Educational Leadership and Success in National Examinations of Burundi: A Case of Kinama II and Saint Basile Schools
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70619/vol6iss7pp28-37-953Keywords:
Educational leadership, National examinations, Examination success, School leadership, Academic achievement, Teacher support, Educational management, BurundiAbstract
This study examines factors associated with low achievement among ninth-grade students in the National Examinations, with particular attention to the role of educational leadership in improving teaching and learning conditions. The study was conducted at Kinama II Fundamental School, a public school, and Saint Basile Technical High School, a private school, in Ntahangwa Municipality, Bujumbura. The study population consisted of 204 individuals: 188 ninth-grade students, 12 teachers, and the school director and head of studies. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and documentary analysis and were analysed using qualitative interpretation and descriptive quantitative procedures. Findings indicate that overcrowded classrooms, insufficient or inadequately qualified teachers, shortages of teaching materials, unfavourable working conditions, difficulties in individualizing instruction, and limited assessment practices are major barriers to student achievement. The study concludes that educational leadership can improve achievement through pedagogical monitoring, classroom supervision, professional development, resource mobilization, strengthened assessment, and student support. However, leadership alone cannot overcome structural constraints related to class size, infrastructure and educational resources.
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