Professional Practices of Direct Selected and Promoted Head Teacher: Perceived Perspective of Secondary School Teachers

Abstract

Effective school leadership is a key determinant of educational success. In Punjab, Pakistan, head teachers are appointed through two main routes: direct selection (new recruitment) and promotion (internal advancement of existing teachers). The purpose of this study was to investigate how these two types of head teachers differ in their professional practices, particularly in areas like instructional leadership, teacher evaluation, and administrative management. The population of study was 800 secondary school teachers. Simple random sampling technique was adopted to select sample. The sample size was 160 SST. Teachers' perceptions of their head teachers' instructional leadership, teacher evaluation, school culture management, professional development support, and administrative leadership were analyzed. Findings indicate that direct-selected head teachers scored significantly higher in several areas, including setting instructional goals, promoting innovative teaching methods, providing resources for instructional improvement and managing school finances effectively. Promoted head teachers, while effective in fostering stability and inclusivity, tended to adopt more traditional approaches, scoring lower in proactive instructional and management practices. The overall comparison shows a statistically significant difference (p = .001) in the professional practices of direct-selected and promoted head teachers, with direct-selected head teachers scoring higher on average across all domains. These results suggest that a balanced approach to leadership combining the innovation of direct-selected head teachers with the experience of promoted head teachers may optimize school performance.