Competence in Schools in Tanzania. Influence of the Competence of the Principal on the Students' Academic Performance in Secondary Schools

Academic Paper from the year 2020 in the subject Business economics - Business Management, Corporate Governance, course: Bussiness Management, language: English, abstract: This study assesses the influence of the competence of educational leaders on the students' academic performance in secondary schools. An explanatory cross-sectional survey design with a concurrent mixed approach using quantitative and qualitative data was employed. A total of 202 teachers provided evidence on their heads of the school's competence in influencing students' academic performance using questionnaires, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. The collected data is analysed using SPSS version 23 for quantitative data, and thematic analysis for qualitative data. A significant relationship between the competence of the educational leader and a students' academic performance was revealed. The study concludes that the competence attribute significantly influences the students' academic performance. Therefore, the study recommends the government to allocate enough funds for the professional development for the aspirant and review the educational policy on the training and development of teachers before and after their appointment into a leadership position.