PRACTICES AND PROBLEMS OF FEMALE TEACHERS' PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL LEADERSHIP IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS OF DAWRO ZONE

The purpose of this study was to assess practices and problems of females’ participation in school leadership in secondary schools of Dawro Zone. Concurrent an embedded design along with mixed methods approach was employed for the study. Primary and secondry sources of data were utilized. Population of the study were teachers, cluster supervisors’ and women and children affair heads. Simple random sampling techniques were used to select secondary schools and individual participants’ while purposive sampling techniques were used to decide key informants (cluster supervisors and women and children affairs heads). Data collection tools were close-ended questionnaires, structured interview and document review. Thus, 115 teachers filled and returned the questionnaires while an interview was also conducted with 4 cluster supervisors’ and 4 women and children affair heads. Data were analyzed through descriptive, inferential and thematic analysis. Participants backgroud information were analyzed through descriptive analysis. Questionnaire and interview data were analyzed through inferential and thematic analysis respectively in statistical description frequency, percentage, mean, t-value, pvalue at alpha significance level 0.05. The findings of the study revealed that education officials were make gender bias while selecting female school leaders; lack of special support for females to compete for leadership position in the education system, as result, female teachers were less participated in school leadership position;and they do not have plan and set their promotion goals to be school leader. Some of the challenges which could hinder their representation in educational leadership were pressure of household responsibilities, and men dominance of management position. The possible suggestions to improve female teachers participation in secondary school leadership position were providing training for women, gender awareness, gender fairness in school leadership position, fighting traditional believes that hinder the progress of women, depress societal discrimination, sensitize society to accept women leadership, and women’s should be self-confident.