Abstract:
Ongoing education reforms in under-resourced and culturally unique contexts, such as
the Karamoja sub-region of North Eastern Uganda, have highlighted limited empirical
evidence on how specific leadership behaviours influence curriculum change
management. This study examined the effect of relation-oriented, task-oriented, and
change-oriented leadership behaviours on curriculum change management, while
exploring the mediating role of organizational climate. Guided by the Path-Goal
Theory and Transformational Leadership Theory, the study adopted a pragmatic
research paradigm and employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design,
integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study population comprised
247 participants, including headteachers, deputy headteachers, directors of studies,
teachers, and officials from the National Curriculum Development Centre and the
Ministry of Education and Sports. Data were collected from 23 secondary schools (5
private and 18 government-aided) selected using a clustered sampling technique. A
sample of 228 teachers completed self-administered questionnaires, while in-depth
interviews were conducted with key school leaders and officials using purposive and
stratified sampling.Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential
statistics, including regression analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed
thematically. Findings indicated that teachers perceived moderate leadership support
for curriculum change, with gaps in communication and collaborative planning.
Regression results revealed that relation-oriented leadership significantly influenced
curriculum management (β = .229; p < .05), task-oriented leadership accounted for
22.5% of the variance (β = .225; p < .05), and change-oriented leadership had a
significant positive effect (β = .167; p < .05). Organizational climate mediated the
relationship, explaining 15.7% of the variance. Qualitative findings highlighted that
effective leadership fosters teacher motivation, collaboration, and adaptability,
emphasizing clear communication, shared decision-making, and professional
development.The study concluded that headteachers’ leadership behaviours are
critical to effective curriculum change management. Recommendations include
adopting the Management of Curriculum Change Enhancement Model (MaCCEM),
strengthening leadership training focused on communication and collaboration, and
promoting relation-oriented leadership practices to enhance curriculum
implementation.
