FACTORS AFFECTING THE ROLE OF SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF NORTH WESTERN ZONE OF TIGRAY

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess factors affecting the role of school principals to enhance the quality of education in governmental secondary schools of north western zone of Tigray region, in four woreda. The study was conducted in four selected secondary schools north western zone of Tigray by using a simple random sampling technique to decrease biasness and giving equal chance to the respondents. In the sample schools four principals and seven vice principals, 156 teachers, 100 members of student’s, and four woreda educational officers were used as the subjects of the study to obtain the necessary data. Questionnaire, FGD and interviews were the instruments used for data collection. The data gathered were interpreted and analyzed by using descriptive statistical techniques: such as frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. The Findings of the study revealed that majority of school principals lack the required qualification and training in educational planning and management. As a result, they were not improving quality education and hindering their role. External factors like low awareness of the community about education, students’ absenteeism, teachers’ experience also affected the role of school principals in improving quality education. Other factor affecting school principal in their leadership activity was lack of infrastructures of the schools such as shortage of classroom building, lack of equipped laboratories and libraries, toilets, organized pedagogical center and lack of public libraries in the local area for students and others. In order to improve quality education in the sampled schools all factors should be controlled by the chain of education from the higher to the lower. Especially school principal should have high commitments to their daily activities in their schools and they should alleviate the prevailing problems to improve educational quality working with all stakeholders.