Managing Junior Secondary Schools in Sunyani Municipality (Ghana): the challenges for headteachers and their professional development needs.

The study investigated the challenges for Junior Secondary School headteachers (both male and female) in the Sunyani municipality of Ghana and their professional development needs. Ghana is a developing country in West Africa facing the challenge of improving educational provision at different levels. This was a qualitative study underpinned by interpretive philosophical thought. It employed a case study approach and collected data in two phases using semi-structured questionnaire and semi-structured interview. In the first phase, a questionnaire was distributed to all headteachers and Circuit Supervisors (school inspectors) in the municipality, while the second phase involved semi-structured interviews with a purposive maximum variation sample of headteachers and Circuit Supervisors who had already responded to the questionnaire. The study highlighted that the headteachers faced multiple challenges. These included teachers’ lack of commitment and uncooperative attitude; non-involvement of the headteachers in making decisions that affected their professional practice; the complexity and multiplicity of their roles and responsibilities; and insignificant responsibility allowances. The study identified the factors responsible for these problems. The study also identified ways of preparing aspiring headteachers for meeting the demands in the educational context. Specifically, it identified the skills and competences they required and the training opportunities for the provision of those competences as well as strategies for meaningful selection/ appointment of headteachers and their induction. The findings suggested that the in-service training /continuing professional development programmes organised in Sunyani municipality for practising headteachers were inappropriate for enhancing their professional growth and development. The study proposed ways/strategies for improving some aspects of the programmes for meaningful professional development of the headteachers. This research also unveiled additional in-service training/continuing professional development opportunities for the headteachers in that context, including regional-based courses and a cluster-based collaborative headship scheme.