Practices and Challenges of School Environment in Secondary Schools of Gindeberet Woreda

Abstract

The prime objective of this study was to explore practices and challenges of school leaders in creating conducive school environment in secondary schools of Gindeberet Woreda. The researcher used descriptive research design to conduct the study.. The researcher used multi stage sampling to select respondents of the study. Purposive sampling was used to select head teachers, supervisors and Parent teacher associations while simple random sampling was employed to select secondary school teachers. The researcher used questionnaire, interview, filed observation, document review and focus group discussion to collect data for the study. Data gathered through questionnaire were analyzed quantitatively using statistical package for social science data set results and descriptive statistics such as computed mean, standard deviation and frequency distribution. Qualitative data analysis was used to analyze document review, filed observation and focus group discussion results. The finding of the study identified that the school environments were moderately conducive regarding to outdoor school facilities, with practical season and indoor/class room environment. The finding identified that school leaders highly exerted their roles in creating conducive school environment regarding to students support and student empowerment while they exerted moderate efforts regarding to school facilities. The study identified that both support related challenges and leadership competency related challenges adversely affected school leaders to make school environment conducive while management related challenges had moderate impacts on their efforts. From, the major finding of the study it was concluded that school environment was moderately conducive for learning regarding to indoor/class room environment, availability of practical sessions and outdoor school facilities. Based on the problems addressed and the major finding of the study, the researcher recommended that further research should be conducted related to the current study and MoE, Zonal Woreda Education Office should work in collaboration to make school environments conducive students’ learning.