Exploring the instructional leadership roles of heads of department of public senior high schools in the Kintampo North District

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the instructional leadership roles of heads of department in public Senior high schools in the Kintampo North District of the Bono East Region of Ghana. Qualitative approach with case study design were adopted in carrying out the study. The study sought to explore ways by which HODs of public SHSs organize activities at the department level to enable the school achieve their set objective, examine the roles of HODs in training their staff for the development of their schools, find out the curriculum development roles of HODs in the Kintampo North District. Examine the challenges HODs in public schools face in carrying out their instructional leadership roles. A sample of 16 participants were purposively selected for the study out of which a total of 12 HODs views were sampled using One self-designed instrument (semi structured interview guide) to collect primary data. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The major findings indicated that HODs are more competent in vetting of lesson notes than in setting up academic activities within their departments, also it came out that HODs in public SHS are not involved in recommending areas teachers are lacking behind in terms of lesson delivery for training to be organized. Furthermore findings revealed that the curriculum development roles of HODs in public SHS in the Kintampo District are not clearly outlined because most head masters do not delegate instructional roles to HODs. The conclusions drawn were that, if the school would obtain its goals, then there is the need to apply the human relations theory of supervision within which workers are viewed as individuals who can contribute to the development of the school hence the need to apply consultative or collaborated style of supervision. Again, the position of the HOD should be competed for by selective means rather than appointment by management and that, the managerial competence of the prospective HODs should be redesigned to achieve better results, lastly the HODs roles should be properly defined for effective work to be done.