Head teacher's leadership style and conflict resolution in secondary schools in Jinja district, Uganda

Abstract

The study sought to find the relationship between Head Teacher's Leadership Style and Conflict Resolution in Secondary Schools in Jinja District in Uganda. Specifically, the study aimed at establishing the relationship between each Leadership Style; autocratic leadership, laissez faire leadership, democratic Leadership Styles and Conflict Resolution strategies since the study problem was mainly tied on the Dual concern model. A descriptive survey design supported by the qualitative and quantitative approaches was used. Data from 141 students, 8 teachers and 4 Head Teachers from four Secondary Schools; Jinja College, Busoga College, MM College Wairaka and Jinja senior Secondary Schools was collected using questionnaires and interviews. The schools and Head Teachers were selected by purposive sampling, students were selected by stratified random sampling while teachers were selected by snowball sampling technique. The quantitative data was analyzed using quantitative techniques; simple statistics and Pearson moment product correlation. Additionally, qualitative data was analysed according to magnitude and new emerging responses. The researcher discovered that when Head Teachers exercise Democratic Leadership Style, they employ problem solving strategies like negotiation, mediation, dialogue, voting on an issue among others in resolving students' conflicts while accommodation is also inbuilt. The Head Teachers who exercise Laissez faire Leadership Style frequently use avoidance mechanism in Conflict Resolution such as delegation of authority and giving liberty to the subordinates and will also employ accommodative strategies for the sake of keeping peace in school. Autocratic Leadership Style used by Head Teachers normally centralizes authority in making decisions regarding Conflict Resolution in school. Therefore, Conflict Resolution in Secondary Schools is related to Head Teacher's Leadership Style. The researcher recommended that Head Teachers and teachers need to identify strategies and practices that can be used to reduce the various forms of students related conflicts, protecting students' rights, regular sensitization of students in all schools.