Abstract
The study examined the relationship between demographic and personality variables and principals’ performance in the management of secondary schools in South-South, Nigeria. The corelational survey design was adopted for the study. 13 research questions and 10 hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study comprised of 1,356 principals of public secondary schools. The sample for the study consisted of 310 principals obtained using Taro Yamen’s formula. Proportionate stratified random sampling was used to select the number of principals per state while disproportionate stratified random sampling was used to select the number of principals per senatorial zone for fair representation. Four instruments namely: principals’ motivational factors questionnaire (PMFQ), principals’ leadership style questionnaire (PLSQ), principals’ performance scale (PPS), and plant observation rating scale (PORS) were used for data collection. These instruments were face validated by three experts: Two in educational administration and planning, and one in measurement and evaluation, from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The overall internal consistency reliability co-efficient index of the instruments obtained through cronbach alpha method were 0.97 for principals’ motivational factors questionnaire, 0.60 for principals’ leadership style questionnaire, 0.93 for principals’ performance scale, and 0.95 for plant observation rating scale. The data collected were presented using means, standard deviations, and correlation co-efficient. The null hypotheses were tested using multiple regressions and associated t-tests at 0.05 level of significance. It was found that most principals were males, married, had first degrees in different aspects of education, and have served as principals and vice principals for not more than 11 years. Principals in South-South, Nigeria exhibited open leadership styles. The factors that motivated principals in the performance of their duties were nature of work, recognition, responsibility, achievement and prospects for advancement. Principals’ performance was high in instructional supervision, communication, decision-making, provision of incentives, financial management, adherence to legal status, and conflict management. Their performance was low in human resources development, public relations, and school plant management. Leadership styles, educational qualification, and working experience had substantial correlation coefficients with principals’ performance in some task areas of management of secondary schools. Demographic and personality factors had joint significant relationship (P<0.05) with principals’ performance in all the task areas of management of secondary schools. These variables predicted 16.3%, 25%, 28.7%, 38.3%, 32.6%, 20.8%, 15.2%, 17.4%, 34%, and 6.8% of the variance in instructional supervision, communication, decision making, provision of incentives, human resource development, public relations, financial management, adherence to legal status, conflict management and resolution, and plant management respectively. The following variables predicted performance in different task areas; Leadership style predicted in all the task areas except plant management; location in instructional supervision, communication and plant management; marital status in decision making and public relations; experience as principals in financial management; and academic qualification in plant management. Age and gender did not predict principals’ performance in any of the task areas. Major implications is that leadership style, experience, qualification and marital status impacted positively on principals’ performance; and the performance of principals will not depend whether the person is a male. Based on these findings and implications, it was recommended that appointment of principals should not be based on age and gender since they have no substantial relationship with any of the task areas while educational qualification, years of working experience, and marital status should be considered since these variables have significant and substantial relationship with principals’ performance in different task areas of management. Professional development and capacity building programmes in human resources development, public relations, and school plant management should be constantly organized by government for principals since their performance was low in these tasks areas. Besides, effort to improve the level of motivation of principals should be made by the respective state governments on the provision and maintenance of school facilities, and the involvement of principals in decision-making.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Secondary Education is a six-year form of education which children receive after primary school before proceeding to the tertiary level of education. According to the National Policy of Education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004), secondary education is the form of education attended by children after primary education and before tertiary education with the aim of preparing individual for useful living within the society and for tertiary education. Secondary educations exist within the ambits of the law and are supervised by the Ministry of Education and its State agencies. For instance Section 18(3)b of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 2011 as amended provides for the existence of free secondary education while the Nigerian Educational Edicts and laws promulgated in 1955 and 1965 covered the rights of Secondary Education. The education laws promulgated by the states in the Federation laid down rules and regulations in respect of administration and management of Secondary Education. The principal is the administrative head of secondary schools who ensures the effective implementation of policies and progammes for the achievement of the school goals. For the attainment of the objectives of secondary schools, the curriculum has been developed to suit such desires which are to be implemented by the Principal with the coorporation of competent teachers.
The authority of the secondary school principal, according to Ogbonnaya (2009), is viewed in the position occupied as well as the functions performed. The Principal implements the educational programmes of the school, ensured the provision of facilities and equipment, keeps records both statutory and non-statutory in addition to creating a conducive teaching and learning atmosphere in schools. These are summed up by Ogbonnaya cited in Mgbodile (2004) into five areas, namely: Development and implementation of educational programmes, Development of teaching staff, Student relation function, Community relation function and financial function. Similarly, Ocho and Okeke (1997) classified these functions into five namely: management of instructional programme, staff personnel administration, student personnel administration, financial and physical resource management. Stoner (2002) noted that supervision of the teaching and learning process, decision making, conflict resolution, communication, record keeping, fund management, plant management, public relations and compliance to legal stipulations are critical aspects of school management. In this study, the following aspects namely: Instructional supervision, communication, decision making, provision of incentives for teachers and students, human resource development, public relations, funds management, plant management, adherence to statutory provisions, and conflict management/resolution are considered.
Instructional supervision has to do with what the principal does to promote or direct teaching and learning in the school. This according to Mgbodile (2004) involves the task of ensuring that organized teaching and learning is effective in the school system. This is done by the principal to see that meaningful learning takes place in all classes and that teachers are teaching what they are supposed to teach and are undertaking the teaching in a manner that the students understand and enjoy their lessons. The essence of instructional supervision is to assist teachers with ideas and suggestions that will improve their instructional delivery, as well as identify their needs and problems. Haruna (2008) noted that instructional supervision is the first and the most important responsibility of a school principal. No wonder Carter (2008) explained that the cardinal index of the performance evaluation of the school administrator rests on the leadership ability in instructional supervision. Similarly, Chika and Ebeke (2007) observed that among many factors that influence learning and achievement in secondary schools, principals’ instructional management seem to be the most critical intervening factor.
Communication is a basic administrative responsibility of the principal in ensuring that educational goals are achieved. Communication, according to Craig (2009), is the process of sharing information and exchange of significant messages, ideas, attitudes, and feelings in ways that produce a degree of understanding between two or more people. Communication is the ability to convey in the simplest form information or ideas which the recipient can easily understand; and the ability on the other part of the recipient to reciprocate in such a way that he can easily be understood (Otamiri, Isaiah and Wori, 2002). If the principal’s communication style is unfavorable to teachers working with him, there is the tendency that the teachers would not co-operate with the principal and performance would be affected.
Decision making is also a critical aspect of an administrator’s responsibility in the management of secondary schools. It is simply the process of choosing from among alternatives ways of providing a solution to a problem towards achieving objectives (Mgbodile, 2004). Decision making involves making choices. In the school system, the principal makes informed decisions that guide whatever the school does. Oboegbulem and Onwurah (2011) noted that decision making is vital in such managerial functions as planning, organizing, influencing and controlling. Participatory decision making in a collaborative form with stake holders in school usually improves the quality of decisions since diverse organizational experience is drawn and this increases the understanding of the group as well as their commitment to the decisions. This ownership perception motivates them to successfully implement the decisions.
Provision of teaching and learning incentives to teachers and students is another area of principals’ responsibility in school administration. These incentives are those things that encourage teachers and students action or efforts in the teaching and learning process which fall within the limits of the principal (Amirize, 2009). These include stimulating, controlling, disciplining and evaluation of teachers and students for the purpose of effective instructional delivery (Mogbodile, 2004). Understanding that teachers and students are the most important assets in the school is very necessary for school management. Due to the importance of teachers and students in the school system, Mgbodile (2004) reiterated that they must be handled very adroitly. The principal must understand how to deal with them to get the best out of them.
Human resources development is another crucial area of principals’ responsibility in the management of secondary schools. This could also be known as professional development (Gareth and Jennifer, 2006). These are the series of articulated training programmes designed for enhancing values re-orientation and attitudinal change of the human resources in an organization (Lawson, 2007). These specialized training when given to the teachers will make them more professionally effective than those who are not exposed to such training. This is so because these training programmes empower and motivates teachers for better performance. Therefore, in the opinion of Achunine (1998), the length of time one stays on the job does not necessarily make one perform efficiently rather, professional training is a more important factor than on-the job experience in job performance.