Learning Management by Gambling? An exploration of how New Secondary School Administrators gain Management Proficiency in Uganda

Abstract

Like most African countries, Uganda does not require secondary school administrators to have done specialist Education management training prior to appointment. Without management training beyond the general teacher education pre-service programme, how do new school administrators cope with the management demands of their offices? What local strategies do they leverage to accelerate development of management ability? These questions sparked off the study. Its aim was to explore how new secondary school administrators gain management proficiency in Uganda despite absence of specialist management training as a prerequisite. The study used a tripartite case study design with school administrators as the key participants. It also utilised individual and group interviews as well as thematic analysis. The study discovered that new school administrators learn management rather casually and sporadically. It concluded that, in Uganda, acquisition of management proficiency involves much gambling to the detriment of effectiveness.