Abstract:
The purpose of the study was to identify the relationship between school principal leadership
behavior and student academic achievement of secondary schools of Buno Bedele Zone, Oromia
Region, Ethiopia. The study was used both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The study
included eight secondary schools in Buno Bedele zone. 154 teachers, 5 supervisors, 8
principals, 9 vice principals, 8 PTA chairpersons and 8 student representatives were also
included in the study by using available methods. The study was adopted correlation research
design that enables the researcher to easily establish the relationship between academic
achievement and school principal leadership behavior in Buno Bedele zone. The result of the
study indicates that about 76.27% (scored 2 point and above) of the students’ academic
achievement on EGSECE were good while about 23.73% (scored less than 2 point) were
bad.The findings of the study revealed that change oriented leadership behavior had
positive(0.652) influence on students’ academic achievement, while relation oriented leadership
behavior and task oriented leadership behavior had a negative influence (-0.338 and -0.844)
respectively, on students’ academic achievement. The study revealed that unless principals are
well equipped with the knowledge and skills in school leadership, they would not be able to
improve students’ academic achievement significantly. The studies also reveal that change
oriented leadership behavior (transformational leadership) were increase students’ academic
achievement. Generally, since change oriented behavior leadership includes both relation and
task oriented leadership and it was democratic in behavior, it improves students’ academic
achievement. Therefore, the school principals should make a teacher participatory, highly
imaginative and creative, use innovative teaching methods and also should have common
understanding and shared value; the REB, WEO, ZEB in collaboration with MoE, are advised to
organize or develop skill of educational planning management and leadership of principals,
seminars and workshops for school principals on how to use the change oriented leadership
behavior effectively in their schools based on the situation and to enhance their capacity and
also the school leaders should improve the challenges affects the students’ academic
achievements by solving admirative with staff, filling skill gap through continuous advice and
follow up, regular meeting with stakeholders.
