Research Journal of Education ISSN(e): 2413-0540, ISSN(p): 2413-8886 Vol. 5, Issue. 6, pp: 78-85, 2019 URL: https://arpgweb.com/journal/journal/15 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32861/rje.56.78.85 Academic Research Publishing Group 78 Original Research Open Access Differences in Leadership Styles of Principals in Public Colleges of Education in Ghana Based on their Personal Characteristics Kweku Esia-Donkoh University of Education, Winneba, Ghana Abstract The study investigated the differences in leadership styles exhibited by principals of public Colleges of Education in Ghana in relation to their sex, age, years of work experience, and academic qualification. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted for the study. The target population consisted of all 46 principals of public Colleges of Education in Ghana. The target population consisted of all 38 public Colleges of Education which were in existence before the absorption of eight private Colleges of Education by the government of Ghana into the public system. The purposive sampling technique was used to select 38 principals for the study. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire developed by Bass and Avolio (2004) was adapted to collect data. Means, standard deviations, t-test, and ANOVA were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the leadership styles of the principals of public Colleges of Education in Ghana based on their sex, age, and academic qualification. However, there were statistically significant differences in the leadership styles adopted by the principals in relation to their years of work experience. It was therefore concluded that many years of experience of principals of public CoEs in Ghana were critical for good leadership in these colleges. Among the recommendations was that the National Council for Tertiary Education (NCTE) should consider years of work experience in the selection and appointment of principals for public Colleges of Education in Ghana. Additionally, in-service training and refresher courses should be organized regularly by NCTE for principals on the leadership styles suitable for achievement of objectives and goals of their colleges. Keywords: Leadership style; Laissez-faire; Transformational; Transactional; Academic qualification; Age; Experience; Sex. CC BY: Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 1. Introduction The importance of education cannot be overemphasized because it leads to the development of desirable habits, skills, and attitudes through shaping or modifying behaviour of the individual for adequate adjustment in the society. This implies that once an individual is educated, he or she will adjust or try to adjust to the environment. It is for this reason that it is widely acknowledged that education forms the foundation for developing human resource, which is essential for national development. The educational system of every nation is greatly influenced by its ideology of life Waters (2013) and in Ghana, Colleges of Education (CoEs) are tertiary institutions mandated by Act 847 of Parliament to among other things, train students to acquire the necessary academic and professional competences for teaching in pre-tertiary, and non-formal education institutions, and build the academic and professional capacities of serving teachers through regular continuing education. Thus, one key and critical policy of Ghana government is to produce and recruit competent and dedicated teachers to improve the quality of teaching and learning at the basic education level. To effectively achieve the mandate of CoEs and the educational policies of Ghana through procedures and decision making, there is no doubt that principals of CoEs, as academic and administrative leaders, have a crucial role to play. Lunenburg and Ornstein, as cited in Avci (2015) therefore argue that the leadership role of the college principal is critical and probably constitutes the most important feature of the principal. Principals lead teaching and non-teaching staff as well as students to achieve collectively agreed upon goals (Andrew, 2009). This suggests that principals of CoEs in Ghana know the way, show the way and walk the way Makewa et al. (2015) and as a result, must lead by example to shape and fulfil the purpose and outcome of educational activities (Clifford, Behrstock- Sherrat, & Fetters, cited in Brezicha et al. (2015). Thus, a leader is one of the basic needs of every institution and one of the most essential elements which holds an institution together, ensures its efficient operation, and assure achieving corporate success (Avci, 2015). Some conceptual conflicts exist in the meaning of leadership. This is why leadership is perceived globally as something very crucial for the success of organisations but it is understood differently by different scholars (Phipps and Prieto, 2011; Yukl, 2010). However, most experts define it as the process through which an individual affects other group members with the aim of achieving organisational goals (Lunenburg and Ornstein, 2013). Leadership is also the art or process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly towards the achievement of organisational objectives (Adeyemi and Bolarinwa, 2013). Such an influence is basically considered as reciprocal based on relationships between and among individuals, groups, and the settings in which they find themselves. Inferring from George (2004) it could be said that the process through which principals of CoEs in Ghana influence their subordinates mirrors their personality and character. Thus, the way they perform their leadership role essentially shapes their thinking, acting, and feelings in their respective Colleges. Through the knowledge of