Addressing teacher expectations: Challenges and strategies for educational HR leadership in Ghana’s Central Region

This qualitative, descriptive-phenomenological study examines the challenges faced by human resource (HR) managers in Ghana's Central Region schools and education directorates in meeting teacher expectations and the leadership strategies employed to address unmet needs. Through in-depth interviews with five HR managers and five teacher union representatives, analyzed using Maslow's Theory of Needs and Fayol's Administrative Management Theory, the study identifies 12 interconnected challenges, including centralized decision-making, resource scarcity, staffing shortages, and relational tensions. These contribute to teacher dissatisfaction, turnover, and strikes, such as the 2022 Cost of Living Allowance dispute. HR managers employ counseling, external support, and improvisation, but systemic constraints limit effectiveness. The findings underscore the need for decentralized HR policies, enhanced resource allocation, and strengthened HR leadership training to improve teacher retention and educational quality. Aligned with Ghana's Education Sector Plan (2018-2030), this study offers actionable insights for educational leaders and policymakers in resource-constrained settings, with implications for Sub-Saharan Africa. It contributes to scholarship on educational leadership by highlighting HR's pivotal role in fostering teacher motivation and system resilience.