., Mutegi, F., & Mutuma, W. (2024). Reorienting teacher professional development in Kenya: Professional learning communities’ paradigm. Journal of Kenya National Commission for UNESCO, 4(2). https://doi.org/10.62049/jkncu.v4i2.110
Kariuki, J., Odhiambo, G., & Nyongesa, W. (2023). Democratic leadership practices and instructional outcomes in Kenyan secondary schools. Journal of Educational Leadership in Africa, 9(2), 78–92.
Kim, S., & Beehr, T. A. (2021). Empowering leadership: A meta-analytic examination. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(8), 889–910.
Kombe, J. M., Anyona, J. K., & Musungu, L. L. (2023). The influence of communication practices on academic performance in public secondary schools: A case study of Matuga Sub-County, Kwale County, Kenya. Journal of Research Innovation and Implications in Education, 7(4), 93–101.
Leithwood, K. (2021). Understanding school leadership effects on student learning. Educational Administration Quarterly, 57(1), 3–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-044894-7.00439-5
Leithwood, K., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2021). Seven strong claims about successful school leadership revisited. School Leadership & Management, 41(1–2), 5–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632430701800060
Maingi, J. M., Maithya, R., & Ronoh, A. K. (2021). Principals' provision of teaching and learning resources and students' academic performance in Kenya. African Educational Research Journal, 9(2), 467–475.
Ministry of Education. (2020). Basic education statistical booklet 2020. Government Printer.
Msila, V. (2021). Participatory leadership and school improvement in South Africa. South African Journal of Education, 41(3), 1–12.
Mugenda, O. M., & Mugenda, A. G. (2003). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. ACTS Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Research_Methods.html?id=4WyrAAAACAAJ&redir_esc=y
Mutiso, P. K., Kirimi, F., & Itegi, F. (2021). Instructional leadership and academic performance in Kenya. International Journal of Education and Research, 9(1), 45–58.
Mwove, P. N. (2023). Principals' leadership styles influencing students' academic performance in public secondary schools in Mwala Sub-County, Machakos County, Kenya (Master's thesis). South Eastern Kenya University Repository. Retrieved from https://repository.seku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/7371
Ndiga, W. (2021). Democratic leadership and teacher motivation in Kenya. Kenya Journal of Educational Studies, 13(1), 23–37. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.35445/alishlah.v13i3.990
Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Sage Publications. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Leadership.html?id=BiqT_CZbBegC&redir_esc=y
Ochieng, L. (2021). Instructional leadership and student achievement in Kenya. Journal of Educational Leadership in Africa, 7(2), 56–70.
OECD. (2022). School leadership and education outcomes. OECD Publishing.
OECD. (2023). Education at a glance 2023: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2023/09/education-at-a-glance-2023_581c9602.html
OECD. (2025). Teaching for today's world: Results from TALIS 2024. OECD Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/2025/10/results-from-talis-2024_28fbde1d/full-report/teaching-for-today-s-world_eefb146b.html
Omoso, E., & Nakitare, J. (2026). Data-driven decision making in Kenyan secondary schools: Enablers and barriers. Journal of School Leadership, 36(4). https://doi.org/10.1177/1052684626142930
Otieno, G. A. (2023). Impact of principals' instructional leadership on teacher professional development in Kenya. European Academic Journal, 2(1), 1–13. Retrieved from https://eaj.ebujournals.lu/index.php/EAJ/article/view/92
Otieno, O. M. (2025). Distributed leadership, school performance, teacher collaboration and shared accountability in public secondary schools in Kenya. Kenya Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, vol. 1. Retrieved from https://journal.kemi.ac.ke/index.php/kjelm/article/download/20/18
Sürücü, L., & Maslakçı, A. (2021). Validity and reliability in quantitative research. Business & Management Studies, 8(3), 2694–2726. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.15295/bmij.v8i3.1540
Taherdoost, H., & Madanchian, M. (2024). The impact of survey response rates on research validity and reliability. In A. Rahal & M. Adorjan (Eds.), Design and validation of research tools and methodologies (pp. 183–212). IGI Global. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1135-6.ch009
Teachers Service Commission. (2025). Teacher registration and recruitment requirements for post-primary institutions. Teachers Service Commission.
Tikoko, E., & Kiprop, C. (2021). Democratic leadership and student outcomes in East Africa. East African Educational Review, 10(1), 33–49.
UNESCO. (2022). Global education monitoring report 2022: Leadership in education. UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2023). Transforming education systems through leadership. UNESCO.
UNESCO. (2024). Global education monitoring report 2024/5: Leadership in education: Lead for learning. UNESCO. Retrieved from https://www.unesco.org/reports/gem-report/en/2024
UNESCO. (2025). 2025 gender report: Women lead for learning. Global Education Monitoring Report. Retrieved from https://www.unesco.org/gem-report/en/publication/2025-gender-report
UNESCO. (2026). In Kenya, a series of leadership reforms have been designed to drive foundational learning. World Education Blog. Retrieved from https://world-education-blog.org/2026/04/15/in-kenya-a-series-of-leadership-reforms-have-been-designed-to-drive-foundational-learning/
Wang, Q., Hou, H., & Li, Z. (2022). Participative leadership: A literature review. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.924357
Wanjiru, F., & Maina, J. (2021). Teacher morale and school leadership in Kenya. Kenya Journal of Educational Studies, 13(1), 33–49.
World Bank. (2021). Learning poverty and school leadership in developing countries. World Bank.
دانلودها
چاپ شده
شماره
نوع مقاله
مجوز
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
