Influence of School Leadership Practices on Student Involvement in Decision-Making in Public Day Secondary Schools: Evidence from Gasabo District, Rwanda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53983/ijmds.v15n04.007Keywords:
school leadership practices, student involvement, decision-making, participatory leadership, transformational leadership, Rwanda, secondary educationAbstract
This study examined the influence of school leadership practices on student involvement in decision-making in public day secondary schools in Gasabo District, Rwanda. Guided by Transformational Leadership Theory and Participative Leadership Theory, four leadership dimensions were investigated: organizing inclusive meetings, communication strategies, student empowerment, and engagement practices. A mixed-methods design with a concurrent triangulation strategy was employed. From a target population of 618, a sample of 243 respondents was selected through Yamane's formula; 239 valid questionnaires (98.3% response rate) were returned by teachers and students, while qualitative data were gathered from school leaders and sector education officers through semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis in SPSS Version 27; qualitative data were subjected to thematic analysis. Cronbach's Alpha confirmed strong internal reliability (α > 0.700). Findings revealed that all four leadership dimensions significantly influenced student involvement: organizing meetings (B = 0.39, β = 0.36, p < .001, R² = 0.450), communication strategies (B = 0.34, β = 0.31, p < .001, R² = 0.410), student empowerment (B = 0.34, β = 0.32, p < .001, R² = 0.410), and engagement practices (B = 0.35, β = 0.33, p < .001, R² = 0.430). Together, the four predictors explained 43.0% of the variance in student involvement. Qualitative findings corroborated these results, showing that participatory, communicative, and empowerment-oriented leadership significantly enhances student confidence, ownership, and accountability. The study concludes that fostering participatory leadership, institutionalizing structured engagement mechanisms, and building student leadership capacity are essential for advancing democratic school governance in Rwanda.
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