The Quality of Management Development Training for Ghanaian Public Senior High Schools Heads and Its Impact on Teacher Performance

Abstract

This study examined the quality of management development training (MDT) provided to public senior high school (SHS) heads and its impact on teacher performance in Ghana. The study is anchored on transformational leadership and human capital theories. The study employed an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were obtained from 280 public SHS teachers through structured questionnaires using simple random sampling. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews with seven purposively selected school heads and three district training officers. Additionally, document analysis was used to complement the data. Using SPSS (24.0), descriptive and inferential statistics were applied in analysing the quantitative data, while qualitative data were thematically analysed. The results indicated that the nature of MDT in Ghana was generally associated more with in-service training programmes, and was not fully in line with some of the best MDT practices around the world. It was also found that MDT programmes helped to improve school heads’ competence, and teachers developed effective classroom management skills and improved performance. The study concludes that an MDT for school heads is positively associated with teachers’ performance. It recommends that the ministry of education collaborate with tertiary education institutions to implement MDT for new and experienced heads, and use on-and off-the-job training methods to improve heads’ performance.