Lesotho secondary school principals’ perceptions of their sense of efficacy regarding their managerial competencies

Abstract

Principals are heads of schools and the success or failure of schools depends on their effectiveness. They need to be knowledgeable in different areas of school management, and have strong sense of efficacy in managerial skills in order to manage schools effectively. The purpose of this study was to explore secondary school principals’ sense of efficacy regarding their managerial competencies. In order to achieve this, the study investigated competencies necessary for effective school management, determined principals’ self-efficacy beliefs regarding managerial competencies, investigated factors that influence principals’ efficacy beliefs, and examined the influence of principals’ efficacy beliefs on their managerial performance. This qualitative study employed interviews, observations, and document analysis to collect data from seven secondary school principals in Lesotho. Both content and thematic data analysis methods were used during data analysis. The collected data revealed that managerial competencies necessary for effective secondary school management in Lesotho include human resource management skills, instructional leadership skills, and financial management skills. It was evident that principals hold a strong sense of efficacy with regard to human resource management competencies and instructional leadership competencies. However, they struggle with classroom supervision, and have low self-efficacy beliefs in financial management competencies. Moreover, this study argues that sense of efficacy is one of the key components of effective leadership because it affects principals’ choice of activities to engage in, goal-setting, and coping strategies in the face of obstacles.