| Abstract: | Effective leadership is crucial for driving change and elevating education”. This study has
examined the leadership practices and challenges encountered during the implementation on
School Improvement Programs (SIP) at Felege Yordanos School in Addis Ababa City, Ethiopia.
The study has focused on addressing gaps in localized research on school improvement initiatives
by examining the perspectives of various stakeholders, including school leaders, teachers, parents,
and students. By integrating these perspectives, the research aims to offer a multifaceted
understanding of SIP implementation challenges within a specific Ethiopian school context. Data
collection methods such as closed-ended questionnaires, observation checklists, document
analysis, open-ended questions, and semi-structured interviews were employed to gather and
analyze data. The interpretation of the data was conducted using both quantitative (descriptive
statistics) and qualitative analysis techniques to provide a comprehensive understanding of the
leadership practices and challenges in implementing the SIP at Felege Yordanos School. The data
collected through closed ended types questions has been tallied, tabulated and filled in to SPSS
version 25 and the interpretation has been made in different groups. In addition, these data were
analyzed and interpreted with the help of descriptive statistics such as percentage, mean and
standard deviation. Key findings of the study include identified leadership practices such as
forming a school improvement committee, conducting needs assessments, and developing strategic
plans. Challenges faced by school leaders include the lack of skill and knowledge consideration
in forming the SIP committee and inadequate awareness among stakeholders about SIP. The study
recommends enhancing the skills and knowledge of the SIP committee members, improving
awareness among stakeholders, and fostering consensus-building processes within the school
community to address the identified challenges. Overall, the study contributes to a deeper
understanding of school leadership dynamics and provides insights for improving SIP
implementation and educational improvement initiatives in the Ethiopian context. |
