SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT INTERVENTIONS, LEARNING PROCESS, AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN GHANA

Abstract

The improvement in secondary education in Ghana has gained prominence through major reforms introduced by the Government after independence. However, major education reforms and interventions introduced to support the academic performance of second-cycle schools have not met the expected outcomes. The Ministry of Education, Ghana, reported a decline in academic performance among public Senior High Schools in 2019, with WASSCE pass rates in core subjects showing notable disparities across regions. Over the period from 2006 to 2021, only about 34% of students achieved passing grades in core subjects, with specific rates of 38% in Mathematics, 36% in English, 43% in Integrated Science, and 61% in Social Studies. This persistent underperformance has been attributed to school leadership and their capacity to effectively implement a vision for enhancing teachers' skills and knowledge. The study aimed to examine the effects of school leadership, human resource development interventions, and learning process on the academic performance of public senior high schools in Ghana. The first specific objective of the study was to examine the relationship between school leadership and academic performance. The second specific objective was to evaluate the moderating effect of human resource development interventions on the relationship between school leadership and academic performance. The third specific objective was to determine the mediating effect of the learning process on the relationship between school leadership and academic performance. The fourth specific objective was to examine the moderated-mediation effect of learning process and human resource development interventions on the relationship between school leadership and academic performance. Amongst other theories, the study anchored on distributed leadership and social learning theories. The study adopted the positivist and applied cross-sectional survey design. The study’s target population was the 928 public senior high schools listed by the Ghana Education Service as of December 2023. This study applied the quantitative method and cluster-stratified random sampling to collect primary data from 2176 respondents. The data was codified and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 27. The reliability of the questionnaire was measured using Cronbach’s alpha and the questionnaire was piloted before being administered. The quantitative data was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed a positive and significant relationship between school leadership and academic performance. Additionally, in the mediating effect, learning process was found to have a partial mediating effect on this relationship, indicating that effective school leadership influences academic performance through its impact on the learning process. Also, human resource development interventions were found to have a significant moderating effect, enhancing the relationship between school leadership and academic performance. The study concluded that school leadership has a significant relationship on academic performance. The study recommends that stakeholders implement policies and practices that enhance learning processes and support human resource development interventions, leveraging these benefits to improve academic outcomes. The study found moderated mediation of human resource development interventions and learning process on the relationship between school leadership and academic performance. The study recommends that school leadership should be prioritized in senior high schools in Ghana to facilitate the achievement of academic performance. The Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service must prioritize the appointment of competent leadership in senior high schools. Stakeholders in senior high education should provide support and resources to equip these leadership for their roles. Effective school leadership is essential for implementing interventions that promote teacher professional development and enhance the learning process, ultimately improving student academic performance.