Abstract:

The study investigated teachers’ perception regarding female heads’ leadership in selected Islamic basic schools in the Wa District in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The study adopted the survey design. Questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample size of 102 teachers and Arabic instructors drawn from the population of 1168 teachers. Stratified and simple random sampling techniques were used to collect the data. Descriptive statistics, (mean and standard deviation) were used to analyze the data. The study revealed that qualified, but very few women occupied leadership positions in Islamic Basic Schools in the Wa District even though, the teaching profession is dominated by women in Ghana. The study also revealed that female heads were poor communicators and were too bossy when they assume leadership roles. Moreover, the study confirmed that lack of networks, career mobility, planning skills, lack of credentials and transparency in appointing school heads were factors that impeded female advancement in leadership. Based on the evidence gathered from the data, it was recommended that the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) in collaboration with education providers and the media in Ghana should organize sensitization seminars and workshops in order to influence positively, the general perception regarding women in leadership in the Wa District Education Directorate in particular and in Ghana as a whole.

Keywords:

Teachers, perception, Female Leadership.