Leadership Qualities and Practices for Effective Leadership: Evidence from Africa Renewal University, Uganda

Background: Awareness of youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services (YFSRHS) is an important starting point for enabling young people to identify and seek appropriate sexual and reproductive health information and care. However, awareness of these services may vary across settings, including higher education institutions. Objective: To determine the level of awareness of YFSRHS among undergraduate students at Saint Augustine University of Tanzania (SAUT), Malimbe Campus. Methods: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students at SAUT Malimbe Campus. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire. Of 109 questionnaires distributed, 108 completed questionnaires were included in the analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize students’ awareness and reported sources of information. Results: Of the 108 respondents, 96 (88.9%) reported having heard of YFSRHS, while 12 (11.1%) had not. Social media was the most frequently reported source of information (44.0%), followed by friends or peers (41.0%) and health facilities (36.0%). University programmes and posters or advertisements were reported less frequently. Conclusion: Most respondents had heard of YFSRHS, with social media and peer networks serving as prominent information channels. Strengthening accurate information through these channels, alongside university-based communication, may help address the awareness gap among students who remain unreached.

This study aims to analyze the role of school principal leadership in shaping students’ character of discipline, responsibility, and independence at SMP Negeri 4 Pekanbaru. This research employed a qualitative phenomenological approach involving 16 participants consisting of one school principal, five teachers, and ten students, selected through purposive sampling based on their involvement and understanding of the research phenomenon. Data were collected through observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation, and analyzed using data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that school principals play a crucial role in character formation through exemplary leadership, integration of character values into the school vision and mission, habituation programs, routine activities, supervision, and continuous evaluation. The strategies implemented include effective communication, motivation and appreciation, enforcement of school regulations accompanied by guidance, and collaboration with teachers, parents, and the community. Character development is supported by the principal’s commitment, involvement of school members, extracurricular activities, and family and community support. However, several challenges remain, including limited student awareness, insufficient parental supervision, peer influence, and uncontrolled use of technology and social media. This study highlights the importance of transformational and collaborative leadership in creating a school environment that supports sustainable student character development.

Madrasah leadership is increasingly expected to translate educational regulations and institutional visions into accountable practices that strengthen teaching, organizational culture, and Islamic character formation. This study is designed to examine how ethical, servant, spiritual, and authentic leadership are interpreted and enacted in educational policy at MTs Darussalam Lubuklinggau. A qualitative single-case study will be conducted. Purposively selected participants are expected to include the madrasah principal, vice-principals, teachers, educational staff, committee representatives, and selected students, subject to access and ethical approval. Data will be generated through in-depth interviews, non-participant observations, and analysis of institutional documents. The analysis will combine iterative data condensation, display, and conclusion verification with theory-informed and inductive thematic coding. Source and method triangulation, participant checking, and an audit trail will be used to strengthen trustworthiness. Since fieldwork has not yet been conducted, this manuscript does not report empirical findings. Its intended contribution is an analytical framework connecting four complementary leadership perspectives with the stages of madrasah policy formulation, communication, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.

This study investigated the challenges facing head teachers in providing leadership support for the implementation of the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC) in public primary schools in Muleba District, Tanzania. The study was guided by one specific objective: to identify the challenges faced by head teachers in providing leadership support for CBC implementation. Grounded in Hallinger and Murphy's (1985) Instructional Leadership Theory, the study adopted a pragmatic paradigm with a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. The target population comprised 2,166 individuals from 237 public primary schools. Data were collected using structured questionnaires from 112 respondents (100 classroom teachers and 12 heads of schools), semi-structured interviews with head teachers and one School Quality Assurance Officer, and document review. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics through SPSS Version 22, while qualitative data were analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke's (2006) framework. The findings revealed seven interconnected challenges: inadequate CBC training for head teachers themselves (84.8%), inadequate funding preventing leadership support (81.3%), heavy administrative workloads (76.8%), unclear government support (76.8%), financial constraints generally (67.9%), overcrowded classrooms (64.3%), and teacher resistance to CBC changes (52.7%). The study concluded that head teachers' effectiveness in leading CBC implementation is systematically undermined by systemic factors beyond their control. The study recommends mandatory CBC training for head teachers, reduction of administrative workloads, increased capitation grants with CBC-specific allocations, clear national implementation guidelines, and investment in school infrastructure.

Islamic civilization is one of the major civilizations that has significantly contributed to the development of science and education worldwide. During its golden age, it established educational institutions, fostered scholarly traditions, and produced influential scholars whose ideas continue to shape modern knowledge in the digital era. This article examines the relevance of Islamic civilizational values to the development of modern education through qualitative library research using thematic content analysis. The findings show that Islamic education was distinguished by four interrelated values, namely a strong culture of literacy, the integration of religious and general knowledge, an emphasis on moral formation (akhlak), and openness to knowledge from other civilizations, which together enabled scholars to advance science while upholding ethical and social responsibility. These values are highly relevant to addressing contemporary educational challenges, including declining critical literacy, uncritical dependence on digital technology and artificial intelligence, and the ongoing crisis of learners’ character. These values can inform the development of a modern educational system that integrates critical thinking, digital literacy, character education, and lifelong learning while maintaining moral and social responsibility.