Assessing school heads’ leader innovative behaviours and sustainability of innovations in Gweru rural primary schools, Zimbabwe

Abstract

This study aimed to assess school heads’ innovative leadership behaviours and schools’ capacity to innovate and sustain the innovation agenda from the perspective of educators. The study was anchored on a mixed methods design. A sample of fifty educators from ten schools, who had worked for at least two years under the particular school head participated in the study. Schools that provided participants were randomly picked from neighbouring Shurugwi, and Gweru Districts as these two districts were convenient for the researcher who lives in Gweru. A questionnaire was used to generate quantitative data that was presented using a frequency table and descriptive statistics. Qualitative data was generated using semi structured interviews. Findings from the study revealed marked fluctuations in the use of leader innovative behaviours by school heads, suggesting that some leader innovative behaviours were used more often and some were rarely used. It was concluded that school heads’ use of innovative behaviours was erratic, inconsistent, pointing to no systematic approach to promote innovation in the schools. Findings of the study also revealed that schools had very limited capacity to push and sustain the innovation agenda as most critical resources needed for this endeavour were not in place in the schools. The innovation culture seems not to have set in most schools that were under study. More school heads training and empowerment was recommended to assist school heads exhibit consistent innovative leader behaviours that will promote and drive innovation in schools.