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Abstract This study investigated Leadership Challenges and approaches in the unique context of Sindh Pakistan. Stratified random sampling technique was applied to select the sample from Hyderabad directorate of Schools. The final sample consisted of ninety male and female head teachers. Two survey questionnaires, on liker's scale, were developed through individual interview and focus group discussions. The survey data were analyzed using Chi-square and percentage technique through SPSS (16.0 version). This study revealed that both male and female Head masters/head teachers, rural and urban, are restricted in stopping and deducing the salary of defiant staff, hiring and firing the staff, preventing staff absconding and absenteesm etc.
This study also indicated different leadership approaches to cope up with such challenges: Developing personal courage and confidence, documenting and performing teaching role to carry out different administrative and instructional leadership responsibilities effectively. It is concluded that context plays a significant role to be effective; therefore context based leadership approaches may be imported to the secondary school heads in Sindh Pakistan.
Key words: School Leaders, Leadership Challenges and Approaches.
Introduction Leadership is a key factor that can make the significant difference in the performance of social institutions. In terms of educational institutions, head teacher/headmistress/principal occupies central role. His / her position in school hierarchy assigns him/her a significant role and importance. His/her effectiveness and ineffectiveness is meant the effectiveness or in-effectiveness of the school or entire educational organization. (Sergiovanni, 1993) However, this centrality assigns him/her a direct role depending everything on him/her including change and creativity (Conrad and Brown, 2007). School heads have indirect role. They only indicate to be guide and facilitator to the teaching community (Senge, 1990).
Leadership is exercised in varied contexts and cultures according to their ground realities. Most of the understanding and insights about leadership theory and practice have been developed in the context of more developed countries, especially American and European contexts, on the basis of the ground realities of those cultures. The implementation of these policies and practices can produce very effective and positive outcomes for their parent cultures but such policy and practice can produce possible consequences for other cultures (Louis, 2004, p. 286).
Therefore, understanding the different meanings of leadership styles and behaviors in different societal and cultural context...