Conceptualising ethical leadership in Tanzanian secondary schools: insights from educators

Ethical leadership (EL) has become an important concern in educational management; however, its conceptualisation remains contested across contexts. This study explored secondary school educators’ understanding of EL in Tanzania. A qualitative multiple-case study was conducted in six public secondary schools. Data were collected through interviews with six school heads, focus group discussions (FGDs) involving twenty-four teachers, and document review and were analysed thematically. The findings indicate that EL is characterised by adherence to rules and regulations, emotional intelligence, flexibility, humanity, empathy, reconciliation, fairness and justice, wisdom and discretion, integrity and participatory leadership. The study demonstrates that EL in Tanzanian secondary schools comprises both universally recognised attributes and context-specific dimensions, providing locally grounded empirical evidence to inform leadership practice, policy and future research.