ABSTRACT
The study was carried out to determine the relationship between Demographic Variables and Administrative Effectiveness of Secondary School Principals in South South, Nigeria. The population consisted of all the 6487 principals and vice principals (administration) of public and private government approved secondary schools from six South South states of Nigeria namely Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states. The sample was 362 respondents (principals and vice principals (administration) drawn from the three South South states of Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Delta. This was determined using multi-stage sampling procedure. Six research questions were asked and six null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 significant level to direct the study. Data collection was carried out with the use of two sets of researcher-developed questionnaire titled “Demographic Variables Questionnaire (DVQ) and Principals’ Administrative Effectiveness Questionnaire (PAEQ). The instruments were validated and trial tested using the test retest reliability measure using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Statistics. This gave a reliability coefficient of 0.81 and 0.83 respectively. The research questions were answered using Pearson Product Moment Correlation, while the null hypotheses were tested using Linear Regression. The result indicated significant relationships between the variables. Findings on the research questions indicated positive relationships between school ownership, school type, school location, school size, school climate, school mapping and administrative effectiveness of secondary school principals in the South South. More so, the results of the hypotheses testing revealed that principals’ administrative effectiveness in South South, Nigeria relate significantly with school ownership, school type, school location, school size, school climate and school mapping. This led to the retention of the null hypotheses. On the basis of this, it was concluded that demographic school variables viz school ownership; School type, school location, school size, school climate and school mapping are positively related to administrative effectiveness of secondary school principals in South South, Nigeria. It was recommended among other things, that as government takes care of the public secondary schools, they should equally make provisions for private schools to ensure general effective administration of schools by the principals. Besides, government should ensure adequate supervision of the activities of principals in all schools. This is to make all principals sit up to their duties to achieve effective school administration in all schools irrespective of the school type.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Declaration ii
Dedication iii
Certification iv
Acknowledgement v
Table of
Contents vi
List of Tables vii
List of Figure viii
Abstract ix
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 6
1.3 Purpose of the Study 7
1.4 Research Questions 8
1.5 Hypotheses 8
1.6 Significance of the Study 9
1.7 Scope of the Study 10
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Conceptual Framework 11
2.1.1 Secondary
education and administrative effectiveness 11
2.1.2 School ownership and administrative
effectiveness 21
2.1.3 School type and administrative effectiveness 25
2.1.4 School location and administrative
effectiveness 31
2.1.5 School size and administrative effectiveness 36
2.1.6 School
climate and administrative effectiveness 44
2.17 School mapping and administrative
effectiveness 51
2.2 Theoretical Framework
63
2.2.1 Situational Theory of
Leadership 63
2.2.2 Behavioural Theory of
Leadership 64
2.3 Empirical Studies 66
2.4 Summary of Review of Related Literature 82
CHAPTER 3:
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Design of the Study 84
3.2 Area of the Study 84
3.3 Population of the Study 85
3.4 Sample
and Sampling Techniques 86
3.5 Instrument
for Data Collection 86
3.6
Validation of the Instrument 86
3.7 Reliability of the instrument 87
3.8 Method
of Data Collection 87
3.9 Method of Data Analysis 88
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS
AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Results 89
4.2 Summary of the
Findings 96
4.3 Discussion of Findings 96
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary 100
5.2 Conclusion 101
5.3 Educational
implications 102
5.4 Recommendations 103
5.5 Limitations 104
5.6 Suggestions for
further study 104
References 105
Appendices 114
LIST OF TABLES
Page
2.1 School Climate Domains and Indicators 45
2.2 Consideration and Initiating Structure
Dimensions of the
Ohio
State Leadership studies 65
4.1 Correlation Matrix of
Relationship between school ownership
and principals’
administrative effectiveness 89
4.2 Regression
Analysis of Relationship between school ownership
and Principals’ Administrative Effectiveness 90
4.3 Correlation
Matrix of Relationship between School type
and Principals’ Administrative Effectiveness 90
4.4 Regression
Analysis of Relationship between school type
and Principals’ Administrative Effectiveness. 91
4.5 Correlation
Matrix of Relationship between school location
and principals’ administrative effectiveness 91
4.6 Regression
Analysis of relationship between school location
and principals’ administrative effectiveness 92
4.7 Correlation
Matrix of Relationship between school size
and Administrative Effectiveness 92
4.8 Regression
analysis of relationship between school size
and principals’ administrative effectiveness 93
4.9 Correlation
matrix of relationship between school climate
and principals’ administrative effectiveness 94
4.10 Regression
Analysis of relationship between school climate
and principals’ administrative effectiveness 94
4.11 Correlation
Matrix of relationship between school mapping
and principals’ administrative effectiveness 95
4.12 Regression
Analysis of relationship between school mapping
and principals’ administrative effectiveness 95
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Recent happenings in the school system suggest that
secondary schools in the South South zone of Nigeria are not effectively
administered. Teachers’ attitude to work is deteriorating on daily basis as
could be seen in the rate of lateness to school, absence from class and leaving
school before time; students are involved in different forms of vices such as
cultism and examination malpractice; and performance in competitive examinations
such as Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) and University
Matriculation Examinations (UME) is becoming poorer every day. Interactions
with teachers at this level of education reveal that some of the school
principals pay less attention to their work, while some are even cowed by the
teachers. The ultimate effect of this is ineffective school administration due
to poor leadership by the school principals.
Effective leadership has a critical role to play in
the school system, and for the goals and objectives of secondary education to
be achieved effective school administration is indispensable. Along with the
widespread belief that the quality of leadership makes a significant difference
to school and student outcomes, there is also increasing recognition that
effective school leaders and administrators have to be developed if they are to
provide the best possible education for their learners.
Educational institutions in the zone should be effectively
administered if the goals and objectives of secondary education as stipulated in
the National Policy on Education must be realized. In order to achieve this,
certain demographic school variables such as school ownership, school type,
school location, school size, school climate and school mapping not often
considered seriously during appointment of principals, may only be ignored at
the peril of the educational system. Human beings, have unlimited capacity to
learn, but may however be limited by the behaviour patterns and variables
constituting the learning environment. According to Umoh (2006), nature only
provides the raw materials in form of potentials, but it is the environment
that determines the extent of development. The demographic school variables
constituting the school system may either make or mar the system as they may
impact greatly upon the realization of the goals and objectives of education at
any level.
Secondary schools in the South
South region of Nigeria, though with distinct demographic variables, use the
same national curriculum and operate within the stipulations of the same
National Policy on Education. The extent to which the schools are effectively administered
for the realization of the goals and objectives of secondary education can be
largely affected by these demographic variables.
Some of the demographic school variables
considered capable of impacting upon the administrative effectiveness of
secondary school principals are school ownership, school type, school location,
school size, school climate and school mapping (Okpe, 2010). These variables
are important indices in determining the administrative effectiveness of any
secondary school administrator, which are predictors of students’ academic
performance at this level of education.
A demography group refers to a group of people that
have a particular set of qualities (Marriam-Webster, 2015). Demographic
variables according to Eze, Obidoa, and Okide (2007) are variables by which
populations are sub-divided for the purposes of analysis. These variables help
in understanding the mix-up of people in the society, which may differ within
and between groups. Thus administrators’ effectiveness may differ between school
ownership, school type, school location, school size, school climate and school
mapping to list but a few.
Gede and Lawanson (2011)
investigated the relationship between Employee Characteristics and Job
Performance in Bayelsa State Ministry of Education. The study was a descriptive
survey design. Four research hypotheses were used to guide the study. The population
of the study comprised of 221 employees of Bayelsa State Ministry of Education.
Representative samples of 50 employees were randomly selected from the office.
A stratified random sampling was used to randomly select respondents from all
the departments. The data for analysis were gathered using a 14-item
questionnaire titled Employee Characteristics and Job Performance (ECJP). The
instrument was constructed using the five point Likert type scale. The
instrument was validated and test re-test reliability coefficient of 0.79 was
obtained. The research hypotheses were tested and analyzed using frequencies
and chi-square statistical tools. The results showed that there is significant
relationship between employee characteristics and job performance of employees.
School size is another contingency
variable believed to affect the effectiveness of secondary school principals
(Hofler, 2010). Small organizations can behave informally while larger
organizations tend to become more formalized. The owner of a small organization
may directly control most of the organizational processes, but large
organizations require more complex and indirect control mechanisms. Large
organizations can have more specialized staff, units, and jobs (Amah,
Daminabo-Weje & Dosunmu, 2013). A school with highly populated students may end up with the
principal not being able to monitor the performance of the staff and students
effectively. Also, research has postulated a form of severe relationship
between the ownership of school (public school and private) and the
administrative effectiveness of the school principals. The location and
availability of educational resources for use in the school may also affect the
administrative performance of the school principal.
Essentially, school climate
captures how students, teachers, and parents view their school and is
correlated with social, emotional, and academic outcomes (Bear, 2005). Schools
with positive school climate also enjoy fewer behavior problems, increased
academic achievement, higher levels of student self-esteem, and greater overall
commitment to school among the school community (Arum, 2003). There is a
growing body of work supporting the importance of climate in promoting academic
achievement, school safety, dropout prevention, teacher retention, healthy
social interactions, and well-being (Cohen, 2010; Dynarski, Clarke, Cobb, Finn,
Rumberger, & Smink, 2008). Although there is no common definition of school
climate, efforts to measure and manipulate climate have uncovered several
common elements that are tightly tied to higher achievement and reported
satisfaction with schooling among school staff and students.
Freiberg and Stein (2009) described school climate
as the heart and soul of the school and the essence of the school that draws
teachers and students to love the school and to want to be a part of it. This
renewed emphasis on the importance of school climate was further reinforced by
a meta-analysis study performed by Wang, Haertel and Walberg (2010), which
found that school culture and climate were among the top influences in
affecting improved student achievement.
School Mapping is the
dynamic process of identifying logically and systematically the communities and
sites where educational facilities provided in the plan are to be located (Freiberg & Stein, 2009). School mapping incorporates spatial and
demographic dimensions into the educational planning process. Location of
educational facilities depends on the norms and standards developed by the
public authorities. Even within the norms and standards, many geographical
areas may be eligible for opening of new schools. School mapping technique helps us to identify
the most appropriate location of schools or their alternatives so that more
children can benefit from the same level of investment. The major objective of
school mapping is to create equality of educational opportunities by leveling
off of the existing disparities in the distribution of educational facilities (Sergiovanni, 2011).
The concept of effectiveness has been defined by
different authors in different ways but all having similar meaning. Olaitan
(2003) sees effectiveness as knowledge, skills, attitudes and judgment
generally required for the successful performance of a task. These knowledge,
skills, mindsets and thought patterns, when used whether singularly or in
various combinations, results in successful performance of a job. In the
opinion of Katance (2001), effectiveness has to do with the ability of a
supervisor to integrate different kinds of knowledge and use them synergically.
Olive (2002) posited that effectiveness involves knowledge, skills, attitudes,
values, motivation and beliefs people need in order to be successful in a job.
Effectiveness refers to producing the desired intended results. Effectiveness
in relation to the study then means that the principals have to produce the
desired intended result by carrying out effective administrative practices in
secondary schools. An effective principal is said to be a person who possesses
the right and appropriate professional and academic qualifications that will
enable him/her to guide, direct and help classroom teachers to impart the right
type of knowledge using the appropriate method and with a well-chosen
instructional material on learners, hence leading to the improvement of the
instructional processes (Afianmagbon, 2004; Eya, 2006).
Effectiveness can also be seen as the degree to
which objectives are achieved and the extent to which targeted problems are
solved. Effectiveness also refers to the level of results from the actions of
students, teachers and Supervisors. Principals who demonstrate effectiveness in
their workplace help produce high quality results. In order to carry out
administrative practices effectively in secondary schools there is the need for
regular supervision of schools for improvement in teaching and learning processes.
According to Nakpodia (2011), if teachers are not supervised regularly, instructional
effectiveness will be adversely affected as teachers may not be adequately
committed to their duties. The effectiveness of a principal has an enormous
impact on teachers’ and students’ outcome or performance as well as
achievement.
The concept of administrative
effectiveness has been defined differently by different authors due to its
complex nature (Bao, 2009). Some researchers defined it as the positive
response to administrative efforts and actions with the intention to accomplish
stated goal (Akomolafe 2012). Although, administrative effectiveness is defined
as the product of a series of complex nested relations and an interaction
pattern (Cammock, Nilakant & Dakin, 1995). An administration’s capacity to forecast problems before hand
shows itself as a result of the characteristics and behaviors in his personal
relationships and consulting criteria. In leading a group, the concept of
leadership is regarded as effectiveness (Adeniyi & Omoteso 2014). Effective
administration requires a balance of skills among many dimensions (Cammock
et al. 1995) and
these dimensions and parameters are influenced to a different degree by
personal, organizational, and environmental contextual variables (Analoui,
2007). This balance includes not only a series of quality behaviors but also
many personality traits as an administrator.
Studies have revealed that the secondary school
principal has a vital and unique role to play (Nakpodia, 2011). These include formulation
of educational philosophy for the school, declaration of commitment to
comprehensive planning, and effective school administrator. The principal is
the educational leader responsible for daily coordination of various activities
going on in the school. He/she is the manager of the school and coordinates all
the educational programmes existing in the school. In addition, the principal takes
responsibility for the teachers and non-teaching staff as well as property
owned by the school and those supplied to the school. Various responsibilities
are therefore necessary for a principal in discharging or carrying out his or
her professional duties. The functions which the principal has to perform are
numerous and diverse. These include development and implementation of the
educational programme, curriculum development, staff development, students’ relations,
and welfare, community relations and financial functions. An effective school principal carries out
these functions with the help of vice principals and teachers for the
realization of educational goals and objectives of the school. This study therefore
examined the relationship between demographic variables and principals’
administrative effectiveness for the realization of the goals and objectives of
secondary education in the South South states of Nigeria.
1. 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Effective schools are schools that achieve the set
goals and objectives of education as spelt out for a particular level of
education. In order to realize the goals and objectives of secondary education
in Nigeria, principals should pay apt attention to the demographic school
variables. Principals of secondary schools in the South South geopolitical zone
of Nigeria can make their schools effective if they pay adequate attention to
these variables. Principals, who are the heads of secondary schools, are the
key factors in making the schools effective.
However, a cursory look at the state of secondary
education in Nigeria reveals a preponderance of problems that can be
effectively handled administratively. Teachers are not responding adequately to
their duties as depicted in the rate of truancy and lateness to school, while
students get involved in various kinds of misbehaviour such as cultism,
violence and examination malpractice. Complaints of teachers’ poor attitude to
work and poor academic performance by students abound in secondary schools in
the South South region. Edem (2008) indicated that teachers in Akwa Ibom state
were laissez fare in their attitude towards work and that students’
performances in external examinations such as the Senior School Certificate
Examination (SSCE) conducted by West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National
Examination Council (NECO) were very poor in recent years. Umoren (2012)
pointed out that secondary school teachers in Cross River State were not
serious with their duties as exemplified in their poor work behaviour. The root
of most of these problems in the school system is traced to demographic
variables. Such variables as school ownership, school type, school location,
school size, school climate and school mapping exert enormous influence on principals’
administrative effectiveness.
The problem of this study therefore is ineffective
administration of secondary schools in South South Nigeria. The study examined how
demographic variables affect the administrative effectiveness of secondary
school principals in the Zone. Since much research work has not been carried
out in the South South zone of Nigeria in this direction, the researcher
intends to fill the gap by carrying out an in-depth study to unravel if there
is any relationship between demographic variables such as school ownership,
school type, school location, school size, school climate, school mapping and
administrative effectiveness of secondary school principals in South South
Nigeria.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study was to
determine the relationship between demographic variables and administrative
effectiveness of secondary school principals in South South Nigeria.
Specifically, the study determined:
1.
the relationship between school ownership and administrative
effectiveness of secondary schools in South South Nigeria.
2.
the relationship between school type and administrative effectiveness of
secondary school principals in South South, Nigeria.
3.
the relationship between school location and administrative effectiveness
of secondary school principals in South South, Nigeria.
4.
the relationship between school size and administrative effectiveness of
secondary schools in South South, Nigeria.
5.
the relationship between school climate and administrative effectiveness
of secondary schools in South South, Nigeria.
6.
the relationship between school mapping and administrative effectiveness
of secondary schools in South South, Nigeria.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The following research questions
were asked and answered to guide the study:
1.
What
is the relationship between school ownership and administrative effectiveness
of secondary schools in South South, Nigeria?
2.
What
is the relationship between school type and administrative effectiveness of
secondary school principals in South South, Nigeria?
3.
What
is the relationship between school location and administrative effectiveness of
secondary school principals in South South, Nigeria?
4.
What
is the relationship between school size and administrative effectiveness of
secondary schools in South South, Nigeria?
5.
What
is the relationship between school climate and administrative effectiveness of
secondary schools in South South, Nigeria?
6.
What
is the relationship between school mapping and administrative effectiveness of
secondary schools in South South, Nigeria?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide
the study and were tested at 0.05 level of significance:
1.
There
is no significant relationship between school ownership and administrative
effectiveness of secondary schools in South South, Nigeria.
2.
There
is no significant relationship between school type and administrative
effectiveness of secondary school principals in South South, Nigeria.
3.
There
is no significant relationship between school location and administrative
effectiveness of secondary schools in South South, Nigeria.
4.
There
is no significant relationship between school size and administrative
effectiveness of secondary schools in South South, Nigeria.
5.
There
is no significant relationship between school climate and administrative
effectiveness of secondary school principals in South South, Nigeria.
6.
There
is no significant relationship between school mapping and administrative
effectiveness of secondary schools in South South, Nigeria.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of the study will be theoretically
significant and beneficial to educational authorities, school principals,
parents, and other educational stakeholders in understanding the relationship
between demographic variables and administrative effectiveness of secondary
school principals in South South Nigeria.
The theories adopted as the basis of this study are significant
as school administrators are guided by the situations on ground and work
behaviours of their staff in deciding on any administrative style to adopt in
order to ensure school effectiveness.
The findings of the study will guide educational
authorities in the appointment of secondary school principals based on their knowledge
of the relationship between demographic school variables (school ownership,
school type, school location, school climate, school mapping) and
administrative effectiveness of secondary school principals. This will go a
long way to determine how effective the administration of such schools will be.
It is equally expected that the school principals
will benefit from the findings of this study as the knowledge of the
relationship between the variables under study will enhance their
administrative effectiveness through improved efforts.
Parents will also be guided by the findings of this
study in determining schools for the placement of their children / wards. This study will be of benefit to other
educationists who are interested in knowing how demographic school variables
affect the administrative effectiveness and performance of secondary school
principals in South South Nigeria.
Finally, the study is expected to contribute to the
stock of literature in this direction, while serving as a reference material
for future researchers.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was delimited to Demographic Variables and
Administrative Effectiveness of Secondary School Principals in South South
Nigeria. South South states covered in the region were Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa,
Cross River, Rivers, Delta and Edo states, but the study was delimited to three
states in the zone. The states included Akwa Ibom, Cross River, and Delta
states. The study also involved all the secondary school principals and
vice-principals in the region. Demographic variables covered in the study were
school climate, school mapping, school ownership, school type, school location
and school size. These formed the scope of the study which aimed at determining
the relationship between the variables (demographic school variables and
administrative effectives of secondary school principals) in the zone.
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