Females participation in educational leadership in secondary schools of ilu aba bora zone

Abstract

This study aimed at identifying the major challenges that result in females’ underrepresentation in educational leadership in Ilu Aba Bora Zone. To conduct this study, descriptive survey method was employed. The participants of this study were 171 out of which 147 teachers were selected by using simple random sampling techniques using lottery method. The 8 school principals and 8 Woreda education officials were also involved by using availability sampling technique. The data were collected by using questionnaire, interview and document reviews. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis were employed in order to reach at the findings. Finally, the research came up with the following major findings. The involvement of female teachers in educational leadership seems to show an insignificant increment each year in the last five years. There are different factors that have narrowed females’ partaking in educational leadership. These factors are generally categorized into two major parts namely individual and socio-structural. To begin with, the lack of confidence because of the social back ground in the culture of the community in general, females are not leaders; they are followers rather. As a result of lack of confidence, they are not aspired to become leaders. In addition, females do not have opportunities to gain bottom experiences in educational leadership that would help them for further advancement because the school leadership is men dominated in tradition. It can be said that socio- structural factors are the sources of individual factors that caused females’ underrepresentation in general. The gender balance in the secondary school teaching staff should be increased as the more the number of female teachers exists in the staff is the more female competent may exist for educational leadership positions. In addition, the Woreda Education Office has to work jointly with other offices and politicians to bring attitudinal changes in the communities to evade the stereotypic misconception about women. Finally, the organizational policies and practices which give golden opportunities for females should be fully implemented so as to attract as many female candidates as possible for enhancing their involvement in educational leadership positions.