An Assessment of the Impact of the Leadership Training Program on Pupils’

Leadership Skills in Hakibale Sub-county Kabarole District1

Issa Ndungo, Kabasiita Jessica, Mutyebere Rodgers and Nanyanzi Sheila11

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Mountains of the Moon University

Key words: Leadership skills, self discipline, self confidence and self discovery

Abstract

Mountains of the Moon University and Angels’ Haven have been conducting leadership training
programs in six primary schools of Hakibale sub-county, Kabarole district; aiming at improving
leadership skills among pupils. This program started with a baseline survey, which yielded
training needs that were translated into training themes. The first theme was “the self” which
covered the subthemes of self esteem, self discovery and confidence, self discipline, personal
growth, virtues, the SMART goal, thinking big and me as a leader. The second theme was
“dealing with others” which covered the subthemes of inter personal relationships,
communication, motivation, understanding change, team work and leadership, guidance and
counseling, transformation from “I” to “we”, and creating high performance learning culture .

Workshops were conducted to develop content for each theme, a training manual together with a
teachers’ guide were formulated to guide the training. Some teachers from the six primary schools
were trained likewise some selected pupils from these primary schools were also trained. The
assumptions here was that the trained group of teachers would transfer the knowledge obtained to
the follow teachers and also remain trainers of their pupils forever; equally the pupils who
participated in the leadership training would guide and mentor other pupils in their respective
schools. In the context of this study, leadership skills range from personal management to group
management.

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Supported by: Angel’s Haven & KOICA in Collaboration with Mountains of the Moon University

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1.0 Overview of the assessment

This study was conducted in all the six primary schools; Kabende, Komyamperre, Kyairumba,
Kiburara, Bunyonyi, and Muhangi primary schools in Hakibale sub-county.

The main respondents were the teachers and pupils who were involved in the previous leadership
trainings. Focused group discussions were conducted between three or two teachers in each
respective school. These gave their opinions about the leadership training mainly on its relevance
to the pupils and the schools at large, further areas of training and a comparison analysis between
pupils who participated in the leadership trainings and those who did not participate. A short
questionnaire was administered to thirty (30) pupils who participated in the previous leadership
trainings in all the six schools. This attempted to find information about personal and group
leadership among pupils such as: ability to lead, communication, respect, team work,
responsibility, goal setting, commitment, level of interaction and love for the school and the
relevance of the leadership training program in general.

The assessment covered leadership skills among pupils, comparison between pupils who
participated in the leadership training and those who did not participate, relevance of the
leadership training, further areas of training and improvement and benefits of the leadership
training to the teacher, pupils and the schools.

1.1 Results and discussions

1.1.1 Leadership skills among pupils

A questionnaire was administered to thirty (30) pupils, five pupils from each of the six schools of
concern. The information obtained ranged from personal management to group management.
Personal management includes: Personal hygiene, commitment, life skills such as self confidence,
self esteem and self discipline, and personal goal setting. While group leadership includes ability
to lead or guide others, team work and team building, love for others and the school, participation
in school activities and level of interaction with other pupils. The results obtained from the pupils
are summarized in Table 1 below.

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Table 1: Summary of the pupils’ responses

REESPONSE
S/N Variable Positive Negative
1 Ability to be leaders in school or class (eg class monitor, 30 (100%) 0 (0%)
prefect or group leader)
2 Currently in leadership position in school (eg class 25 (83.3%) 5 (16.7%)
monitor, prefect or group leader)
3 Ability to stand in front of my other pupils and talk to them 29 (96.7%) 1(3.3%)
4 Ability to guide others at school or home 29 (97.3%) 1(3.3%)
5 Easy understanding of the content in the training manual. 20 (66.7%) 10 (33.3%)
6 Exemplary to other pupils 29 (96.7%) 1 (3.3%)
7 Have the skills of setting personal goals 27 (90%) 3 (10%)
8 Currently have set personal goals to achieve 23 (76.7) 7 (23.3%)
9 The leadership training has improve pupils academic 30 (100%) 0 (0%)
grades
10 Ability to come to school early and attend class regularly 27 (90%) 3 (10%)
11 Ability to interact with others in the community 28 (93.3%) 2 (6.7%)
12 Ability to respect other people’s opinions 27 (90%) 3 (10%)

Positive response means that the pupil agrees or is able in accordance to the variable provided
while a negative response means that a pupil does not agree or is not able in accordance to the
variable provided. A variable in this context is the changing leadership skill/characteristics that
may be exhibited by pupils in the primary schools in question. The value 27 (90%) in Table 1
indicates the number of pupils and the percentage of pupils respectively for a particular response.

All the pupils who responded gave a positive response on the ability to be leaders in the school
and class. They are able to work as class monitors, prefects and group leaders. This is an
indication that these pupils are already inspired to lead. This is one of the main aims of the
leadership training program. 83.9% of the pupils are currently in leadership positions at school

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while 16% are not in any leadership position. This is a normal situation, because not everyone
must be a leader, but everyone must have ability to lead other.

Most the pupils (96.7%) have the ability to stand in front of fellow pupils and confidently
communicate. This means that most students have developed confidence and high self esteem.
Ability to guide others at school and at work was positively reported at 96.7%, this indicates that
pupils who participated in the leadership training are able to transform the learnt ideas and skills
to other peers both at home and at school. This is also in normal correlation with the fact the
ability of these pupils to be exemplary to other pupils as reported positively at same percentage
(96.7%).

Ability to understand the content in the module was positively reported at the lowest rate. This
however has no big correlation with the pupils’ characteristics of interest; such as ability to
interact with others (positively reported at 93.3%), ability to respect other peoples’ opinions
(positively reported at 90%) and Although, only 33.3% of the pupils reported negatively about
ability to understand the content in the raining modules, but most pupils reported ability to
develop personal goals and ability to set personal goals (reported positively at 90%). There is a
need to further dilute the language of the module to the level of a primary pupil.

Regular and timely attendance to class and school activities had high positive response of 90%.
This has a slight positive correlation with the improvement in academic performance which was
reported at 100%. This means that the pupils have high personal management and are committed
to learn.

1.1.2 Comparison between pupils who participated in the leadership training and those who
did not participate

The pupils who participated in the leadership training were compared with those who did not
participate in the leadership training in terms of their discipline, commitment, academic
performance, motivation to learn, performing school activities, personal and group management,
participation in school leadership, communication and interaction with other pupils. A focused
group discussion was held with three to two teachers in each of the six schools in which pupils’
characteristics in a narrative form were discussed. The results obtained are summarized in Table 2
below.

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Table 2: Comparison between pupils who participated and those who did not participate

Pupils involved in the leadership training Pupils not involved in the leadership training
- Highly discipline
- Respond very first whenever they
are called
- Requires little supervision on tasks
- Motivated to lead others, eg class
monitors, prefects, group leaders
- Highly interested in learning and
almost all school activities
- High personal hygiene
- Fluent and confident while
communicating in a group
- Improved academic performance
- Moderately disciplined
- Response is still low
- Requires relatively high supervision
- Less motivated to take leadership role
- Sometimes enforcement is needed for
them to complete various tasks and fully
participate in school activities
- Low personal hygiene.
- Lack fluency and have low confident
when communicating in a group
- Constant or sometimes deteriorating
academic performance

It was reported that there is a significant difference between the pupils who participated in the
leadership training and those who did not participate in the training. This deference is in terms
pupils characteristics as indicated in Table 2 above.

However, most of the teachers (86%) reported that this difference reduces over time due to the
transformation of the skills and traits from the pupils who participated to those who did not
participated. This difference is further reduced by the teachers who participated in the training
guiding pupils in general.

1.1.3 Relevance of the leadership training

The relevance of the leadership training was explored from both the pupils and the teachers. A
questionnaire was administered to the pupils while a focus group discussion was conducted with
the teachers. The results obtained are summarized below.

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Table 3: Pupils’ responses on relevance of the leadership training

Relevance Percentage support

The content of the leadership training is related to the work we do 25 (83%)

The content of the leadership training is used daily. 21 (70%)

The content of the training can be used at when one leaves school. 23 (76%)

Information from the leadership training can be used by all people 24 (80%)
in our school.

Information in the leadership training can be used by all people in 26 (86%)

the community.

The leadership training sessions were enjoyable 28 (93%)

The content of the leadership training manual can easily be 18 (60%)
understood.

Other pupils have interest in the training. 27 (90%)

As reported by the pupils, the leadership training program is relevant in several areas of life. Most
(83%) pupils supported the fact that the content of the leadership training is related to the work
they do at school and at home, 93% reported to have enjoyed the leadership training workshops
while 90% of the pupils are interested in the trainings. This clearly indicates that the pupils have
found the leadership training relevant to the activities they participate in both at school and at
home.

1.1.4 Teachers’ response on relevance of the leadership training

The focus group discussion from with the teachers revealed that the leadership training is relevant
to the pupils, the teachers and the school. The results from the teachers on the relevance of the
leadership training were not far different from those from the pupils. Most teachers in commented
that the training had relevant content to the current primary school curriculum, for example the
like skill such as self esteem, self discipline, self discovery and confidences.

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The teachers observed that the leadership training content relates to the national objectives of
primary school such as producing committed citizens, instilling respect and love for own country
and the need for harmonious co-existence among pupils, and develop pupils into a self-
disciplined, physically fit and healthy person

Similarly, the content covered, is in line with the teachers code of conduct such as the
communication procedures, developing positive relationships among pupils and team work,
caring, integrity. It was remarked that though, the content is not directly examinable by the
primary school examining body, but the skills learnt were of paramount importance in promoting
academic performance of the pupils.

1.1.5 Further areas of training and improvement

From the focused group discussion, about 70% of the teachers recommended that the training be
extended to other schools in the district of Kabarole. Some teachers (about 40%) recommended
that the school administrators such as head teachers, deputies and director of studies should be
directly involved in the leadership training workshop since most of its content is tailored to
leadership; which may be of paramount importance.

Seventy percent (70%) of the teachers recommended that area such as accountability, and home
management should be included in the leadership trainings.

A small number of pupils (33%) recommended that the leadership training program should
include some healthy education.

1.1.6 Benefits of the leadership training to the teacher, pupils and the schools

Increased job interest, better methods of dealing with pupils, proper communication skills, setting
SMART goals networking with other teachers in the six schools, team work, self awareness and
proper organization were observed among teachers who participated in the leadership trainings. It
was also noted that the similar traits are being translated to other teachers in all the six schools.

Change of behavior/improved discipline, love for the school, improvement in the reading culture
and academic groups, self confidence, self driven (do work without being instructed), leading
others in most of the school activities, team work and team building, change of language,

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improved personal hygiene and positive competition among pupils were noted traits among the
pupils who participated in the leadership training.

Exposing the schools to other communities, motivated pupils and teachers, reduction in the drop
pout rate, increase in role model pupils, cooperation between teachers and pupils, pupils to pupil
training and mentoring, proper flow of communication and well discipline pupils in the schools
were reported to be the benefits of the leadership training to the schools in general.

Conclusion

The results of the assessment indicate that the leadership training has had a significant impact on
the leadership skills of pupils in the six primary schools. Pupils have interest in leading others, are
committed to learn and to participate in other school activities, they guide others, are self
motivated and are well disciplined than before. Similarly, there is a significant difference between
pupils who participated in the training and those who did not participate. This difference is being
shorted by the guidance pupils provide to their counterparts.

The leadership training program has had a number of benefits ranging from pupils, teachers, and
the school at large. These include improved leadership skills, high self esteem, self discovery and
confidence, self discipline, personal hygiene, proper communication skills, and respect among
pupils, motivation to work, proper way of managing learners, team work and network with other
teachers among teachers.

The leadership training program is relevant to the pupils, teachers and the schools at large. The
content of the training is much related to the objectives of primary education and the code of
conduct of the teachers. However to enhance this more, there is a need to dilute the training
content to the level of primary pupils.