Leadership challenges female head teachers face in basic schools at Kwabre East Municipality in the Ashanti Region

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate leadership challenges female head teachers’ face in Basic Schools at Kwabre East Municipality in the Ashanti Region. The objectives of the study were to examine leadership roles female head teachers perform, find out the challenges female head teachers’ face in managing basic schools and to identify strategies to manage the challenges associated with female head teachers’ leadership in Basic Schools at Kwabre East Municipality. Descriptive survey design with quantitative approach was used for the study. The target population for the study was all head teachers. The accessible population was 36 female head teachers and assistants. Census sampling technique was used to select all 36 female head teachers and assistants for the study. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The reliability test yielded cronbach alpha of 0.82. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. The study found among others that female heads supervised curriculum, instruction and appraisal in order to achieve the goals of the school and ensured the availability and adequacy of teaching and learning materials. Also, cultural beliefs on the role of females and differences in career path of females and males were challenges associated with female heads’ leadership roles. Again, provision of continuous professional development, availability of sufficient teaching and learning resources, and institution of incentives and rewards systems were some strategies that could be adopted to manage the challenges. The Municipal Directorate of Education should encourage the use of the strategies that could be adopted to manage challenges as revealed by the study to minimize if not to avert the challenges to facilitate female leadership.