Supporting headteachers in a developing country

Abstract

It has become recognised that headteachers, or school principals as they are called in many countries, need professional development and support if they are to fulfil their responsibilities competently and well. However, school leadership development has been lacking in many places, including Ghana, a developing country in West Africa. A Ghanaian took the initiative that led to a Leadership for Learning (LfL) programme being established, using a framework developed previously through an international project of the same name. Professional development leaders tested the applicability of the framework’s principles, contextualised them to the Ghanaian situation and co-devised and led headteacher workshops. The LfL Ghana programme, supported by the Ghana Education Service, developed and spread to include to date over 3000 headteachers throughout the country as well as circuit supervisors, directors and training officers. LfL has been adopted as national policy and been supported through publications, newsletters and text messaging. Impact is evident in a variety of ways including headteachers’ actions, teachers’ professionalism, pupil learning and community engagement. The LfL Ghana programme illustrates a number of issues about change and professional development in developing countries when applying ideas developed in other contexts. The locus of control seems critical to a sense of ownership; principles provide commonality but can be applied through locally contextualised practice; a parsimonious framework aids learning and dialogue; modelling, critical friendship and moral purpose all have their place. Technology is likely to play a larger part in the future.