BRIDGING THE GAP: INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP IN FOSTERING SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) FOR CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN CAPE COAST, GHANA

This study investigates how transformational school leadership influences the implementation of socio-emotional learning (SEL) and character development in selected high schools in Cape Coast, Ghana. Data derived from a questionnaire administered to 60 educators, including classroom teachers, department heads, and counselors, were analyzed in terms of three focal constructs: Leadership Practices (LP), Implementation of SEL (SEL), and Character Development (CD). Reliability tests affirmed a sound internal consistency (α ≥ 0.79) for each measure. The descriptive findings indicated an overall favorable view toward leadership (M = 3.95), with moderate to higher engagement with SEL initiatives (M = 3.80) and strong endorsement of students\' ethical and prosocial growth (M = 3.90). Strong correlations between LP and SEL and CD (r ≥ 0.67, p < .01) indicate the interdependence of visionary leadership with holistic educational outcomes. Importantly, there were no notable differences found between public and private schools or across levels of experience, suggesting that supportive leadership practices transcend school type and teacher background. In essence, the findings imply that leadership-driven approaches emphasizing vision, collaborative capacity-building, and resource alignment are key to embedding socio-emotional competencies into regular teaching schemes. Thus, future research should employ longitudinal or qualitative approaches to unpack the contextual variables that might affect the sustainability or depth of character-focused SEL programs, such as resource availability and cultural norms.