Leadership practices and teacher professional learning and development in public senior high schools in Ghana: insights from teachers and educational leaders

Countries worldwide have invested considerable resources in teacher professional learning and development (PLD) to improve their professional performance. However, in Ghana, PLD efforts, especially research, have disproportionately focused on primary and basic schoolteachers. This study examines the perspectives of teachers and educational leaders regarding leadership practices that influence teacher PLD in Ghanaian public senior high schools. Using a convergent mixed methods design, quantitative data from 446 teachers and qualitative data from thirty-two interviewees, including school heads, professional learning communities (PLC) coordinators and regional education officials was gathered across three regions. Findings from the study revealed that while collaborative learning environments, effective supervision and clear communication were viewed by the research participants as critical leadership practices that fostered teacher professional learning and development, resource limitations constrained it. The results also indicated that the Transforming Teaching, Education and Learning (T-TEL) framework’s weekly departmental and subject-based PLC sessions that emphasised collaborative learning, contextual sensitivities, trust-building, constructive feedback, strong leadership and technology integration contributed to shaping leadership practices that aimed at improving teacher PLD experiences. These findings offer clear guidance for educational leaders and policymakers to prioritise contextually responsive and relational leadership approaches underpinned by strong institutional support and resource provision.