Culturally Responsive School Leadership in Practice: The Role of Community Elders and School-Community Relationships in Primary Schools of Hadiya Zone, Central Ethiopia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63990/2026ajoldvol11iss1pp151-178Keywords:
Culturally-responsive school leadership, Hadiya Zone, Indigenous leadership, School community, Single case studyAbstract
This study aimed to investigate the application of culturally responsive school leadership in the Hadiya Zone of the Central Ethiopian Region, focusing on the roles of community elders and school-community relationships. Semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions were exploited to gather data. Participants were chosen by purposive sampling techniques who were knowledgeable community leaders, educational experts, supervisors, school principals, and Parent-Teacher-Student Association members. Atlas.ti7 helped in the data analysis that included systematic coding and thematic organization. The findings of the study revealed that leaders of primary schools in Hadiya zone are not aware of culturally responsive school leadership implementation, which was also observed to be associated with the improvement of community participation, student involvement, and academic success in the event of its implementation. Furthermore, the research revealed that the role of community elders in introducing culturally responsive school leadership in the school management is very important. Thus, the study has practical implications in creating a culturally pertinent school climate with beneficial academic performance of students. Therefore, the research advised that policymakers ought to come up with clear policies and guidelines, and training on the structure of culturally responsive school leadership for the school heads to enhance the implementation.
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