Leadership Practices of Secondary School Heads in Supporting Staff Development: Evidence from Mbeya Urban, Tanzania

Author

Martina Wilson Masagasi, Simion Kaminyoge Ambakisye, Lukas Mwahombela


Abstract

 This study examined the leadership practices used by secondary school heads to support staff development in public secondary schools in Mbeya Urban, Tanzania. Guided by Transformational Leadership Theory and Instructional Leadership Theory, the study adopted a qualitative case study design involving eight public secondary schools. A sample of 32 participants comprising eight school heads, eight heads of departments and sixteen teachers was selected purposively. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, non-participant observation and document review and were analysed thematically. Findings revealed that instructional supervision, teacher motivation, promotion of collaborative professional learning, mentoring support, resource mobilization and participatory communication constituted the dominant leadership practices through which school heads supported staff development. Instructional supervision was widely described as the most systematically implemented practice, though its developmental effectiveness depended critically on the quality and constructiveness of post-observation feedback rather than observation frequency alone. Teacher motivation through verbal recognition, delegation and emotional support was identified as the most accessible non-financial mechanism for sustaining professional engagement. Collaborative professional learning was actively encouraged through departmental interaction and peer learning, though it lacked formal scheduling or institutional protection. Mentoring of newly posted teachers existed in all schools but remained informal and dependent on individual goodwill rather than structured systems. Resource mobilization was a recognized leadership responsibility, though severely constrained by school budget limitations. Participatory communication improved teacher commitment to professional development decisions. The study concludes that leadership support for staff development in Mbeya Urban is genuine in intent but inconsistent in implementation, limited by financial constraints, competing administrative demands and absence of formal structures. It recommends protected instructional leadership time, structured feedback systems, formalized mentoring, dedicated professional development budgets and collaborative leadership training.



Keywords

Leadership practices, instructional supervision, staff development, Transformational Leadership Theory, school heads, Mbeya Urban.



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References


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