Changing cultural norms through education: voices from Ghanaian women principals

Abstract

PurposeThis study examined how cultural factors positively or negatively influenced women's access to the principal role and influenced their leadership experiences. The researchers used Hofstede (2011) six dimensions of national culture as a conceptual framework. The Hofstede (2011) model of national culture consists of six dimensions (6D) that the investigators utilized to interpret and code the data. This framework allowed the researchers to comprehend the impact of cultural norms and values on women leaders and how women leaders work within those behavioral patterns. Utilizing this framework to map women educational leaders' experiences provided nuances in the dimensions within this region.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative research paradigm and a phenomenological approach, this study explored the experiences of 12 women principals in the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem District (KEEA) of the Central Region of Ghana. The phenomenological approach is represented in cultural and social experiences. It enables researchers to describe the meaning of individuals' experiences (Creswell, 2007). This approach helped the researchers describe the participants' perceptions and experiences as Ghanaian women school leaders. This study sought to answer the following research questions: What are the experiences of women principals in Ghanaian K-12 public schools? What challenges do these women encounter in their work as principals? What support exists for these women to effectively execute their leadership roles? A criterion sampling was used to select principals. Data collection included one-on-one in-depth interviews and field notes.FindingsFindings revealed that these women navigated cultural norms and beliefs in order to exercise their own leadership style and pursue their careers in education. These women leaders were also able to gradually change the teachers' and community members' mindsets on women and leadership.Research limitations/implicationsThis study took place with 12 women within one district in one region of Ghana. While this is a limited sample, this study is significant because it increased one's understanding of how women leaders in patriarchal societies navigate cultural beliefs and norms in order to execute their responsibilities. This study informs educational reforms on gender equity and leadership preparation programmes and sheds light on culturally informed leadership practices unique to women.Practical implicationsBased on the study's findings, the researchers offer some recommendations for practitioners, policy makers and scholars.Social implicationsGiven the global call to promote equity in all aspects of social, economic and public life, the question is not whether we should support women educational leaders but rather how we can better support these professionals navigate cultural norms embedded in patriarchal and traditional societies.Originality/valueCurrently, majority of scholarly articles written on the experiences of women educational leaders come from South Africa (Diko, 2014; Mestry and Schmidt, 2012; Moorosi, 2010). In Ghana, quantitative studies have focused on factors accounting for gender disparity in education leadership in specific districts (Segkulu and Gyimah, 2016) and stereotypical perceptions of women principals (Pwadura, 2016). However, there are a limited number of qualitative studies that explore the experiences of women principals. This study is designed to fill this knowledge gap by employing a qualitative design to explore the experiences of 12 women school principals located in the KEEA municipality in the Central Region of Ghana. Thus, the gap in knowledge that this study seeks to bridge is both methodological – in terms of the use of a qualitative approach – and topical – in terms of exploring the experiences of female principals.

Promoting gender equity in school leadership appointments: A comparison of male and female headteachers’ instructional leadership practices in Ghana

“…Since women in Ghana are culturally perceived as inferior or weak compared to males (Agyeiwaa and Attom, 2018), teachers, including even female teachers, who work under them are likely to be influenced by these cultural beliefs and norms and rate male headteachers higher than them despite their professional qualification and experience. This is supported by the view that though evidence suggests that the proportion of women in management is increasing in most parts of the world, doubts about women's leadership skills still exist and some organizations still define and perceive leadership in masculine terms (Agezo and Hope, 2011;Brion and Ampah-Mensah, 2021).…”

“…They spend a considerable amount of time to scrutinize and micro-manage their teachers rather than providing the required tools they need to improve their practice and exercise top-down leadership approaches in schools (Brion and Cordeiro, 2020). This is attributed to the nature of the appointment of headteachers which is typically based on years of service and rank in the teaching field, and political, religious or tribal affiliations (Brion and Ampah-Mensah, 2021;Bush and Oduro, 2006). There is also inadequate leadership preparatory training and subsequent professional development for school leaders in Ghana (Amakyi and Ampah-Mensah, 2013).…”

“…While the percentage of female teachers in developing countries in recent times has risen significantly (Iyekolo et al, 2020), they continue to face discrimination and their participation in school leadership is however low (Brion and Ampah-Mensah, 2021). In Ghana, the number of female school leaders nationwide is relatively small compared to their male counterparts (Segkulu and Gyimah, 2016).…”

“…Studies that seek to compare the leadership practices of male and female headteachers in Ghana remain limited. While some studies in Ghana have assessed the extent headteachers enact instructional leadership practices in schools (Donkor and Asante, 2016) and cultural factors that positively or negatively influence women’s access to the principal role and their leadership experiences (Brion and Ampah-Mensah, 2021), there is currently no published empirical work comparing male and female headteachers instructional leadership practices.…”

“…This is attributed to the nature of the appointment of headteachers which is typically based on years of service and rank in the teaching field, and political, religious or tribal affiliations (Brion and Ampah-Mensah, 2021; Bush and Oduro, 2006). There is also inadequate leadership preparatory training and subsequent professional development for school leaders in Ghana (Amakyi and Ampah-Mensah, 2013).…”