The Future of Education

Heads of Departments (HoDs) play a significant role in the smooth running of the respective departments in Senior High Schools (SHS’s) in Ghana. There is a growing concern in recent times by stakeholders on the effectiveness of HoDs’ in discharging their duties. This study examined the administrative tasks performance and professional development needs of heads of academic departments in SHSs in Ghana.Two research questions guided the study: 1) What is the level of administrative tasks performance of HoDs in SHSs in Ghana? 2) To what extent are the professional development needs of HoDs in SHSs in Ghana? To achieve these objective, a cross-sectional survey with a quantitative approach was employed in the conduct of the study. Through a multi-stage sampling technique, questionnaire was administered to310 Heads of Departments and 620 teachers in 155 selected Public SHSs across the country. The study discovered that planning, organising, and controlling functions of HoDs were highly rated. However, supervision, evaluation, and directing functions of HoDs were rated low. It was further revealed that although HoDs were given professional training before they assume office as heads, they are rarely given any training after assuming office. In that line, the HoDs felt they greatly need professional development on management andcommunication skills, as well as training on assessment and evaluation competencies. It was recommended that Ghana Education Service together with Headteachers should regularly organise professional training programmes through workshops and seminars for HoDs in line with their duties as heads.

Keywords: Administrative tasks, Performance, Professional Development, Heads of Department, Senior High Schools;