ABSTRACT
This study investigates strategies for improving decision making of secondary school principals in Umuahia Education zone of Abia State. The purpose of this study is to find out strategies for improving administrative decision-making of secondary school principals in Umuahia Educational zone of Abia State. Four research questions and four hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted descriptive survey design. A sample size of 34 principals and 102 teachers was used for the study. The sample was drawn using multi stage sampling technique to select 34 principals and 102 teachers from Umuahia Education Zone.The researcher developed a structured questionnaire titled “strategies for improving decision-making of secondary school principals in Umuahia Education zone of AbiaState “Strategies for Improving Administrative Decision Making Questionnaire. (SIADMQ) which was used for data collection. The test re-test method was used to determine the reliability of the instrument which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.87. Data collected was analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while the t-test statistic was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that the use of administrative strategies in the area of supervision of instruction, financial management and maintenance of discipline strategies to a high extent, improve the administrative decision making of principals in schools. Based on the findings, it was recommended that principals should be trained on the effective ways of using supervision of instruction and also show high sense of discipline in their daily actions. There is also the need to include prudency in the management of finance and government should organize regular workshops and seminars for principals on how to identify those task areas where they could effectively involve teachers in administrative decision making among others.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title i
Declaration
ii
Certification
iii
Dedication
iv
Acknowledgements v
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables
ix
Abstract x
CHAPTERI:
INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background of the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 8
1.3 Purpose of the Study 9
1.4 Research Questions 9
1.5 Hypotheses 10
1.6 Significance of the Study 10
1.7 Scope of the Study 11
CHAPTER
2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 12
2.1 Conceptual Framework 12
2.1.1
Concept of decision making 12
2.1.2
Administrative strategies of school principals 14
2.1.3Principal
and supervision of instructions 18
2.1.4
Financial management and the school principal 20
2.1.5
Maintenance of discipline in schools 21
2.2
Theoretical Framework
2.2.1
Ecological or Classical model 23
2.2.2
Bounded rationality models 24
2.2.3
Vroom-Yelton Normetic models 25
2.3
Empirical Studies 25
2.4
Summary of Literature Reviewed 27
CHAPTER 3:
METHODOLOGY 29
3.1
Design of the Study 29
3.2
Area of the Study 29
3.3
Population of the Study 30
3.4
Sample and Sampling Techniques 30
3.5
Instrument for Data Collection
31
3.6
Validation of the Instrument 31
3.7
Reliability of the Instrument
31
3.8
Method of Data Collection 32
3.9
Method of Data Analysis 32
CHAPTER
4:
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 33
4.1 Results 33
4.2 Summary of Findings 35
4.3 Discussion of Findings 42
CHAPTER
5: SUMMARY,CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary of the Study 45
5.2 Conclusion 46
5.3 Recommendations 46
5.4 Educational Implications of the Study 47
5.5 Limitation of the Study 47
5.6 Suggestions for Further Study 48
REFERENCES 49
APPENDICES 55
LIST
OF TABLES
Table 1: Means and standard deviation on the
administrative task areas principal involve teachers in decision making 34
Table 2: t-test
analysis of mean responses of principals and teachers on administrative task areas principals involve teachers in decision
making 35
Table 3: Mean and
standard deviation on the extent use of supervision strategies improve administrative decision making of school
principals 36
Table 4: t-test analysis
of responses of principals and teachers on the extent use of
supervision of
instruction strategies to improve administrative decision making 37
Table 5: Mean and
standard deviation on the mean responses of principals and teachers on extent
financial management strategies to improve administrative decision making 38
Table 6: t-test analysis
of responses of principals and teachers on extent financial management
strategies improve principals’ administrative decision making 39
Table 7: Mean and standard
deviation on responses of principles and teachers on extent
maintenance of discipline strategies to improve administrative
decision making 40
Table 8: t-test analysis of
responses of principals and teachers on extent maintenance
of discipline strategies improves administrative
decision making 41
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Excellent
schools do not just come out to be in existence magically. They are
manifestation of carefulness and effective decision-making. Decision making is
the process of choosing from among alternatives ways of achieving an objective
or providing a solution to a problem and a course of action that increases
Organisational performance (Ibiam,2015). According to Hoy and Miskel (2004), “decision
making is good intentions if it is translated into actions”. Decision makingis
also the process in which decisions are not only reached but implemented (Hoy
&Miskel,2004).
Decision
making is a principal activity for managers or people occupying leadership
positions, it pervades the whole administrative process (Ngoka, 2000). Peretomode(2001)defined
decision making as a human process, involving both individual and social
phenomenon which includes a choice of one’s behavioural activity from among two
or more alternatives with the intentions of moving towards some desired state
of affairs. Observable in the above definitions is the fact that decision
makers have to choose from several alternatives in any decision making situation.
Edited by Ben Francis 8thedition, defined decision making as the
process of deciding about something. One can equally say that decision making is
the process of identifying alternatives, evaluating alternatives and selectingalternatives.
Recently,empirical
evidence has begun to emerge supporting participatoryapproach to decision
making which means the involvement of teachers, students and the host
communities including parents. Participatory decision making has been
increasingly advocated as essential in bringing about significant change in
educational practices. Brownand Milles(1998) defined participation as the
process whereby workers have share in the reaching of managerial decision in
the organisation. According to him, participation in this context connotes
consultation, delegation of authority or group consensuses. They are derived to
have participation in decision making.Participation is a social process where
specific groups which share needs in a defined geographic area actively pursue identifications
of their needs takes decision and establishes mechanisation to meet these
needs.(Ndekha,2003).
Strategy
is a method or plan chosen to bring about a desired future such as achievement
of a goal or solutions to a problem, the art and science of planning and
marshalling resources for their most efficient and effective use. Strategy is
about success: it is important to individuals and organisations in achieving
their goals. Strategy is about making choices on what an organization will seek
to achieve and how it will deliver value.(Michael,2012). Strategy is not a
detailed plan or programme of instruction; it is a unifying theme that gives
coherence and direction to the actions and decisions of an individual or an
organisation. Strategy according to Okereka (2008), strategy is the specific
methods of approaching a problem or task the modes of operation for achieving a
particular end and the planed designs for controlling and manipulating certain
information. Strategy is what matters for the effectiveness of the
organizations, the external point of view which stresses the relevance of the
objectives against the environment in terms of internal stresses. It also
balanced communications between members of the organizations and willingness to
contribute towards activities and the achievement of common objectives (Ogbonnaya,
2002). He further explained that strategy is a role for making decision under
conditions of partial ignorance whereas policy is a contingent decisions and
the broad collection of decision rules and guidelines that defines the origination,
Scope, growth and directions.
Furthermore,
the components of strategy are,
Mission:The mission represents the view
that leaders of the origination have the future of the organization this is
what they want to become or achieve.
Goals: This defines the future
positions of the organization .they are selected on the basis of the defined
mission.
Objectives: Here the goals are broad
and timeless statement of the end results that the organizations considers well
achieved in the mission.
Administration
in general is the co-ordination of human and material resources towards the
attainment of some pre-determined objectives.Educational administration means
the arrangement of human,teachers and non-teachers, material resources and
programmes available for education and carefully using them systematically for
the attainment of educational objectives.Administration is a social process concerned
with identifying maintaining, motivating, controlling and unifying formally and
informally organized human and material resources within an integrate system
designed specifically to achieve predetermined objectives. Administration has
to do with objectives.
Administration
according to Enchohwo and Eferakeya(2009), can be defined as the process by
which goals are achieved through collective and cooperative human effort in a
suitable environment. This definition specifies important points. Administration
as a process, which involves the manipulationof certain operations,administration
as goal oriented, a collective and cooperative human efforts required in administration
and a suitable environment, where participants can maximise performance.Now the
meaning of administration has been understood as it relates to administration in
the context of education or school organisation. Education administration is
defined as a means of achieving the goals of education through effective and efficient
manipulation of available inputs.
Aderonmu
and Ehiametelor (2011) defined
educational administration essentially as a service, activity or tool through
which the fundamental objectives of the educational process may be more fully
and efficiently realized. Educational administration is therefore concerned
with the utilization of adequate resources, the harmonization of relationship and
interaction in a suitable environment in order to foster the attainment of the
goals of teaching and learning. Educational administration involves prudent
management of resources and high degree of accountability on the part of
organizational members. Educational administration broadly means running of educational
institutions which involves guidance, leadership and controlling of the efforts
of individuals in the achievement of goals of the institution (Ayannyi, 2000).
Educational
administration also involves management that aimed at directing all activities
towards the attainment of the goals of teaching and learning. All the people
working in an educational institution will have to contribute towards the
accomplishment of these goals. Teachers and other professional staff are
involved such as parents, lay members of the community, members of school
boards, local education Authorities, inspectors, ministries of education and so
forth.
Peretomode(2001),
defined administration ineducation as the process that concerned with the
implementation of educational plans, programmes or policies in the education
enterprise.
Administration
has influenced the development of goal and policies for teaching and learning.Principals
must need group support participation, co-operation and confidence of others to
ensure that the overall goals of the system or Institutions are achieved. This when
done will improve the administrative decision-making of such leaders.
Secondary
school is a school that intermediate between elementary schools and colleges
and usually offers general, technical, vocational, or college preparatory
courses.(www.merriam-webster.com.)Some
secondary school principals or administrators are selected or appointed from serving
classroom teachers based on years of services or long teaching experience, some
are appointed based on political appointment. Sequel to that, they hadn’t any
experience administratively speaking. The principal may not know what principal’s
theory or technical stand for in administration, how to apply any or why they
have used a solution they used. They therefore rule or administer via; the rule
of thumb. This inability accounts for why some behave the way they do,some are
autocratic, and some are democratic while some are laissez-faire in style
(Amiezeh 2003).
Charles
(2008) developed a taxonomy for identifying classifying and interrelating teaching
strategies. A multitude of authors in education have contributed articles and
chapters to the topic of teaching strategies or as some prefers to call,
instructional methods, Most authors offers similar definitions which suggest
that teaching strategy is the means by which a providing sources delivers or
transfers educationally structured content to the receiving source. Teaching
strategy as an oragazational plan or set of systematic procedures designed to
convey subject matter to teachers this definition suggest that a teachers spends
most of his classroom time engaged in teaching strategies since they are
pivotal and pervasive instruments for providing instruction. Autocratic
processes consisted of leaders who made their decisions using whatever
information available and leaders who secure necessary information from members
of the group and then make decision, here the leaders may not tell the
followers what the problem is.
However,
consultative process involves leaders who share the problem with relevant
members of the group on a one to one basis, getting their ideas and suggestions
individually without bringing them together as a group, then the leader makes
the decision and leader who share the problem with members as a group at a
meeting and then decidesgroup process consisted of leader acting as a chair
person at a meeting of the group, share the problem with the group and
facilitate efforts of the group to reach consensus on a group decision. Leaders
may give information and express opinion but does not try to “sell” a
particular decision or manipulate the group through convert means. From “Vroom
and Yettons” taxonomy, leaders whose decision-making exhibit autocratic
leadership styles since they seldom involve their subordinate in
decision-making. Those belonging to consultative leadership styles exhibit
democratic nature of decision-making since they allow a degree of subordinate
input in decision-making and they also encourage subordinates greater
participation in decision making (Uwazuruike,1997). Furthermore, autocratic
leaders were characterized as those who determine policies alone while
democratic leaders are thosewho allow group discussion and decisions regarding
all policies. The laissez-faire leaders allow complete freedom for group or
individual with a minimum of leader participation.
In
the democratic decision making, the leader uses the principle of human worth
and ensures effective participation of all in decision making. Here,decision making
is based on consultation, deliberation and participation among the group and
this increases output. This method of leadership is considered the most
acceptable because most practitioners have achieved great success in running
their organizations with it. Employees are satisfied with it because their
opinions, comments and suggestions are needed for decision making. This will
give them sense of belonging and will increase-their effectiveness. Decisionreached
through consultationreceived more loyalty and acceptability than those imposed.
By involving the workers in the decision making process, the workers wealth of
experience is exploited to the benefit of the organization (Obi,1998).
In
educational system, which secondary education is part of, there are many areas
by which the principal engages in administrative decision-making in other to
see the success of the objectives of the school. According to Ocho (2000)school
financial management, decision-making in the areas of supervision of
instruction and maintenance of discipline. The strategy used by a school
principal in making decision in the area of financial management affect the
growth and success of the institution. According to (Ocho,2000) school
financial management includes preparation in orderto see the success of the
objectivesof the school. Suchareas of school budget, administrating capital
outlay and services, administered school purchases accounting for school monies
and property, providing for a system of internal accounting.
A
principal is the head administrator of a school, especially a secondary school.
According to (Udoh and Alpha 2001)the title principal is an appropriate
designation for the chief administration of a school and also seen as the
executive head of a secondary school. The principal is an administrative guide
who controls and provides leadership in a way that supports the aims and
objectives of secondary school education (Federal Republic of Nigeria.2013).
The secondary education needs a lot of changes and the school principal is
likely to be the key agent to introduce and sustain such change. He is
responsible for the smooth running of the school. His challenges therefore are
to ensure that all students reach the level of academic achievements. This is
achieved by setting instructional methods for the attainment of school goals.
The principal must possess certain qualities to reach the acme of success. An
effective and efficient principal must be a learning officer, a coach, an
architect and ideal persona leader of leaders and a teacher in general.
Most
principals of secondary schools preparethe budget of their school all alone
without involving the school bursar and other departments in the school. In
essence, since budget preparation is for the entire school, it means that the responsibility
for the preparation should be shared so that more stakeholders should be
involved to make input. Each secondary school has an accounting officer known
as the bursar who advices the principal on financial procedures and guidelines (Kanu,
1998).
Another
area in which the school principal takes decision is in the area of supervision
of instruction. According to Okonkwo(1995), supervision of instruction refers
to all efforts of designated school officials directed towards providing
leadership to teachers and other educational workers in the improvement of
instruction. It also involves the stimulation of professional growth and
development of teachers, the development and revision of educational objectives,
materials of instruction and method of teaching and the evaluation of instruction.
The strategy a principaluses in making decision in this vital aspect of school
administration can either mar or make the school. Okonkwo(1995)referred to the
following as constituting the scope of instructional supervision: Motivation of
teachers, Improving teachers and learning and evaluation of outcome. He further
stated that the school principals need to take critical decision inthis area
for the development of the school.
In
addition to crucial decision making in the area of supervision of instruction,
another major area of principal decision making is school discipline. Discipline
in any organization especially in secondary school is regarded as a dependable parameterfor
the measurement of operational success of that system (Ebenezer1998).Any system
without discipline is bound to fail and may eventually collapse completely. In
our society and system, realization of the laudable objectives indicated in the
National Policy on Education will remain elusive unless discipline behaviour
characterizes all those concerned. It is only in a disciplined classroom and
school that children have the opportunity for full development and teachers can
fulfil proper function as facilitation of learning. However, the levels of
discipline in our school exhibited by both teachers and students depend on the
strategy the principal uses in making decisions.It is therefore against this
background that the study on strategies for improving administrative decision–making
of secondary school principals in Umuahia Educational zone ofAbia State is
imperative.
1.2 STATEMENT
OF THE PROBLEM
This
study was undertaken as a result of complaints by members of the public
including educationists regarding poor and ineffective implementation of
administrative decision by principals in Umuahia Educational zone of Abia State.
Also, during the researcher’s teaching practice in one of the secondary schools
in Umuahia; it was observed that teachers including students murmured and
whispered about the autocratic leadership style of the principal. The Executive
secretary of Abia StateSecondary Education Management Board had in a curriculartitled.
ABSG/SEMB/015 indicted secondary school principals about poor implementation of
administrative decision in the school.
Also,
thezonal secretary of Abia State Secondary Education Management Board in
Umuahia had complained of the carelessness in the implementation of
administrative decision by principals. All these indicate that secondary school
principals in Umuahia Education zone of Abia State have challenges in the
implementation of administrative decisions. The problem for this study
therefore put in a question form is “what strategies can be adopted for
improving administrative decision-making of principals in Umuahia Education
zone of Abia State secondary schools?”
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The
purpose of this study was to examine thestrategies for improving administrative
decision-making of secondary school principals in Umuahia Educational zone of
Abia State. Specifically, the study was sought to:
1. find out the principal staff personnel
strategy for the achievement of administrative decision making
2. ascertain
the use of supervision of instruction strategy to improve the administrative
decision making in secondary school principals in Umuahia Education zone.
3. find
out the use of financial management strategyto improve the administrative
decision making of secondary school principals.
4. determine
the maintenance of discipline, in administrative decision making of secondary
school principals in Umuahia Education zone of Abia State.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The
following questions were posed in the study:
1. What
are the principal staff personal strategy for the achievement of decision
making?
2. To
What extent does the use of supervision of instruction strategies improve the
administrative decision making of secondary school principals in Umuahia
Education zone?
3. To
what extent does the use of financial management strategies improve the
administrative decision making of secondary school principals in Umuahia
Education zone?
4. What
extent does the maintenance of discipline strategies improve the administrative
decision making of secondary school principals in Umuahia Education zone of
Abia State?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
The
following null hypotheses were formulated and were tested at 0.05 level of
significance.
HO1:
There is no significant difference between the mean responses of principal
staff personal strategies for the achievement of decision making.
HO2:
There is no significant difference between the mean responses of principal and
teachers on the extent of supervision of instruction strategy in administrative
decision making in Secondary schools.
HO3:
There is no significant difference between the mean responses of principal and
teachers on the extent of the use of financial management strategy to improves-administrative
decision making in Secondary school.
H04:
There is no significant difference between the mean responses of principal and
teachers to the extent principal maintains discipline and strategies as to
improve administrative decision making in secondary schools.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
It
is envisaged that the result of this study if adopted will be useful to the
Secondary Education Management Board(SEMB), principals, teachers, students and
researches.
The
Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) is responsible for the
administration of secondary school in the state. The study will be useful to
the Board in that it will help to organize seminars and workshops for
principals of secondary schools in the state on better way and methods for
improving administrative decision-making in schools.
This study will be of importance to the
principals of secondary schools, teachers and researches ingeneral because they
are the actual facilitators of government policies and educational programmes
or curriculum. The findings of the study will be ofimmense benefit to the
secondary school principals in that they will be able to embrace better
strategies in administrative decision-making in schools. When this is done it
will bring about smooth running of the school thereby fulfilling the overall
objectives of the school.
More
so, this study is of significance to the students because they are the target
recipients of the policies. Where there is an improved and better strategy of administrative
decision-making, everybody including the students will have sense of belonging
thereby promoting a level of discipline and academic excellence in the school.
Finally
the findings of the study will add to the existing body of knowledge in educational
administration and planning in Umuahia Education zone for researchers to use
and to be used to maintain discipline in all area of education.
1.7 SCOPE
OF THE STUDY
This
study centred on the strategies for improving administrative decision-making of
secondary school principals in Umuahia Education zone of Abia State public
schools. The content scope include administrative decision making strategies
like supervision of instructions, use of financial management and maintenance of
discipline strategies.The study was futher delimited to the principal and
teachers as the respondents used to answer the research instrument used for the
study.
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