Examination of Headteachers Leadership Skills in Keta, Akatsi North and Akatsi South Districts. Application of Skill Theory

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2017 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, grade: A, , course: LEADERSHIP, language: English, abstract: Leadership skills are the vital ingredients to organizational success. However, headteachers may lack the leadership skills required of them for effective school management. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the types of leadership skills possessed by headteachers, the extent of each type of leadership skills possessed and the relationship between types of leadership skills and years of managerial level experience, with the types of leadership skills possessed by headteachers in Keta Municipality, Akatsi South, and Akatsi North districts of Ghana, as the context. Survey-correlational design was adopted, using a structured questionnaire to gather data from sample size of two hundred and thirty-seven (237) headteachers. Data was analyzed descriptively through frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. Findings showed that the headteachers possessed technical skills, human skills and conceptual skills, respectively. With regard to the extent of each type of skill possessed, 62%, 34% and 4% possessed moderate, high and low technical skills, respectively. Sixty-eight percent (68%), 2% and 30% possessed moderate, low and high human skills, respectively. Also, 59 %, 10% and 31% possessed moderate, low and high conceptual skills, respectively. The study also found a positive relationship between leadership skills and number of years of managerial experience. The study further established a positive relationship between the types of leadership skills (i.e. technical, human and conceptual) which indicates that possession of the three types of leadership skills essential for headteachers in the management of schools. The study therefore strongly recommends that Ghana Education Service develops a formalized pre-leadership skills training for headteachers before their induction into office as heads to ensure quality school management.