Exploring school leadership development in Tanzania: a survey study of twenty newly appointed heads of schools in contextually different state secondary schools in the Dar es Salaam region of Tanzania

This research study draws on the experience of twenty newly appointed head teachers, those in year one and two of their headship role in secondary schools in Tanzania. The study gathered the head teachers’ experience, perceptions, and suggestions about their own continuing professional development and that of others in schools. It strived to understand how and when these new heads of schools are trained, and whether they receive sufficient training before taking on a headship role. It further sought to understand the significance of mandatory leadership qualifications in enhancing the head teachers’ knowledge, skills and abilities to lead schools. In particular, it argues that despite the rhetoric on better education management at district, regional and ministry level at present, there is still a widespread need for education leaders, researchers and all other education providers to emphasise the importance of school leadership development programs for school leaders. The research findings indicate that head teachers can gain the required knowledge and skills to lead their schools through short and long term leadership training programs and also through accession to headship in schools. Consequently, the majority participants commented on mentoring and coaching, as significant programs in head teacher development. Moreover, the study recommends that there is a need for the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training to increase budgets for school leadership development programs and to ensure that clear policies and directives shape leadership development in schools, and those directives demarcate how formal training for newly appointed head teachers can be achieved