MANAGEMENT AS A DETERMINANT OF EFFECTIVENESS AMONG SELECTED PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN EASTERN REGION OF UGANDA

This study was to establish the nature of relationship between management and levels of effectiveness among secondary school in the public and private sector domains in the Eastern Region of Uganda. The study was conducted by adapting the ideas of the Systems Theory to chosen components of school management. Using a quantitative comparative co relational ex-post facto survey design, data were collected from 223 public and private secondary schools from 23 districts of the Eastern region of Uganda. Self-administered questionnaires and school results score sheets were used as the main data collection instruments. Data were then analyzed at univariate level using frequency counts and summary statistics, at bivariate level using t-tests and correlation analyses. At multivariate level, Factor and Chi-square analyses were applied. The study revealed that the effectiveness of a majority of secondary schools in the Eastern Region of Uganda was below average. An array of characteristics that best explained various components of school management were identified. Those characteristics included consultations, personal reward, participatory decisionmaking, values and beliefs, awareness of staff capabilities, sharing responsibilities, targeted delegation, self-motivation and an open door policy. The conclusion was that despite a variety of management approaches, effectiveness levels of both public and private secondary schools remained low. It was recommended that for the schools in the Eastern Region to improve their effectiveness, school managers and teachers need to be regularly appraised and trained on an array of pertinent school management issues.