Role of Head Teachers in Ensuring Sound Climate

Abstract

The school climate is outlined in literature as one of the most important within school factors required for effective teaching in learning. As leaders in any organisations are assigned the role of ensuring sound climates for work, head teachers also have the task of creating and maintaining an environment conducive for effective academic work within their institutions. Although it is debated that positive school climate will lead to positive academic very little studies have been conducted on how the school leaders can influence the school climate needed improved child performance. The current study seeks to evaluate head teachers’ role in ensuring a sound school climate and also examine how the role of head teachers in ensuring a sound school climate will influence school climate conditions. An exploratory mixed design approach was employed. Items of the survey questionnaire were based on questions form the both Inventory of School Climate (ISC) and the NSCC scale for school climate. The qualitative phase involved interviews with 40 head teachers and the second quantitative phase involved collation of primary data from 110 schools randomly selected from 513 Senior High schools across five regions in Ghana. Participants during survey included a student and teacher from each of the selected schools. Data obtained during survey was coded and entered into a SPSS 21 statistical software and subsequently analyses using both descriptive and inferential methods were conducted. It was found that the all five roles of head teachers significantly influences school climate items. Recommendations were made based on the finding of the study.