The influence of head-teacher’s leadership practices on ensuring students’ retention through school feeding programme: a case of a community secondary school in Moshi rural district
Date of Award
2012
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Master of Education (MEd)
First Supervisor/Advisor
Dr. Mary Oluga
Second Supervisor/Advisor
Dr. Lilian Vikiru
Department
Institute for Educational Development, East Africa
Abstract
Tanzania has embarked a major programme of constructing community secondary schools in each ward to expand access to secondary education. Since the introduction of Secondary Education Development Plan in 2004, large numbers of students were enrolled in these schools in rural areas. However, in some of these schools students’ dropout was reported to be a critical problem. This implies that students’ retention was not given its due attention. Head-teachers in some schools introduced school feeding programmes through parents’ contributions for children to get porridge and lunch at school as a means to improve students’ attendance and learning. This study was focused on the influence of head-teacher’s leadership practices on ensuring students retention through school feeding programme in a community secondary school in Moshi Rural District. The qualitative case study was used to understand the leadership practices employed by the head-teacher to retain students in the community school. The study used purposive sampling to select the school and participants. The methods of data collection were interviews, document analysis and informal observations. The study was underpinned by social justice theory which focuses on fairness and justice for all children. The study revealed that the head-teacher had qualities of transformational leadership; she used parental involvement, communicating expectations and creating shared vision which provides direction towards students’ attendance through school feeding programme. It was also evident that all students were allowed to get food and food contribution was paid before other payment to ensure availability of food hence improved attendance. Thus, the study advocates the provision of the school feeding programmes in community secondary schools as an incentive to attract and keep children at school in order to attain a well-educated society which Tanzania-Vision 2025 advocates for.
Recommended Citation
Muganga, Kaggwa William, (2012). The influence of head-teacher’s leadership practices on ensuring students’ retention through school feeding programme: a case of a community secondary school in Moshi rural district (Unpublished Masters Thesis). Dar es salaam: Aga Khan University