Research Article
Teachers' Pedagogical Competence and Students' Learning Outcomes: Evidence from Selected Secondary Schools in Sierra Leone
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 5, October 2026
Pages:
124-130
Received:
23 July 2026
Accepted:
6 August 2026
Published:
2 September 2026
Abstract: This study explored how teachers’ pedagogical competence relates to students’ learning outcomes in selected secondary schools. The focus was on understanding whether strong teaching practices translate into improved academic performance, especially in a context where student achievement remains uneven. A descriptive research design was adopted. Data were gathered from students’ assessments of their teachers’ classroom practices as well as students’ academic records, including BECE results and recent test scores. The findings show that teachers were generally viewed as highly competent, with an average score of 3.52 (SD = 0.58). In fact, about 91.1% of students rated their teachers positively in terms of instructional effectiveness. Despite this, students’ overall academic performance was only moderate, with a composite mean score of 2.14 (SD = 1.18), and just 42.3% of students reaching high performance levels. When broken down by subject, students tended to perform better in Biology, while Mathematics recorded the lowest results. These results suggest a clear gap between how teaching is perceived and what students are actually achieving. It points to the idea that good classroom practice alone may not be enough to drive strong academic outcomes. Factors such as learning resources, student background, and school conditions likely play an important role in shaping performance. The findings indicate that student achievement is influenced not only by teacher quality but also by a combination of effective classroom practices and broader educational system factors, including the availability of teaching resources, supportive learning environments, and institutional support. The study recommends strengthening teacher professional development, with particular emphasis on enhancing Mathematics pedagogical skills through continuous in-service training and mentoring.
Abstract: This study explored how teachers’ pedagogical competence relates to students’ learning outcomes in selected secondary schools. The focus was on understanding whether strong teaching practices translate into improved academic performance, especially in a context where student achievement remains uneven. A descriptive research design was adopted. Dat...
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Research Article
Principals' Leadership Practices and Their Influence on Pupils' Character Development in Public Senior Secondary Schools in Urban Sierra Leone
Issue:
Volume 14, Issue 5, October 2026
Pages:
131-146
Received:
29 July 2026
Accepted:
17 August 2026
Published:
8 September 2026
Abstract: This study investigated principals' ethical leadership practices and their influence on pupils' character development in public senior secondary schools in urban Sierra Leone. The study was motivated by growing concerns over persistent indiscipline and the decline of moral values among secondary school pupils. A mixed-methods research design was employed, combining quantitative data from structured questionnaires administered to 84 teachers and qualitative data from Key Informant Interviews with 12 principals and Focus Group Discussions with 288 pupils, giving a total sample of 384 respondents selected from 12 public senior secondary schools across four major urban centres: Freetown, Bo, Kenema, and Makeni. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 26 was used to analyse quantitative data, yielding descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA with a Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of 0.826 for the teacher questionnaire, while NVivo software was employed for thematic analysis of the qualitative data. The findings reveal that school principals demonstrated ethical leadership through ethical role modelling, upholding ethical standards, enforcing fair and consistent discipline, and maintaining accountability and trustworthiness. Ethical role modelling was the most strongly endorsed dimension (total mean = 4.69), while accountability was the lowest rated (total mean = 4.24), though all dimensions fell within the “Agree” category. ANOVA results showed no significant gender differences in most dimensions (p > 0.05), except in the administration of rewards and punishment (p = 0.022). With respect to character development, teachers perceived pupils as having high moral awareness (mean = 4.69) and reasonable active participation (mean = 3.60) but showing deficiencies in punctuality (mean = 2.79), responsibility (mean = 2.24), empathy (mean = 2.71), and avoidance of examination malpractice (mean = 2.73). Qualitative findings corroborated these quantitative results, affirming that ethical leadership contributes to pupils' character development while acknowledging the persistence of indiscipline. The study recommends that principals consistently model ethical conduct; that the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) integrate ethical leadership into professional development programmes; and that schools implement comprehensive character education curricula emphasizing moral values such as honesty, fairness, responsibility, and empathy.
Abstract: This study investigated principals' ethical leadership practices and their influence on pupils' character development in public senior secondary schools in urban Sierra Leone. The study was motivated by growing concerns over persistent indiscipline and the decline of moral values among secondary school pupils. A mixed-methods research design was em...
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,
Samuel Joseph Bebeley
