**6. Research implications, strengths, and limitations**

#### **6.1 Research implications**

This study has demonstrated that excellent leadership can enable good academic performance and good leaders. The findings of this research may also be consolidated or further developed through any future study that will focus on learner performance in rural secondary schools in Botswana.

#### **6.2 Practical implications**

It is noteworthy that school heads in this study encouraged regular good teacher professional learning support, which encourages dialog, giving feedback and enhancing experiential learning.

#### **6.3 Strengths and limitations**

The major limitation of this study and any case is that it is context-bound which limits generalization to other contexts. The study, therefore, recommends the need for replication studies in other rural and urban areas of Botswana to establish if the findings of this study are robust and also to identify any differences between rural and urban contexts. The findings of this study can contribute to designing future leadership development programs for school heads in rural schools.
