Abstract
The leadership in schools just like in any other organisation is very cardinal in achieving the intended objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate how educational leadership enhances effective management of schools in Zambia. The study was conducted in the Central province of Zambia where some schools that met the set criteria were selected to be part of the research study. The case study design was used and qualitative research method was employed to guide the researcher in carrying out the research. The interviews and document analysis were the instruments that were used in the case study. Five public secondary schools were selected and from each of these schools a principal and two teachers were chosen to take part in the study. The total sample size of the study was fifteen which included principals and teachers. The random sampling was used for selecting schools and purposive sampling for selecting respondents that took part in the research study. The findings from the study indicated that all principals had necessary qualifications and experience to lead the schools though the findings further indicated that the principals were not trained in educational leadership and management prior to their promotions or immediately after being prompted. The findings indicated that a policy should be put in place to allow all principals to be trained before assuming the new role of leading the schools. The findings furthermore indicated that instructional leadership was more preferred by both principals and teachers in schools compared to other leadership styles. The findings also pointed out that principals’ and teachers’ leadership styles were highly effective in enhancing quality education in the classrooms and around the school. The other finding was that educational management enhanced effective management in schools by supervising and influencing teachers to achieve better performance and also that educational leadership and management complemented each other in the running of schools. The study recommends that Ministry of Higher Education should review the pre-service and in-service teacher training programmes that were being offered by universities and colleges to ensure that they included modules on educational management and leadership.
M.Ed. (Educational Leadership and Management)