Abstract

This study seeks to investigate the insights of teachers about leadership competencies of secondary school heads in Malakand division. The study population consisted of 8481 teachers working in three districts i.e. Swat, Malakand and Dir lower. By using cluster sampling probability sampling method, 635 teachers were randomly selected as sample of the study. A highly valid and reliable questionnaire gathered data from secondary school teachers, revealing that heads exhibit strong competencies. Technical competency was highly observed, while conceptual competency was less so. No significant difference was found between male and female teachers' perceptions of school heads' leadership competencies. The study recommended that both pre and in-service trainings and leadership development programs may be arranged for heads to enhance their leadership competencies to effectively manage school activities. Senior teachers may also be involved in different school activities.

Key Words

Leader Competencies, Conceptual Competency, Technical Competency, Interpersonal Competency, School Head

Introduction

Effective leadership is critical to school improvement (Bush, 2008). The essence of effective leadership for the successful operation of schools has widely been acknowledged and discussed in the twenty-first century. The findings of previous research studies highlighted the importance of quality school leadership for the achievement of school goals (Hersey, Blanchard & Johnson, 2013; Esza, 2024; Yukl, 2012). The rapid development of science and technology has changed the traditional role of school leadership. In the modern era, the role of the school principal has totally changed due to the introduction of technology in education. The goals of the 21st century have changed the scenario of the school and educational system. Due to this paradigm shift, the school principal must possess those skills and competencies that meet the needs of the 21st century. Unfortunately, school principals are not fully equipped with the administration and management competencies to cope with the challenges of the 21st century. To achieve educational goals and prepare the labor for the international competitive market, the importance of school principals' leadership skills and competencies are rather further magnified (Goor & Schwenn, 2008; Peterson, 2002).

In a modern competitive world, the need and importance of a capable school principal have increased as they work with people who have equal qualifications and experience in the teaching-learning process (Friedman, 1991; Whitaker, 2013). They are considered more accountable than in the past. A school principal's responsibilities are limitless and multifarious. They play the role of instructional leader, facilitator, and community leader, and arrange meetings with teachers, students, parents, and high-ups. All these responsibilities and roles produce great stress which badly affects principals both physically and emotionally (Hutabarat, Situmorang, & Pangaribuan, 2014). To cope with the stressful situation they need leadership skills and competencies.

In Pakistan, at the school level, the head teacher or principal is the official custodian of the institution. If a head teacher is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and competencies then she/he can perform the assigned roles and responsibilities effectively. They may be able to formulate and set the goals for the school and provide direction for the achievement of these goals. If they have the competencies then they can formulate achievable goals for the school and provide direction to staff personnel for the achievement of these goals. If they are equipped with the required leadership skills and competencies, then they can inspire their staff personnel who practically execute teaching-learning strategies in the classroom and maximize the achievement of students. If school heads have conceptual, technical, and interpersonal competencies then these can directly and indirectly affect teachers' job satisfaction, job performance, and commitment level. If teachers are satisfied with the working conditions then they will perform their responsibilities effectively and efficiently. It is the responsibility of the school head they provide a congenial working environment where teachers can perform their assigned roles and responsibilities up to the mark. 

School leadership is considered an integral part of school effectiveness. School leadership is the most discussed issue throughout the world which directly and indirectly influences the teaching-learning process and students' achievement. 

Literature Review

Effective leadership is critical to school improvement (Bush, 2008). The essence of effective leadership for the successful operation of schools has widely been acknowledged and discussed in the twenty-first century. The findings of previous research studies highlighted the importance of quality school leadership for the achievement of school goals (Hersey, Blanchard & Johnson, 2013; Esza, 2024; Yukl, 2012). The rapid development of science and technology has changed the traditional role of school leadership. In the modern era, the role of the school principal has totally changed due to the introduction of technology in education. The goals of the 21st century have changed the scenario of the school and educational system. Due to this paradigm shift, the school principal must possess those skills and competencies that meet the needs of the 21st century. Unfortunately, school principals are not fully equipped with the administration and management competencies to cope with the challenges of the 21st century. To achieve educational goals and prepare the labor for the international competitive market, the importance of school principals' leadership skills and competencies are rather further magnified (Goor & Schwenn, 2008; Peterson, 2002).

In a modern competitive world, the need and importance of a capable school principal have increased as they work with people who have equal qualifications and experience in the teaching-learning process (Friedman, 1991; Whitaker, 2013). They are considered more accountable than in the past. A school principal's responsibilities are limitless and multifarious. They play the role of instructional leader, facilitator, and community leader, and arrange meetings with teachers, students, parents, and high-ups. All these responsibilities and roles produce great stress which badly affects principals both physically and emotionally (Hutabarat, Situmorang, & Pangaribuan, 2014). To cope with the stressful situation they need leadership skills and competencies.

In Pakistan, at the school level, the head teacher or principal is the official custodian of the institution. If a head teacher is equipped with the knowledge, skills, and competencies then she/he can perform the assigned roles and responsibilities effectively. They may be able to formulate and set the goals for the school and provide direction for the achievement of these goals. If they have the competencies then they can formulate achievable goals for the school and provide direction to staff personnel for the achievement of these goals. If they are equipped with the required leadership skills and competencies, then they can inspire their staff personnel who practically execute teaching-learning strategies in the classroom and maximize the achievement of students. If school heads have conceptual, technical, and interpersonal competencies then these can directly and indirectly affect teachers' job satisfaction, job performance, and commitment level. If teachers are satisfied with the working conditions then they will perform their responsibilities effectively and efficiently. It is the responsibility of the school head they provide a congenial working environment where teachers can perform their assigned roles and responsibilities up to the mark. 

School leadership is considered an integral part of school effectiveness. School leadership is the most discussed issue throughout the world which directly and indirectly influences the teaching-learning process and students' achievement. 

Objectives of the Study

1. To determine the insights of teachers about the leadership competencies of school heads in three districts of the Malakand division

2. To find out the differences between the insights of male and female teachers regarding the leadership competencies of school heads in three districts of the Malakand division 




Research Questions

1. What are the insights of teachers about the leadership competencies of school heads in three districts of the Malakand division?

2. Is there any significant difference between the insights of male and female teachers regarding the leadership competencies of school heads in three districts of the Malakand division?

Research Methodology

A quantitative approach was used to seek the answers to the aforementioned research questions. The researchers used a descriptive (survey) research design for the collection and analysis of data. The accessible population comprised (8481) teachers working in government boys and girls secondary and higher secondary schools in three districts of Malakand division i.e. (Malakand, Swat, and Dir Lower). By using multi-stage sample sampling techniques 635 secondary school teachers were selected as samples of the study from three districts. In the first stage, three districts were selected through a simple random sampling technique. In the second stage, the researchers selected 30% of secondary schools from each district. In the third stage, from each sampled school, five teachers were selected through a simple random sampling technique. Thus the total number of the sample was 635 secondary school teachers. The researchers used a self-developed questionnaire for the collection of data. The questionnaire consisted of three major competencies i.e. conceptual, technical, and interpersonal or human competencies. Each competency had eight Likert-type items. The responses ranged from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree". 

The researchers validated the questionnaire through a panel of seven experts who had sufficient experience at university and school levels. Three experts were from universities who had sufficient teaching and research experience and hold PhD degrees in educational leadership and management. Four experts were from schools that had sufficient teaching and administrative experience at the school level and held MPhil and PhD degrees. These experts were requested to validate the questionnaire by identifying the ambiguity in the questionnaire, the grammatical and structural errors, the irrelevancy of the items, and the structure of the questionnaire. They critically analyzed the questionnaire and gave valuable suggestions for the improvement of the questionnaire. The researchers incorporated all the suggested changes in the questionnaire and then the refined final version of the questionnaire was piloted on a sample of 60 secondary school teachers who were not included in the sample. These teachers were requested to fill out the questionnaire and highlight the ambiguities and difficulties in filling the questionnaire. They filled out the questionnaires and returned the filled questionnaires back. The final questionnaire consisted of two major parts. The first part consisted of some demographic information about teachers and the second part consisted of 24 Likert-type items. The researchers established the reliability of the final version of the questionnaire through Cronbach's alpha value (inter-item consistency method). The Cronbach's alpha values were calculated for each item, each construct, and the whole questionnaire. The Cronbach's alpha value for conceptual competency was found to be .89, for technical competency was found to be .93, for interpersonal competency was found to be .91 and for the entire questionnaire the value of Cronbach's alpha was found to be be be .94. After calculating the reliability of the questionnaire, a survey packet was prepared which consisted of a consent letter and the questionnaire. Researchers prepared 635 survey packets and distributed them among the sampled teachers. The distributions were done personally and through friends and colleagues. After many efforts 550 filled and usable questionnaires were obtained for data analysis. 

Table 1

Variables	Frequency	Percentage
Gender
Male Teachers	460	83.6
Female Teachers	90	16.4
Age
20-30 Years	103	18.7
31-40 Years	253	46.0
41-50 Years	137	24.9
51-60 Years	57	10.4
Teachers’ Designation
CT/PET/DM	206	37.5
SST	233	42.4
Subject Specialist	110	20.0
Others	1	.2
Highest Academic Qualification
BA/BSc	76	13.8
MA/MSc	357	64.9
MS/MPhil	108	19.6
PhD	9	1.6
Professional Qualification
CT/PET/DM	70	12.7
B. Ed	242	44.0
M. Ed	198	36.0
Others	38	6.8
Teaching Experience
1-5 Years	136	24.7
6-10 Years	173	31.5
11-15 Years	113	20.5
16-20 Years	128	23.2

 Table 01 depicts the results of demographic information of sample teachers in terms of frequency and percentage. Among the 550 respondent, 460(83.6%) were male and 90(16.4%) were female; 103(18.7%) had age between 20-30 years, 253(46.0%) had age between 31-40 years, 137(24.9%) had age between 41-50 years and 57(10.4%) had age between 51-60 years. Among 550 school teachers, 206(37.5%) had designated CT/PET/DM 233(42.4%) had SST,110(20.0%) teachers were subject specialists, and 0ther had 1(.2) designation.76(13.8) had BA/BSc degree holders as highest academic qualification, 357(64.9) had MA/MSc degree holders as highest academic qualification, 108(19.6%) had MS/MPhil degree holders as highest academic qualification and 09(1.6%) had PhD degree holders as a highest academic qualification; 70(12.7%) had CT/PET/DM certificates as a professional qualification, 242(44.0%) had B. Ed degree as professional qualification, 198(36.0%) had M. Ed degree as professional qualification and 38(6.8%) had other professional certificates/degree as professional qualification; 136(24.7%) had teaching experience between 1-5 years, 173(31.5%) had 6-10 years teaching experience, 113(20.5%) had 11-15 years teaching experience, and 128(23.2%) had 16-20 years teaching experience.

Table 2

Name of Competency	n	M	SD
Technical Competency	550	4.13	.629
Conceptual Competency	550	4.05	.654
Interpersonal Competency	550	4.09	.625
Overall School Heads Leadership Competencies	550	4.09	.625

 “1-2 = sufficiently below average, 2.1-2.9 = below average, 3 = average, 3.1-4 = above average and 4.1-5 = sufficiently above average”
Table 02 depicted the insights of sampled teachers about three leadership competencies i.e. technical, conceptual, and interpersonal competencies of secondary school heads. The mean and standard deviation scores showed that secondary school teachers perceived that secondary school heads had above-average levels of observance for technical, conceptual, and interpersonal competencies. Among the three competencies, technical competency was found to be on the top while conceptual competency was found to be on the low among the three competencies. 

Table 3

Name of Competency	Gender of Teachers	n	M	SD	Std. Error Mean	t	p
Technical Competency	Male	460	3.96	.834	.145	1.33	.074
	Female	90	3.89	.981	.152
Conceptual Competency	Male	460	4.04	.672	.137	1.35	.093
	Female	90	3.98	.781	.167
Interpersonal Competency	Male	460	3.82	.841	.159	1.37	.086
	Female	90	3.74	.892	.124
Overall School Heads Leadership Competencies	Male	460	3.94	.765	.176	1.34	.065
	Female	90	3.87	.834	.178

 Table 03 revealed differences in the insights of male and female teachers regarding the leadership competencies of school heads. For this purpose, independent samples t-statistics were applied. The calculated values of t-statistics revealed that no significant differences were found in the insights of male and female teachers about the leadership competencies of school heads. The calculated values of p were found to be greater than that of the tabulated values of the level of significance .05 i.e. (p > .05).

Discussion

The insights of secondary school teachers depicted that for successful running of a school greatly depends upon three leadership competencies of school heads. The mean scores for the three competencies were found to be a maximum above-average level of observance. The conceptual, technical, and human competencies were found to be significant factors for a successful school leader. Further, the study found that technical competency was on the high level and conceptual competency was on the low level as perceived by teachers. The study also revealed that no significant differences were found in the insights of male and female teachers about the conceptual, technical, and human competencies of school heads.  Both parties agreed that a school head must possess all three leadership competencies for the successful running of the school and also for the achievement of school goals. 

The findings of this study align with the findings of the previous studies which stated that secondary school heads must possess administrative, managerial, and leadership competencies to perform their assigned duties effectively. Various competencies have been recognized by different authors and researchers (Griffin, 2021; Katz, 1955; Northhouse, 2021; Peterson, & Van Fleet, 2004; Whetten & Cameron, 1983; (Van Rooij, 2012); Yukl, 2012; Zaman, 2019). These competencies or practices or skills may include strategic planning, conceptual, problem solving, technical, time management, interpersonal, decisional, diagnostic, political, and communication skills. Nonetheless, for a school head, it is out of one's will to grasp all these competencies once. All these skills play an important role in achieving organizational goals, however, all authors agreed that technical, conceptual, and interpersonal competencies are the basic ones that must be possessed by every manager, administrator, or leader. 

The study revealed no significant differences between the insights of male and female teachers regarding the leadership competencies of school heads in three districts of the Malakand division. Both parties agreed on the equal importance of conceptual, technical, and interpersonal competencies for secondary heads equally importance. Both male and female secondary school heads have to perform the same roles and responsibilities in the school. Therefore, gender has no significant effect on school leadership competencies. School heads with strong leadership competencies proved to be significant contributors to students' learning outcomes (Anwer, Kayani, & Jabeen, 2018), and also found that a significant relationship was found between school head teachers' competencies and school outcomes. Kadri, Mansor, and Nor (2021) found that for 21st century school head teachers must possess four leadership competencies which include personal and social skills, managing skills, leading skills, and transformative skills to run school efficiently and effectively. on the other hand, collaborative leadership, transparent communications, inclusive decision-making, boldness to embrace challenges, readiness to innovate, building constructive relationships and teamwork are also the seven core leadership competencies that must be possessed by an effective school head. Bantolo and Arenga (2021) concluded that school heads must have leadership competencies like school management, human resource management, instructional leadership, student-centered learning climate, parental and community involvement, personal and professional attributes, and human relationships to run the school effectively and efficiently. 

Ladan, Garba, and Yero (2024) concluded that public school principals must have personnel management, facilities management competency, personal courage management competency, and self-courage competency for effective schooling. Dalton and Arpon (2024) concluded that school principals have high levels of technical, conceptual, interpersonal, administrative and supervisory, networking and linkages, resource management, and budgeting managerial skills. Esza (2024) found that school principals face internal and external challenges in school. In internal challenges, school principals face school management and human resource management while in external challenges educational policies, school environment, and social and technological changes. School principals must use training and development, leadership development, and improving the quality of teaching as internal opportunities for improving the school. In the same way, collaboration with other educational institutions, raising funding for schools, and obtaining technological resources as external opportunities for effective schooling. Eze (2024) concluded that school principals play a significant role in the development and nurturing of teachers' commitment through school principals' competencies which consist of administrative, education, leadership, and human skills. These competencies of school principals had a positive and everlasting impact on enhancing teachers' job commitment. 

Kalim and Bibi (2024) assessed teachers' competencies from school principals' perspectives and argued that three competencies i.e. professional competencies, personal competencies, and instructional competencies were found good in female teachers as compared to their male counterparts. Eziuzo, Ogbuanya, and Eziamaka (2024) discussed certain managerial competencies of effective school principals which included supervisory skills, decision-making skills, personnel management, communication skills, planning skills, interpersonal skills, school facilities maintenance, and financial management skills. The study also found a strong significant relationship between principals' managerial skills and teachers' job performance. Researchers like (Selamat et al., 2013) concluded that poor managerial competencies of school principals have a negative effect on teachers' job performance. 

The above discussion sheds light on the importance of school heads' leadership competencies and how these competencies affect other variables that play a significant role in enhancing the performance of schools. The discussion reveals that for the effective teaching-learning process at school, there must be a competent and skilled head who has the abilities and capacities to perform principal roles more effectively and efficiently.

Conclusion

The study concluded that secondary school teachers perceived that their school heads had sufficiently above-average levels of leadership competencies. School heads had conceptual, technical, and interpersonal competencies which constitute leadership competencies. Technical competency was observed to be the highest among the three competencies possessed by school heads and conceptual competency was found to be the lowest observed competency of school heads. The study concluded that no significant differences were found between the insights of male and female teachers regarding the leadership competencies of school heads in three districts of the Malakand division. Both parties agreed on the importance of effective leadership competencies possessed by school heads. For the efficient and effective running of a school, a school head must have conceptual, technical, and interpersonal competencies. 

Recommendations

The study found that conceptual, technical, and interpersonal competencies are very important for school heads to run the academic and administrative affairs of the school. Therefore, it is recommended that both pre and in-service training be offered to school heads to enrich their knowledge, skills, and competencies to perform their assigned tasks efficiently and effectively. This may be possible only if the appointment criteria of school heads are revised and obtaining pre and in-service training becomes compulsory for the school heads. Furthermore, after the appointment of school heads, they must be first given training intervention and then they may be sent to the school to perform their roles and responsibilities effectively. It is also recommended that the selection for training may be free on gender, age, and race basis. The study recommended that school heads must be provided training in conceptual competency, so that, they may play with abstract ideas and can implement these ideas in concrete situations to achieve school goals. As in school, most school heads are selected on a seniority basis, therefore, it is recommended that senior teachers be involved by the school heads in various matters of school, so that, they may get experience for the future to effectively perform their future responsibilities. 

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