Abstract:
The study investigated how the management styles of Catholic grant-aided secondary schools affect the performance of students at the Malawi School Certificate of Education examinations (MSCE). Guided by the systems theory specifically the notion that inputs in a system affect the output, data was collected using unstructured interviews with head teachers and deputy head teachers, performance reports for the schools at the national level, and focus group discussions of heads of departments. The study revealed that with all factors being equal, performance in Catholic grant-aided schools is not uniform. The schools uses different management styles and that though there are similarities in how the schools enhance student performance the extent to which these are applied is greatly affected by the type of management at the school. The study also revealed that management practices that are adopted by schools are different with only few that are common and that the schools that are doing well have gone an extra mile to motivate teachers and learners inorder to achieve quality performance at MSCE. Management styles affect personnel motivation, how different resources are utilized across schools, and how this has affected student achievement. The research recommends that the church and the government should work together to motivate teachers and train school management teams. The study is very important as it will help different schools with knowledge of good management styles and practices that can be applied to improve student performance.
