ETHICAL LEADERSHIP AND TEACHER PROFESSIONAL VALUES: MATTERS ARISING FROM THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

School heads as senior executives are thought to provide the institution ethical tone at the top to impact on subordinates. As a result, the study investigated how heads ethical leadership and teacher professional values influence students’ academic achievement, using a survey of 370 respondents in senior high schools in the Northern Region of Ghana. Questionnaires were used to collect data and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. It emerged from the study that ethical leadership practice of school heads and unadulterated professional values are fundamental to teachers, students and the entire school organization. Results from the study showed that mentorship, honesty and trust were core ethical leadership attributes of heads. The current study and other empirical research points to the fact that teacher professional values including reliability, professionalism and trust are keen in teacher’s career success. The study recommends that practicing and prospective heads are made to go for professional development sessions on ethical leadership behaviours. Again, induction and effective orientation on professional standards and values should form part of teacher recruitment and lifelong learning since they are vital for positive teacher identity and excellent learning outcomes. Article visualizations: