ABSTRACT
The study investigated students’ enrolment and school resources adequacy as correlates of effective administrative practices of principals’ in South East, Nigeria. Seven research questions were answered and seven null hypotheses were tested. The study adopted a correlational survey design. A total of 786 principals in the786 public secondary schools in three states were proportionately sampled from public secondary schools in the five states of South East, Nigeria. The researcher developed two instruments for data collection titled “Students Enrolment and School Resources Adequacy as Questionnaire” (SESRAQ) and Effective Administrative Practices of Principals Questionnaire (EADPQ) which were used to elicit information from the respondents. The instruments were validated by three experts, one from Measurement and Evaluation; one from Educational Administration and Planning, and one from Psychology, all from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Reliability indices of 0.71 and 0.83 respectively were obtained for the instruments and the index implied that the instruments were reliable for the study. To ensure high rate of return of the instrument, the researcher with five properly briefed research assistants administered the questionnaire to the respondents. Real limit of numbers were used to interpret the results while the data obtained for the study were analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMCC) for the research questions to establish the relationship between the variables. Finally Analysis of Variance and Multiple regressions were used to analyze the null hypotheses at 0.05 levels of significance. The study found out among others that there was a significant relationship between teacher-student ratio and principals’ effective administrative practices. It found out too that class-size significantly predict effective administrative practices of principals. It went further to reveal that there is no significant relationship between gender of students and effective administrative practices of principals. The study revealed that there was a significant relationship between material resources adequacy and effective administrative practices of principals. Based on the findings and educational implications of the study, the researcher recommended among others that there is need for periodic exposure of duty principals to workshops and seminars on the importance of teacher-student ratio so as to enhance effective administrative practices in public secondary schools in South-East, Nigeria. There is also need to make human and material resources available and adequate for principals at all times so as to enhance their effective administrative practices. Since there are so many cases of inadequate financial resources in public secondary schools, government and school administrators should endeavour to device means of providing adequate financial resources in secondary schools to enhance instructional delivery as well as improve effective administrative practices of principals.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Declaration ii Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vi List of Tables ix Abstract xi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1.Background to the
Study 1
1.2.Statement of the
Problem 15
1.3.Purpose of the Study 16
1.4.Research Questions 17
1.5.Hypotheses 18
1.6.Significance of the
Study 18
1.7.Scope of the Study 20
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1.
Conceptual Framework 21
2.1.1.
Students’ enrolment 21
2.1.1.1.
The nature or status of students’/school enrolment 22
2.1.1.2
Teacher-student ratio 25
2.1.1.3
Class-size 27
2.1.1.4
Sex ratio (gender ratio) 29
2.1.1.5
Enrolment ratio 30
2.1.1.6
Factors affecting students’ enrolment 32
2.1.2.
Concept of resources adequacy 34
2.1.2.1.
Concept of school resources/educational resources 35
2.1.2.2.
Human resources 37
2.1.2.3.
Financial resources 38
2.1.2.4.
Material resources 38
2.1.2.5.
Time resources 39
2.1.2.6.
Availability and factors of school resources 40
2.1.2.7.
Sources of supply of educational resources 40
2.1.2.8.
The effects of imbalance in the demand and supply of educational
resources 41
2.1.2.9.
Problems/challenges in school resources’ management and utilization 44
2.1.3.
Administrative practices 47
2.1.3.1.
Concept of administration and school administration 47
2.1.3.2.
Concept of administrative practices 49
2.1.3.3.
The Principals’ administrative practices 50
2.1.3.4.
Administrative styles of principals 53
2.1.3.5.
Factors affecting administration of schools 57
2.1.3.6.
Concept of secondary schools 59
2.1.3.7.
Concept of principalship 60
2.1.3.8.
Effective principals, their characteristics and Roles 61
2.1.3.9.
Roles of school principal 65
2.1.3.10.
Gender and principals’ effectiveness 67
2.2.
Theoretical Framework 68
2.2.1.
Systems theory 68
2.2.2.
Behavioural management theory 70
2.2.3.
Administrative theory 72
2.3.
Empirical Studies 73
2.4.
Summary of Literature Review 78
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1.
Design of the Study 81
3.2.
Area of Study 81
3.3.
Population of the Study 83
3.4.
Sample and Sampling Techniques 83
3.5.
Instruments for Data Collection 84
3.6.
Validation of the Instrument 84
3.7.
Reliability of the Instrument 84
3.8.
Method of Data Collection 85
3.9.
Method of Data Analysis 86
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1.
Results 87
4.2.
Summary of Major Findings 100
4.3.
Discussion of Findings 102
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1.
Summary 106
5.2.
Conclusion 109
5.3.
Educational Implication of the Study 110
5.4.
Recommendations 111
5.5.
Limitations of the Study 112
5.6.
Suggestions for Further Study 113
References 114
Appendices 122
LIST OF
TABLES
Pages
4.1: Pearson
Product Moment Correlation Analysis of Extent
Teacher-Student Ratio Correlate with Effective Administrative
Practices of Principals 87
2:
Simple Linear
Regression Analysis for the Extent of
Relationship between
teacher-student ratio and
principals’ effective
administrative practices. 88
4.3: Pearson Product Moment
Correlation Analysis of Extent of
Correlation of
Class-Size with Effective Administrative Practices
of Principals. 89
4.4:
Simple Linear Regression
Analysis for the significant relationship
between class-size
and effective administrative practices of
principals 90
4.5: Pearson
Product Moment Correlation Analysis of Extent of
correlation between
gender of students and effective
administrative
practices of principals 91
4.6:
Simple Linear Regression
Analysis for the Extent of
Relationship between Gender of Students
and Effective
Administrative
Practices of Principals 92
4.7:
Pearson Product Moment
Correlation Analysis of Extent of
human resource
adequacy correlate with effective administrative
practices of principals 93
4.8: Simple Linear
Regression Analysis for the Human resource
and effective administrative practices of principals 94
4.9:
Pearson Product Moment
Correlation Analysis of Extent of
correlation between Material Resources Adequacy and
Effective
Administrative
Practices of Principals. 95
4.10:
Simple Linear Regression
Analysis for the Extent of
Relationship between Material Resources
Adequacy and Effective
Administrative
Practices of Principals. 96
4.11: Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis of Extent
of
Correlation between Time Resources Adequacy and Effective
Administrative Practices of Principals 97
4.12: Simple Linear
Regression Analysis for the Extent of Time
Resources and Effective Administrative Practices of Principals. 98
4.13: Pearson Product
Moment Correlation Analysis of Extent of
Relationship between Financial Resources and Effective
Administrative Practices of Principals in Public Secondary
Schools. 99
14:
Simple Linear Regression
Analysis for the Extent of
Relationship between Financial Resources
Adequacy
and Effective
Administrative Practices of Principals. 100
ABSTRACT
The study investigated students’ enrolment
and school resources adequacy as correlates of effective administrative
practices of principals’ in South East, Nigeria. Seven research questions were
answered and seven null hypotheses were tested. The study adopted a correlational survey
design. A total of 786 principals in the786 public secondary schools in
three states were proportionately sampled from public
secondary schools in the five states of South East,
Nigeria. The researcher developed two instruments for data collection titled
“Students Enrolment and School Resources Adequacy as Questionnaire” (SESRAQ)
and Effective Administrative Practices of Principals Questionnaire (EADPQ)
which were used to elicit information from the respondents. The instruments
were validated by three experts, one from Measurement and Evaluation; one from
Educational Administration and Planning, and one from Psychology, all from
Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Reliability indices of 0.71
and 0.83 respectively were obtained for the instruments and the index implied
that the instruments were reliable for the study. To ensure high rate of return
of the instrument, the researcher with five properly briefed research
assistants administered the questionnaire to the respondents. Real limit of
numbers were used to interpret the results while the data obtained for the
study were analyzed using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient
(PPMCC) for the research questions to establish the relationship between the
variables. Finally Analysis of Variance and Multiple regressions were used to
analyze the null hypotheses at 0.05 levels of significance. The study
found out among others that there
was a significant relationship between teacher-student ratio and principals’
effective administrative practices. It
found out too that class-size
significantly predict effective administrative practices of principals. It went
further to reveal that there is no significant relationship between gender of
students and effective administrative practices of principals. The study
revealed that there was a significant relationship between material resources
adequacy and effective administrative practices of principals. Based on the
findings and educational implications of the study, the researcher recommended
among others that there is need for periodic exposure of duty principals to
workshops and seminars on the importance of teacher-student ratio so as to
enhance effective administrative practices in public secondary schools in
South-East, Nigeria. There is also need to make human and material resources
available and adequate for principals at all times so as to enhance their
effective administrative practices. Since there are so many cases of inadequate
financial resources in public secondary schools, government and school
administrators should endeavour to device means of providing adequate financial
resources in secondary schools to enhance instructional delivery as well as
improve effective administrative practices of principals.
STUDENTS’ ENROLMENT AND SCHOOL RESOURCES ADEQUACY AS
CORRELATES OF EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES OF PRINCIPALS IN SOUTH EAST,
NIGERIA
BY
NNADEDE, LAETITIA UGOCHI
MOUAU/PG/PhD/14/4158
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT
MICHAEL OKPARA UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, UMUDIKE
AUGUST, 2019
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The importance of education, as a dynamic and strong instrument
for developing people and their society is increasingly being felt, especially
among developing nations of the world, including Nigeria. The belief in the
efficacy of education seems to have resulted in increasing commitment to the
establishment of schools, colleges and universities, as well as expansion of
school enrolment all over Nigeria. For a very long time, education has always
remained a huge enterprise which calls for both private and public investment
as well as a social development capacity building and upkeep of the society (Fabunmi, BraiAbu & Adeniyi, 2007). Education is also seen by many countries as the
foundation to any worthwhile development, and as such its management and
administration in a country is likely to have a lot to contribute to the future
and overall development of the country. Babalola and Ayeni (2009) noted
that it is through education that members of the
society acquire skills, relevant knowledge and habits for surviving in the
challenging world. Hence, qualitative education is still the centre point for
worldwide growth and emancipation. This education process can be acquired in
three stages namely primary, secondary and tertiary levels, but the interest
here is in the secondary stage.
Secondary education as provided for in the National Policy on
Education is premised on useful living in the society and preparation for
higher education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2013). Thus, it is the second
level of the Nigerian education ladder, as well as a springboard to higher
education. The FRN, 2013 also defined the
secondary education as the education children receive after primary education
and before the tertiary stage. It has two strata, each made up of three-year
duration; a three-year junior secondary school segment, and a three-year senior
secondary school segment (Babalola, 2006). The underlying principle in the
importance of secondary education is that the secondary schools should be able
to provide quality secondary education to all those who benefit from it. Many
factors have been suspected as being likely responsible for the fall in
standard of education especially at the secondary school level. Among such
factors could be the issue of enrolment or students’ population. Adeyemi (2008)
asserted that a lot of argument has gone on the impact of enrolment and
resources on performance and administration; some pinpointing over-bloated
students’ population as the main factor responsible for falling standard of
education, most especially in the primary or secondary level of education in
Nigeria. However, others see this as mere coincidence, seeing other factors as
being responsible (Anukam & Anukam, 2006). Enrolment in massive form seems
to be an important factor with respect to academic achievement of students and
administrative practices of principals.
The impact of enrolment and school resources on cognitive
achievement as well as on administrative practice of principals (administrators)
has been discussed and researched upon for many years and this has been
inconclusive. In highlighting the relevance of enrolment to the teaching-process
and administration, Ike-Inegbu (2009) and research Clue.com, 2016 proposed a
maximum of forty students per class (that is teacher-student ratio of 1:40) for
proficient and successful teaching and management. The growing demand for
education and increased literacy appears to have led to massive enrolment into
schools which invariably influence the quality of schools since education (especially
in the developing countries) is the means to any meaningful socio-economic
development and reduction in poverty level. In support of this Ubbaonu (2007)
asserted that the class-size and teacher-student ratio which are indices of
enrolment have been identified as factors affecting students’ performance and
this invariably may affect administrative practices of principals. The quality of education and
effectiveness of principal’s administrative practices could however be resting
on numerous factors among which are students’ enrolment and school resources
adequacy. That is, in order to succeed in any educational programme in the hope
of achieving the educational objectives, enrolment could be one factor of
paramount importance.
Enrolment
can be defined as the number of students registered on the rolls of an
educational institution at a specific point in time (Onyenachi, 2014). Onyenso
(2011) observed that enrolment occurs after the recruitment activities carried
out by organisations to select candidates who have abilities, aptitude and
qualifications needed for the organizations to realize their goals. In his own
view, Ogbonnaya (2013) noted that enrolment has to do with the acceptance of
students in an institution of learning. Hence enrolment relates to the total
population of students by levels and gender. Enrolment therefore could be
described as a procedure through one registers as a student of a school. In
other words, through enrolment, a person otherwise called student secures
membership in a particular school. That is, for students to get hold of
secondary education there is need for enrolment. It is expected that before a
person/child secures admission, he or she must have applied and met the
requirements needed including talent and enthusiasm. Also personal
characteristics that will contribute to the strength and diversity of the
educational institution as well as other enrolment criteria are met (New South Wales,
2016). When a student arrives at an educational institution to study, one of
the first and most important tasks is to enrol the person. On completion of
enrolment, the scholar is then allowed to use all the facilities and receive
all the services the student is entitled to as a student of that school. It is
through enrolment that the person admitted to a school secures membership which
invariably gives him or her authority and freedom to attend classes and learn
at a school.
The
responsibilities of the school administrator with respect to enrolment
according to New South Wales’ Department of Education (2016, p.6) include:
Preparing an enrolment policy in
consultation with the school council; informing present and prospective members
of the school community about provision available at the school; managing the
school enrolments within the resources provided to the school; advising the
district superintendent of enrolment and curriculum trends in the school;
maintaining accurate and complete enrolment data; establishing an enrolment
ceiling to cater for anticipated local demand; setting an enrolment number (a
buffer) to cater for anticipated local demand during the year; establishing a
placement panel when demand for non-local places exceeds available
accommodation; documenting and promulgating the criteria for selection amongst
non-local enrolment applications to parents and the school community; and
making decisions on non-local enrolments at the school level wherever possible.
Enrolment ratio refers to the
proportion of the sum of scholars of a given age registered in a school to the
size of the number in that age bracket. At the start of every academic year,
students are registered in schools and such data constitute the data of
accessing a country’s enrolment in an academic year. This data could help to
show whether the administrative practices of a principal would lead to a progressive
or declining or even a stagnating system of education in a given country (New South
Wales, 2016). Enrolment ratio is therefore defined as the part of the number of
students registered at a given age or at a particular stage of education, and
the size of the total number in a given
age grade. Certain sub-variables exist which could serve as indices of
enrolment and such include gender or sex ratio, teacher-student ratio and class
size.
Gender
or Sex ratio refers to the
proportion of the sum of males to the sum of females in a population. In other
words, it is gender balance between boys and girls in a given population of a
school (Babalola, 2006). It is the proportional distribution of the sexes in a
population aggregate, expressed as the number of males per 100 females.
Teacher-student ratio is the proportion of the sum of scholars to a class
teacher in a school. The teacher-student ratio recommended at the primary
education level is 1:35 whereas at the secondary stage of education, it is 1:40
(FRN, 2013). The concept of teacher-student ratio could be described as the sum
of teachers in a school compared to the number of students that attend the
school. For example, a teacher-student ratio of 1:10 implies that there are 10
students for each available teacher. Teacher-student ratio may be high or low.
It is high when the sum of scholars to a teacher is more than the recommended
average whereas it is low when the sum of scholars to a teacher is less than the
recommended average. Teacher-student ratio may be one of the determinants that
can make the administrative practices of a principal effective or less
effective. For example when the teacher-student ratio is high, it may create
accommodation problem in a school.
In Nigeria, government owned school enrolment has continued to rise
without a corresponding rise in facilities for successful teaching and
learning. Also, the universal free and mandatory education policy, together
with some states’ policy of free and mandatory secondary education has resulted
in an upsurge in students’ enrolment in schools. This means that school
registration in the states’ public secondary schools increased tremendously
(Onah, 2008). Students’ enrolment is related to the available school resources
in a given school. By implication, substantial resources are required in the education
venture. This requires optimal use of the numerous resources within the
framework of the set national educational objectives. Education, as
input-process-output system, therefore, requires a careful analysis and
management with the hope of taking decisions that have implications for future
educational development. School resources are many and of various categories.
This is why the education industry is considered to be one of the biggest industries
in terms of money, people, material and time resources that go into it
(Adeyemi, 2009). This requires thorough understanding of the concept of school
resources.
A resource is anything that has some value, that is, whatever that
can be used to produce something of worth. For example, books, money, and human
beings are all resources that can serve as input to the educational system. In
every school, there are resources which are responsible for the school attaining
her desired goals. The resources available in the school whether human or
material need to be organised before they can effectively help in the attainment
of the school goals and objectives. School resources improve teaching and
learning thereby leading the process to become meaningful and purposeful. The
quality and standard of school is dependent largely on the provision, adequacy,
utilization and maintenance of school resources. Ekundayo (2010) asserted that
educational curriculum cannot be sound and well operated with poor and badly
managed school facilities. From all indications, school resources are whoever
or whatever things that facilitate teaching and learning.
When the concept of resources in education are mentioned from
every available evidence what comes to mind are the human and material
resources utilized during the process of teaching and learning. Since the
majority of people group resources in education into two viz, human and material,
they rarely conceive “time” as an important resource. Time as an educational
resource is important in all ramifications of education. Time-tabling for
classes, time schedule for each lesson, time for mid-term breaks and holidays
and length of time for school activities are instances. Maduagwu and Nwogu
(2006) classified resources into human resources, material resources, time
resources, liquid resources and external aids which they said fall under
material and human resources. For the aim of this research work, the resources
needed in education can be seen under four major sub-headings; Man, Money,
Material (3Ms) and Time. However, of the three, the most important is the human
resources.
Human resources in any organisation is very unique because each
human being in the system has his needs which he hopes to satisfy by working
for the organisation. Such needs include the need for food, clothes, shelter,
transportation, self esteem, and self actualisation. Unachukwu and Okorji
(2014) stated that managing human resources is complex and problematic. In the
educational organisations, human resources are all the people who take part in
the activities of the school such as teachers, instructional supervisors and
all other support staff who are employed to ensure that the teaching/learning job
is enhanced or facilitated. Nwosu (2008) posited that human resource refers to
the organizations’ employees, which are defined with reference to their
training, experience, judgement, intelligence, relationship and insight. This
is a holistic approach to the definition of the human resource concept. This
view means that teachers and our other educational institutions’ employees are
the assets and hence, cannot be swopped or easily replaced spare parts but they
are sources of survival for the institution (Anuna, 2011).
Financial resources (money)
is a very important resource needed in the education system because all other
vital elements in the school can be obtained through it. Equipments like school
buildings, provision of furniture items and so on are obtained with money (Babalola
& Ayeni, 2009). All the money accruable to an organization and which that
organization makes use of, are part of financial resources. It includes capital
and recurrent costs. In the educational system, capital cost means the cost
that is incurred on classroom, buildings, laboratories, libraries, geography
room, hostels, classroom blocks and so on. Conversely, recurrent costs include
teachers’ salaries, money expended on maintenance of the school plant and
facilities, including cost of purchasing perishable items. Though very
pertinent in the administration of the education system, money is always in
short supply. Plans can however be made to generate enough funds for the school
or the little made available to be prudently managed.
Material resources refer to usable or consumable facilities like
textbooks, furniture, chalk, chalkboards, electricity, and stationery. For
Anuna (2011), the material resources also called the non-human resources or physical
resources are referred to as finance and other capital equipment needed to
sustain the men that carry out various functions which help to keep the school
going. Material resources generally represent the facilities, grounds,
buildings, furniture, desks, equipment, chalkboards, fields, fence and even the
uncultivated lands. These are ancillaries to teaching and learning. Material resources include all the tangible
and valuable materials in education such as wealth that are utilized in
educational processes for the realization of educational goals.
Under time resources, some time frame is allocated to every school activity within which the
activities are to be accomplished. There is time within the school for morning
devotion, time for first and last lessons, break time, mid-term break, holidays
and so on (Babalola, 2006). There are also specific lessons allotted to these
times. When these are not properly utilized, school goals are not realized. The
other resources such as human resources make use of time in the performance of
functions. Time is utilized to maintain facilities, delegate functions or even
spend the fiscal cash. When any of these is misappropriated, the educational
programme is affected. It is also pertinent that resources be adequate enough
to commensurate with the number of people in the educational process and the
educational programme itself. Resources adequacy means when there is
satisfactory resources available without imbalance (under supply or over
supply). In another dimension, Maduagwu and Nwogu (2006) maintained that
another school of thought has also separated money as another resource. It is
also a clear fact that the resources are always limited and scarce thus,
necessitating some kind of prudent management.
Educational administration
means prudent utilization of school resources to improve efficiency in quality
education delivery. Since the school as an organization entails management, the
school administrator has the duty to manage human, financial and material
resources for successful and efficient implementation of the school programmes
and for maintenance of the school plant. This way, the requisite education to
be given to the populace can be adequately administered for maximum
productivity and attainment of the nation’s educational goals (Ekundayo, 2010).
In secondary schools administration however, the principal is central. He is at
the helm of the affairs, being the one who all praises (in terms of success)
and blames (in terms of failure) are given. A school’s tone, ambience or
atmosphere is the reciprocal effect of the teachers’ behaviour pattern as a
group and the principal’s behaviour pattern as a leader which reflects in his
administrative skills. Administration is seen as a social process which
constitutes planning, controlling, coordinating and motivating. The school
principal is viewed as the primary decision maker, facilitator, problem solver
or social change agent (Ekundayo, 2010). Education administration depicts
prudent utilization of school resources to improve efficiency in quality
education delivery which is also a function of the principal as an
administrator.
The Nigerian school principal’s job has gradually become more
complex and highly hazardous. To cope with the ever-increasing challenges of
the system, the school principal compulsorily should be ready to see himself as
a change agent. Secondary education in Nigeria according to Nwosu, (2008) and
Ekundayo (2010) is faced with crises of various dimensions and magnitude, which
generally combine to suggest that the system is at crossroad. The quality of
education delivered by the administrators (manifested through administrative
practices) and achievement of educational goals of any school depends on
several factors of which students’ enrolment (population) and available school
resources are paramount. With the growth or increase in students’ population
and subsequent increase in teaching staff, the administrative practices and
effectiveness of the school administration may be faced with several
challenges. Facing these challenges becomes important and necessary for the
principals or administrators in order to realize the goals and objectives of
the school. In our secondary schools where there has been an explosion of
population growth in the last few decades, some factors especially contribute
to this fact. The expansion and improvement of standards at both primary and
secondary schools also have led to the unavoidable increase in enrolment of
students even at tertiary institutions. The output of school as noted by Zeelen
(2012) sends a negative or positive signal to the entire secondary school
system.
Every organization or institution possesses particular ways of
carrying out its affairs, especially in dealing with tough situations.
University System of Georgia (2015) posited that administrative practices, constitute
courses of conduct that determine the way general effective operations of
organizational (school) business and activities are carried out. In the same
vein, Basic Skills Initiatives (2008) stated that administrative practices are
seen as institutional or organizational choices concerning the structure of
programmes, their arrangement and management encompassing clearly stated
institutional priority. They also invclude clearly articulated policy, high
centralization and coordination, institutional policies facilitating staff task
completion, a comprehensive system of support services, recruitment of
knowledgeable and enthusiastic personnel as well as management of students and
faculty expectation.
In
every organization, effective administrative practice is a prerequisite for
attainment of the goals and objectives of the particular organization. In
educational organizations; secondary schools in particular, the principals who
are the administrative heads are expected to be effective in the administration
of their schools so as to implement effectively the educational policies which
have been designed for secondary schools. Effective administrative practice in
this study is therefore conceptualized as making the right choices and doing
the right things expected of the administrators at the right time. Effective
administration is the ability to determine appropriate objectives and doing the
right thing (expected roles) and in good time (Stoner, Freeman and Gilber Jnr.,
2007).
Effective
administrative practice is important to any organization’s success as it boosts
a leader’s administration. Contextually, effective administration is
operationally defined as knowing the right things that will amount to the
accomplishment of the educational objectives of the secondary school level of
education. Effective administration is the positive response to administrative
efforts and actions with the intention to accomplish stated goals. The
principals play important leadership roles in establishing school discipline,
both by effective administration and by personal example. Effectiveness is the
capacity to bring about an effect or accomplishing a purpose, sometimes without
regard to the quality of resources consumed in the process (Nwankwo 2008). Mohammed
(2016) in explaining effectiveness described it in these words:
Effectiveness in administration
simply put, means doing the right things at the right time. It is the extent to
which an organization optimizes its goals set over an extended period of time.
The extent to which an organization is able to maximize its goals over a period
of time is the extent to which it is effective..., therefore, school
effectiveness is connected with educational outcomes, or the achievement of
educational goals and objectives. It is the relationship between the inputs a
school gets and the output it achieves in the context of its environment
(p.58).
Lending credence to the concept of
administrative effectiveness especially as it affects principals in secondary
schools, Mohammed (2016) opined that effectiveness of administration relates to
the accomplishment of co-operative purpose..., it suggests therefore that administrative
effectiveness is the foundation of success...., the optimum operation of the
schools as a whole depends on administrative effectiveness.... In agreement
with the above, Maduabum (2009) averred that administrative effectiveness is
result or goal-oriented, that is, working towards realization of organizational
goals.
Principals are critical contributors
to school administrative effectiveness and school success. Johnson (2009, p.10)
declared that: In so far as principals have roles to play in school
effectiveness, investigation needs to be made of aspects of effective
principalship that may improve the performance of the duty principals as well
as enhance the success of the schools they control.
Much
as school administrative effectiveness may not be synonymous with effective
administrative practices of principals, a relationship exists since effective
administrative practice of administrators can result in school administrative
effectiveness.
Researches
on the effective practices of principals in school administration however, are
indicative of the fact that gender of the principal affects his or her
administrative effectiveness (Ike-Inegbu, 2009). Ike-Inegbu revealed that in
effectiveness of principals, it is apparent that female principals have more of
a natural bent towards collaborative work, and that enhances the level of
effectiveness of their administrative practices, especially in managing staff
personnel. In Cross River State of Nigeria a research work carried out by Udo
cited in Ike-Inegbu (2009) to investigate the principal’s gender and effect of
their administrative practices, the study concluded that gender influences
significantly the principals’ administrative effectiveness. Female principals,
as perceived by teachers, rated higher than their male counterpart’s in
strategies of effective administrative practices. Though some studies
corroborate the higher effectiveness level of female principals’ administrative
practices, Ike-Inegbu, 2009 and Ihukwumere (2006) in the observation from their
studies found out that among the principals in their studies, “male principals
were administratively more competent than their female counterparts”. There is
need therefore, to study public secondary school principals and their
administrative practices, so as to shed more light on the issue at stake. Iheukwumere's
study also revealed that there is a relationship between the school population
and level of administrative effectiveness of principals. Could this be the case
in school resources adequacy and effectiveness of principals’ administrative
practices? This study intends to find out how students’ enrolment and school
resources adequacy correlates with effective administrative practices of
principals of South East, Nigeria.
Okunammiri
and Obiodu (2004) also studied administrative effectiveness of principals in
Imo State. The result of the study showed that in the schools the teaching and
learning levels is determined by principals’ supervision ability. The
managerial ability or effectiveness of the principals in staff and student
personnel administration sets the level of discipline in the schools. Again,
the communities co-operate with the principal according to the principal’s
effectiveness in managing their relationship. Finally, Okunammiri and Obiodu
(2004) concluded that the level of effectiveness in the principal’s roles
differs from one role to another and that it is the principal’s administrative
ability that determines their level of administrative effectiveness.
Iheukwumere and Afianmagbon (2010) conducted a study on administrative
competencies displayed by principals in some occupational task areas in Abia
State secondary schools. The result revealed that principals were moderately
competent in managing instructional programmes; principals display moderate
competence in the staff and student personnel administration; and that male
principals display more competence than female principals. Iheukwumere and Afiamagbon
(2010) citing Shakeshaft and Udo (1988) also commented that studies on
effectiveness of principals in school administration have indicated that the
gender of principal tends to have a hand in administrative effectiveness of
principals. They concluded that gender has a significant influence on principals
administrative effectiveness and that female principals were perceived by
teachers to rate higher than the male colleagues of theirs in terms of
effectiveness in management of strategies (Iheukwumere & Afiamagbon, 2010).
Asiyai and Ajudeonu (2010) carried out a research on effect of
school population and class size on the academic performance of secondary
school students in Delta State, Nigeria. The results obtained revealed large class size as negatively affecting
teaching and learning as it makes it difficult for teachers to give and mark
assignments and that also it breeds many disciplinary problems. Ogbonnaya
(2013) conducted a research on the impact of over population of students in the
school on internal examinations in secondary schools in Item, Abia State: using
Bende L.G.A. for the study. The researcher found among others that over-population
is caused by inadequate supply of staff/teachers; and that teachers do not give
regular assignments, tests and continuous assessment. The above studies are related to this on-going
study because over-population in secondary schools is related to secondary
school enrolment. Admission (which reflects in enrolment) into public secondary
schools however, is achieved mainly through pupils/students sitting for the
common entrance examinations which is usually administered to them in their 6th
year of basic education (Toscany, 2013). The studies reviewed so far
have concentrated mostly on administrative effectiveness of principals. To the
highest degree of the researcher’s knowledge, dearth of research exists in this
regard in relation to students’ enrolment and school resources adequacy and how
it determines effective administrative practices of principals in South East,
Nigeria. In a bid to fill this gap in knowledge, this study is presently being
conducted to investigate how students’ enrolment and school resources adequacy
determine effective administrative practices of principals in South East,
Nigeria.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In Nigeria, education is considered the most
important instrument for change and national development. The effectiveness of
schools in educating students in knowledge, skill, value and attitude is mainly
dependent upon the presence, nature and conduciveness of school in terms of
population of the school and resources available for the school population. There
is a submission in Nigeria that secondary school systems especially public
schools are not realizing the stated objectives of secondary school education.
Enrolment and school resources constitute important instruments in the
implementation of educational programmes in Nigeria and their places cannot be
overemphasized. For instance it is clear that most public schools are either
overpopulated or under-populated which makes them difficult to handle in such
extreme cases. Also schools rarely have all they need to function effectively in
terms of resources, and where they are available, they are not serviceable in
terms of functionality as they may not be in good condition. In some cases the
available ones may be either underused or overused. Besides, the school which
can be described as the factories for acquiring knowledge, skills, attitudes,
values, ethics and the culture of the society, seem to have become complex not
only in population, but programmes, expectation and procedures while resources
for achieving all these are minimal. These may be affecting the administration
of the school and the productivity of the schools.
Furthermore, the alarming rate of
administrative lapses in our secondary schools is highly embarrassing. The
population status of the schools and resources situation is likely to influence
the administrative styles and practices of principals. For instance, when a
school is thickly populated without adequate resources to take care of such
number of students in the school, it puts the administrators in jeopardy in
terms of how to harness the situation to strike a balance between the numbers
of students with the resources available. Hence, some staff and principals do
what they like to the detriment of the students’ achievement and productivity
of the school generally, thereby affecting the effectiveness of the principals
administration.
Thus, the problem of this study, put in
question form is: Do student enrolment and school resources adequacy correlate with
effective administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in
South East, Nigeria?
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The study investigated students’ enrolment
and school resources adequacy as correlates of effective administrative
practices of public secondary school principals in South East, Nigeria.
Specifically the study sought to:
1.
find out the extent teacher – student ratio
correlates with effective administrative practices of principals in public
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
2.
examine the extent class-size correlates with
effective administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in
South East, Nigeria.
3.
determine the extent gender of students
correlates with effective administrative practices of principals in public
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
4.
ascertain the extent human resource adequacy
correlates with effective administrative practices of principals in public
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
5.
investigate the extent material resource
adequacy correlates with effective administrative practices of principals in public
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
6.
determine the extent time resource adequacy correlates with effective administrative
practices of principals in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
7. find out the extent financial resource adequacy
correlates with effective administrative practices of principals
in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
To guide the investigation, seven research
questions were posed:
1. To
what extent does teacher – student ratio correlate with effective
administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in South
East, Nigeria?
2. What
extent is the correlation of class-size with effective administrative practices
of principals in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?
3. What
is the extent of correlation between gender of students and effective
administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in South
East, Nigeria?
4. To
what extent does human resource adequacy correlate with effective administrative
practices of principals in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?
5. What
extent is the correlation of material resources adequacy with effective
administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in South
East, Nigeria?
6.
What is the extent of correlation
between time resource adequacy and effective administrative practices of
principals in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?
7.
To what extent does financial resource
correlate with effective administrative practices of principals in public
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
The following null hypotheses, were tested at
0.05 level of significance will guide the study.
H01:
There is no significant relationship
between teacher-student ratio and principal’s effective administrative
practices
H02:
Class-size has no significant relationship
with effective administrative practices of principals.
H03:
There is no significant relationship
between gender of students and effective administrative practices of
principals.
H04:
Human resource does not
significantly relate to effective administrative practices of principals
H05: There is no significant relationship
between material resource adequacy and effective administrative practices of
principals
H06: Time resource is not significantly related
to effective administrative practices of practices of principals
H07: There is no significant relationship
between financial resource adequacy and effective administrative practices of
principals.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of the study will be beneficial
to different classes of people including educational administrators, teachers,
students, educational managers (boards, agencies or commission), educational
policy designers, parents, and researchers.
The findings of this study may sensitize
educational administrators on some beneficial administrative practices to hold
onto. Also it is hoped to sensitize them on necessity of proper management of
school resources and school records which include students’ enrolment, for
achievement of educational goals.
The educational policy designers may
appreciate the findings of this study, as it is hoped to help them to decide
the maximum population needed in a school at particular time and maintain it.
Parents and communities whose children and
wards are admitted in the public secondary schools may equally appreciate the
findings of this study as their interest borders on the fact that education is
human investment. Parents may understand from this study that what is needed
for education to manifest is the improvement in the capacity of their children
to produce economic wealth, which occurs when adequate resources harmonize with
the population status in management of school.
The children and wards may be receiving
quality teaching and learning, conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning,
hence, this is possible as the teachers will have manageable class-size and
marching resources that encourages individualistic attention.
The Federal Ministry of Education that are
charged with making policies that would affect the entire education sector in
the country may also benefit from the findings of the study in knowing or
deciding the number of students to be admitted into a particular school at a
time and stick to it. The Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) may also
benefits as it will help them in organization of seminars, workshops and
symposia on need for good administrative practices and resources in our
schools.
This research may also be beneficial to
future researchers and those in the academia as it will serves as a reference
point.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was delimited to determining the
extent students’ enrolment and school resources adequacy correlate with effective
administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in South
East, Nigeria. The content scope of this study covered students’ enrolment and
school resources adequacy as independent variables with special references to teacher-student
ratio, class size, gender of students, human resource adequacy, material
resource adequacy, time resource and financial resource while effective administrative
practices of principals was the dependent variable.
The geographical scope was delimited to all
public secondary schools in south east states of Nigeria owned and managed by
the state government. The states are Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo
states.
TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGES
Title Page i
Declaration ii Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v Table of Contents vi List of Tables ix Abstract xi
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1.Background to the
Study 1
1.2.Statement of the
Problem 15
1.3.Purpose of the Study 16
1.4.Research Questions 17
1.5.Hypotheses 18
1.6.Significance of the
Study 18
1.7.Scope of the Study 20
CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1.
Conceptual Framework 21
2.1.1.
Students’ enrolment 21
2.1.1.1.
The nature or status of students’/school enrolment 22
2.1.1.2
Teacher-student ratio 25
2.1.1.3
Class-size 27
2.1.1.4
Sex ratio (gender ratio) 29
2.1.1.5
Enrolment ratio 30
2.1.1.6
Factors affecting students’ enrolment 32
2.1.2.
Concept of resources adequacy 34
2.1.2.1.
Concept of school resources/educational resources 35
2.1.2.2.
Human resources 37
2.1.2.3.
Financial resources 38
2.1.2.4.
Material resources 38
2.1.2.5.
Time resources 39
2.1.2.6.
Availability and factors of school resources 40
2.1.2.7.
Sources of supply of educational resources 40
2.1.2.8.
The effects of imbalance in the demand and supply of educational
resources 41
2.1.2.9.
Problems/challenges in school resources’ management and utilization 44
2.1.3.
Administrative practices 47
2.1.3.1.
Concept of administration and school administration 47
2.1.3.2.
Concept of administrative practices 49
2.1.3.3.
The Principals’ administrative practices 50
2.1.3.4.
Administrative styles of principals 53
2.1.3.5.
Factors affecting administration of schools 57
2.1.3.6.
Concept of secondary schools 59
2.1.3.7.
Concept of principalship 60
2.1.3.8.
Effective principals, their characteristics and Roles 61
2.1.3.9.
Roles of school principal 65
2.1.3.10.
Gender and principals’ effectiveness 67
2.2.
Theoretical Framework 68
2.2.1.
Systems theory 68
2.2.2.
Behavioural management theory 70
2.2.3.
Administrative theory 72
2.3.
Empirical Studies 73
2.4.
Summary of Literature Review 78
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY
3.1.
Design of the Study 81
3.2.
Area of Study 81
3.3.
Population of the Study 83
3.4.
Sample and Sampling Techniques 83
3.5.
Instruments for Data Collection 84
3.6.
Validation of the Instrument 84
3.7.
Reliability of the Instrument 84
3.8.
Method of Data Collection 85
3.9.
Method of Data Analysis 86
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1.
Results 87
4.2.
Summary of Major Findings 100
4.3.
Discussion of Findings 102
CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1.
Summary 106
5.2.
Conclusion 109
5.3.
Educational Implication of the Study 110
5.4.
Recommendations 111
5.5.
Limitations of the Study 112
5.6.
Suggestions for Further Study 113
References 114
Appendices 122
LIST OF
TABLES
Pages
4.1: Pearson
Product Moment Correlation Analysis of Extent
Teacher-Student Ratio Correlate with Effective Administrative
Practices of Principals 87
2:
Simple Linear
Regression Analysis for the Extent of
Relationship between
teacher-student ratio and
principals’ effective
administrative practices. 88
4.3: Pearson Product Moment
Correlation Analysis of Extent of
Correlation of
Class-Size with Effective Administrative Practices
of Principals. 89
4.4:
Simple Linear Regression
Analysis for the significant relationship
between class-size
and effective administrative practices of
principals 90
4.5: Pearson
Product Moment Correlation Analysis of Extent of
correlation between
gender of students and effective
administrative
practices of principals 91
4.6:
Simple Linear Regression
Analysis for the Extent of
Relationship between Gender of Students
and Effective
Administrative
Practices of Principals 92
4.7:
Pearson Product Moment
Correlation Analysis of Extent of
human resource
adequacy correlate with effective administrative
practices of principals 93
4.8: Simple Linear
Regression Analysis for the Human resource
and effective administrative practices of principals 94
4.9:
Pearson Product Moment
Correlation Analysis of Extent of
correlation between Material Resources Adequacy and
Effective
Administrative
Practices of Principals. 95
4.10:
Simple Linear Regression
Analysis for the Extent of
Relationship between Material Resources
Adequacy and Effective
Administrative
Practices of Principals. 96
4.11: Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis of Extent
of
Correlation between Time Resources Adequacy and Effective
Administrative Practices of Principals 97
4.12: Simple Linear
Regression Analysis for the Extent of Time
Resources and Effective Administrative Practices of Principals. 98
4.13: Pearson Product
Moment Correlation Analysis of Extent of
Relationship between Financial Resources and Effective
Administrative Practices of Principals in Public Secondary
Schools. 99
14:
Simple Linear Regression
Analysis for the Extent of
Relationship between Financial Resources
Adequacy
and Effective
Administrative Practices of Principals. 100
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
The importance of education, as a dynamic and strong instrument
for developing people and their society is increasingly being felt, especially
among developing nations of the world, including Nigeria. The belief in the
efficacy of education seems to have resulted in increasing commitment to the
establishment of schools, colleges and universities, as well as expansion of
school enrolment all over Nigeria. For a very long time, education has always
remained a huge enterprise which calls for both private and public investment
as well as a social development capacity building and upkeep of the society (Fabunmi, BraiAbu & Adeniyi, 2007). Education is also seen by many countries as the
foundation to any worthwhile development, and as such its management and
administration in a country is likely to have a lot to contribute to the future
and overall development of the country. Babalola and Ayeni (2009) noted
that it is through education that members of the
society acquire skills, relevant knowledge and habits for surviving in the
challenging world. Hence, qualitative education is still the centre point for
worldwide growth and emancipation. This education process can be acquired in
three stages namely primary, secondary and tertiary levels, but the interest
here is in the secondary stage.
Secondary education as provided for in the National Policy on
Education is premised on useful living in the society and preparation for
higher education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2013). Thus, it is the second
level of the Nigerian education ladder, as well as a springboard to higher
education. The FRN, 2013 also defined the
secondary education as the education children receive after primary education
and before the tertiary stage. It has two strata, each made up of three-year
duration; a three-year junior secondary school segment, and a three-year senior
secondary school segment (Babalola, 2006). The underlying principle in the
importance of secondary education is that the secondary schools should be able
to provide quality secondary education to all those who benefit from it. Many
factors have been suspected as being likely responsible for the fall in
standard of education especially at the secondary school level. Among such
factors could be the issue of enrolment or students’ population. Adeyemi (2008)
asserted that a lot of argument has gone on the impact of enrolment and
resources on performance and administration; some pinpointing over-bloated
students’ population as the main factor responsible for falling standard of
education, most especially in the primary or secondary level of education in
Nigeria. However, others see this as mere coincidence, seeing other factors as
being responsible (Anukam & Anukam, 2006). Enrolment in massive form seems
to be an important factor with respect to academic achievement of students and
administrative practices of principals.
The impact of enrolment and school resources on cognitive
achievement as well as on administrative practice of principals (administrators)
has been discussed and researched upon for many years and this has been
inconclusive. In highlighting the relevance of enrolment to the teaching-process
and administration, Ike-Inegbu (2009) and research Clue.com, 2016 proposed a
maximum of forty students per class (that is teacher-student ratio of 1:40) for
proficient and successful teaching and management. The growing demand for
education and increased literacy appears to have led to massive enrolment into
schools which invariably influence the quality of schools since education (especially
in the developing countries) is the means to any meaningful socio-economic
development and reduction in poverty level. In support of this Ubbaonu (2007)
asserted that the class-size and teacher-student ratio which are indices of
enrolment have been identified as factors affecting students’ performance and
this invariably may affect administrative practices of principals. The quality of education and
effectiveness of principal’s administrative practices could however be resting
on numerous factors among which are students’ enrolment and school resources
adequacy. That is, in order to succeed in any educational programme in the hope
of achieving the educational objectives, enrolment could be one factor of
paramount importance.
Enrolment
can be defined as the number of students registered on the rolls of an
educational institution at a specific point in time (Onyenachi, 2014). Onyenso
(2011) observed that enrolment occurs after the recruitment activities carried
out by organisations to select candidates who have abilities, aptitude and
qualifications needed for the organizations to realize their goals. In his own
view, Ogbonnaya (2013) noted that enrolment has to do with the acceptance of
students in an institution of learning. Hence enrolment relates to the total
population of students by levels and gender. Enrolment therefore could be
described as a procedure through one registers as a student of a school. In
other words, through enrolment, a person otherwise called student secures
membership in a particular school. That is, for students to get hold of
secondary education there is need for enrolment. It is expected that before a
person/child secures admission, he or she must have applied and met the
requirements needed including talent and enthusiasm. Also personal
characteristics that will contribute to the strength and diversity of the
educational institution as well as other enrolment criteria are met (New South Wales,
2016). When a student arrives at an educational institution to study, one of
the first and most important tasks is to enrol the person. On completion of
enrolment, the scholar is then allowed to use all the facilities and receive
all the services the student is entitled to as a student of that school. It is
through enrolment that the person admitted to a school secures membership which
invariably gives him or her authority and freedom to attend classes and learn
at a school.
The
responsibilities of the school administrator with respect to enrolment
according to New South Wales’ Department of Education (2016, p.6) include:
Preparing an enrolment policy in
consultation with the school council; informing present and prospective members
of the school community about provision available at the school; managing the
school enrolments within the resources provided to the school; advising the
district superintendent of enrolment and curriculum trends in the school;
maintaining accurate and complete enrolment data; establishing an enrolment
ceiling to cater for anticipated local demand; setting an enrolment number (a
buffer) to cater for anticipated local demand during the year; establishing a
placement panel when demand for non-local places exceeds available
accommodation; documenting and promulgating the criteria for selection amongst
non-local enrolment applications to parents and the school community; and
making decisions on non-local enrolments at the school level wherever possible.
Enrolment ratio refers to the
proportion of the sum of scholars of a given age registered in a school to the
size of the number in that age bracket. At the start of every academic year,
students are registered in schools and such data constitute the data of
accessing a country’s enrolment in an academic year. This data could help to
show whether the administrative practices of a principal would lead to a progressive
or declining or even a stagnating system of education in a given country (New South
Wales, 2016). Enrolment ratio is therefore defined as the part of the number of
students registered at a given age or at a particular stage of education, and
the size of the total number in a given
age grade. Certain sub-variables exist which could serve as indices of
enrolment and such include gender or sex ratio, teacher-student ratio and class
size.
Gender
or Sex ratio refers to the
proportion of the sum of males to the sum of females in a population. In other
words, it is gender balance between boys and girls in a given population of a
school (Babalola, 2006). It is the proportional distribution of the sexes in a
population aggregate, expressed as the number of males per 100 females.
Teacher-student ratio is the proportion of the sum of scholars to a class
teacher in a school. The teacher-student ratio recommended at the primary
education level is 1:35 whereas at the secondary stage of education, it is 1:40
(FRN, 2013). The concept of teacher-student ratio could be described as the sum
of teachers in a school compared to the number of students that attend the
school. For example, a teacher-student ratio of 1:10 implies that there are 10
students for each available teacher. Teacher-student ratio may be high or low.
It is high when the sum of scholars to a teacher is more than the recommended
average whereas it is low when the sum of scholars to a teacher is less than the
recommended average. Teacher-student ratio may be one of the determinants that
can make the administrative practices of a principal effective or less
effective. For example when the teacher-student ratio is high, it may create
accommodation problem in a school.
In Nigeria, government owned school enrolment has continued to rise
without a corresponding rise in facilities for successful teaching and
learning. Also, the universal free and mandatory education policy, together
with some states’ policy of free and mandatory secondary education has resulted
in an upsurge in students’ enrolment in schools. This means that school
registration in the states’ public secondary schools increased tremendously
(Onah, 2008). Students’ enrolment is related to the available school resources
in a given school. By implication, substantial resources are required in the education
venture. This requires optimal use of the numerous resources within the
framework of the set national educational objectives. Education, as
input-process-output system, therefore, requires a careful analysis and
management with the hope of taking decisions that have implications for future
educational development. School resources are many and of various categories.
This is why the education industry is considered to be one of the biggest industries
in terms of money, people, material and time resources that go into it
(Adeyemi, 2009). This requires thorough understanding of the concept of school
resources.
A resource is anything that has some value, that is, whatever that
can be used to produce something of worth. For example, books, money, and human
beings are all resources that can serve as input to the educational system. In
every school, there are resources which are responsible for the school attaining
her desired goals. The resources available in the school whether human or
material need to be organised before they can effectively help in the attainment
of the school goals and objectives. School resources improve teaching and
learning thereby leading the process to become meaningful and purposeful. The
quality and standard of school is dependent largely on the provision, adequacy,
utilization and maintenance of school resources. Ekundayo (2010) asserted that
educational curriculum cannot be sound and well operated with poor and badly
managed school facilities. From all indications, school resources are whoever
or whatever things that facilitate teaching and learning.
When the concept of resources in education are mentioned from
every available evidence what comes to mind are the human and material
resources utilized during the process of teaching and learning. Since the
majority of people group resources in education into two viz, human and material,
they rarely conceive “time” as an important resource. Time as an educational
resource is important in all ramifications of education. Time-tabling for
classes, time schedule for each lesson, time for mid-term breaks and holidays
and length of time for school activities are instances. Maduagwu and Nwogu
(2006) classified resources into human resources, material resources, time
resources, liquid resources and external aids which they said fall under
material and human resources. For the aim of this research work, the resources
needed in education can be seen under four major sub-headings; Man, Money,
Material (3Ms) and Time. However, of the three, the most important is the human
resources.
Human resources in any organisation is very unique because each
human being in the system has his needs which he hopes to satisfy by working
for the organisation. Such needs include the need for food, clothes, shelter,
transportation, self esteem, and self actualisation. Unachukwu and Okorji
(2014) stated that managing human resources is complex and problematic. In the
educational organisations, human resources are all the people who take part in
the activities of the school such as teachers, instructional supervisors and
all other support staff who are employed to ensure that the teaching/learning job
is enhanced or facilitated. Nwosu (2008) posited that human resource refers to
the organizations’ employees, which are defined with reference to their
training, experience, judgement, intelligence, relationship and insight. This
is a holistic approach to the definition of the human resource concept. This
view means that teachers and our other educational institutions’ employees are
the assets and hence, cannot be swopped or easily replaced spare parts but they
are sources of survival for the institution (Anuna, 2011).
Financial resources (money)
is a very important resource needed in the education system because all other
vital elements in the school can be obtained through it. Equipments like school
buildings, provision of furniture items and so on are obtained with money (Babalola
& Ayeni, 2009). All the money accruable to an organization and which that
organization makes use of, are part of financial resources. It includes capital
and recurrent costs. In the educational system, capital cost means the cost
that is incurred on classroom, buildings, laboratories, libraries, geography
room, hostels, classroom blocks and so on. Conversely, recurrent costs include
teachers’ salaries, money expended on maintenance of the school plant and
facilities, including cost of purchasing perishable items. Though very
pertinent in the administration of the education system, money is always in
short supply. Plans can however be made to generate enough funds for the school
or the little made available to be prudently managed.
Material resources refer to usable or consumable facilities like
textbooks, furniture, chalk, chalkboards, electricity, and stationery. For
Anuna (2011), the material resources also called the non-human resources or physical
resources are referred to as finance and other capital equipment needed to
sustain the men that carry out various functions which help to keep the school
going. Material resources generally represent the facilities, grounds,
buildings, furniture, desks, equipment, chalkboards, fields, fence and even the
uncultivated lands. These are ancillaries to teaching and learning. Material resources include all the tangible
and valuable materials in education such as wealth that are utilized in
educational processes for the realization of educational goals.
Under time resources, some time frame is allocated to every school activity within which the
activities are to be accomplished. There is time within the school for morning
devotion, time for first and last lessons, break time, mid-term break, holidays
and so on (Babalola, 2006). There are also specific lessons allotted to these
times. When these are not properly utilized, school goals are not realized. The
other resources such as human resources make use of time in the performance of
functions. Time is utilized to maintain facilities, delegate functions or even
spend the fiscal cash. When any of these is misappropriated, the educational
programme is affected. It is also pertinent that resources be adequate enough
to commensurate with the number of people in the educational process and the
educational programme itself. Resources adequacy means when there is
satisfactory resources available without imbalance (under supply or over
supply). In another dimension, Maduagwu and Nwogu (2006) maintained that
another school of thought has also separated money as another resource. It is
also a clear fact that the resources are always limited and scarce thus,
necessitating some kind of prudent management.
Educational administration
means prudent utilization of school resources to improve efficiency in quality
education delivery. Since the school as an organization entails management, the
school administrator has the duty to manage human, financial and material
resources for successful and efficient implementation of the school programmes
and for maintenance of the school plant. This way, the requisite education to
be given to the populace can be adequately administered for maximum
productivity and attainment of the nation’s educational goals (Ekundayo, 2010).
In secondary schools administration however, the principal is central. He is at
the helm of the affairs, being the one who all praises (in terms of success)
and blames (in terms of failure) are given. A school’s tone, ambience or
atmosphere is the reciprocal effect of the teachers’ behaviour pattern as a
group and the principal’s behaviour pattern as a leader which reflects in his
administrative skills. Administration is seen as a social process which
constitutes planning, controlling, coordinating and motivating. The school
principal is viewed as the primary decision maker, facilitator, problem solver
or social change agent (Ekundayo, 2010). Education administration depicts
prudent utilization of school resources to improve efficiency in quality
education delivery which is also a function of the principal as an
administrator.
The Nigerian school principal’s job has gradually become more
complex and highly hazardous. To cope with the ever-increasing challenges of
the system, the school principal compulsorily should be ready to see himself as
a change agent. Secondary education in Nigeria according to Nwosu, (2008) and
Ekundayo (2010) is faced with crises of various dimensions and magnitude, which
generally combine to suggest that the system is at crossroad. The quality of
education delivered by the administrators (manifested through administrative
practices) and achievement of educational goals of any school depends on
several factors of which students’ enrolment (population) and available school
resources are paramount. With the growth or increase in students’ population
and subsequent increase in teaching staff, the administrative practices and
effectiveness of the school administration may be faced with several
challenges. Facing these challenges becomes important and necessary for the
principals or administrators in order to realize the goals and objectives of
the school. In our secondary schools where there has been an explosion of
population growth in the last few decades, some factors especially contribute
to this fact. The expansion and improvement of standards at both primary and
secondary schools also have led to the unavoidable increase in enrolment of
students even at tertiary institutions. The output of school as noted by Zeelen
(2012) sends a negative or positive signal to the entire secondary school
system.
Every organization or institution possesses particular ways of
carrying out its affairs, especially in dealing with tough situations.
University System of Georgia (2015) posited that administrative practices, constitute
courses of conduct that determine the way general effective operations of
organizational (school) business and activities are carried out. In the same
vein, Basic Skills Initiatives (2008) stated that administrative practices are
seen as institutional or organizational choices concerning the structure of
programmes, their arrangement and management encompassing clearly stated
institutional priority. They also invclude clearly articulated policy, high
centralization and coordination, institutional policies facilitating staff task
completion, a comprehensive system of support services, recruitment of
knowledgeable and enthusiastic personnel as well as management of students and
faculty expectation.
In
every organization, effective administrative practice is a prerequisite for
attainment of the goals and objectives of the particular organization. In
educational organizations; secondary schools in particular, the principals who
are the administrative heads are expected to be effective in the administration
of their schools so as to implement effectively the educational policies which
have been designed for secondary schools. Effective administrative practice in
this study is therefore conceptualized as making the right choices and doing
the right things expected of the administrators at the right time. Effective
administration is the ability to determine appropriate objectives and doing the
right thing (expected roles) and in good time (Stoner, Freeman and Gilber Jnr.,
2007).
Effective
administrative practice is important to any organization’s success as it boosts
a leader’s administration. Contextually, effective administration is
operationally defined as knowing the right things that will amount to the
accomplishment of the educational objectives of the secondary school level of
education. Effective administration is the positive response to administrative
efforts and actions with the intention to accomplish stated goals. The
principals play important leadership roles in establishing school discipline,
both by effective administration and by personal example. Effectiveness is the
capacity to bring about an effect or accomplishing a purpose, sometimes without
regard to the quality of resources consumed in the process (Nwankwo 2008). Mohammed
(2016) in explaining effectiveness described it in these words:
Effectiveness in administration
simply put, means doing the right things at the right time. It is the extent to
which an organization optimizes its goals set over an extended period of time.
The extent to which an organization is able to maximize its goals over a period
of time is the extent to which it is effective..., therefore, school
effectiveness is connected with educational outcomes, or the achievement of
educational goals and objectives. It is the relationship between the inputs a
school gets and the output it achieves in the context of its environment
(p.58).
Lending credence to the concept of
administrative effectiveness especially as it affects principals in secondary
schools, Mohammed (2016) opined that effectiveness of administration relates to
the accomplishment of co-operative purpose..., it suggests therefore that administrative
effectiveness is the foundation of success...., the optimum operation of the
schools as a whole depends on administrative effectiveness.... In agreement
with the above, Maduabum (2009) averred that administrative effectiveness is
result or goal-oriented, that is, working towards realization of organizational
goals.
Principals are critical contributors
to school administrative effectiveness and school success. Johnson (2009, p.10)
declared that: In so far as principals have roles to play in school
effectiveness, investigation needs to be made of aspects of effective
principalship that may improve the performance of the duty principals as well
as enhance the success of the schools they control.
Much
as school administrative effectiveness may not be synonymous with effective
administrative practices of principals, a relationship exists since effective
administrative practice of administrators can result in school administrative
effectiveness.
Researches
on the effective practices of principals in school administration however, are
indicative of the fact that gender of the principal affects his or her
administrative effectiveness (Ike-Inegbu, 2009). Ike-Inegbu revealed that in
effectiveness of principals, it is apparent that female principals have more of
a natural bent towards collaborative work, and that enhances the level of
effectiveness of their administrative practices, especially in managing staff
personnel. In Cross River State of Nigeria a research work carried out by Udo
cited in Ike-Inegbu (2009) to investigate the principal’s gender and effect of
their administrative practices, the study concluded that gender influences
significantly the principals’ administrative effectiveness. Female principals,
as perceived by teachers, rated higher than their male counterpart’s in
strategies of effective administrative practices. Though some studies
corroborate the higher effectiveness level of female principals’ administrative
practices, Ike-Inegbu, 2009 and Ihukwumere (2006) in the observation from their
studies found out that among the principals in their studies, “male principals
were administratively more competent than their female counterparts”. There is
need therefore, to study public secondary school principals and their
administrative practices, so as to shed more light on the issue at stake. Iheukwumere's
study also revealed that there is a relationship between the school population
and level of administrative effectiveness of principals. Could this be the case
in school resources adequacy and effectiveness of principals’ administrative
practices? This study intends to find out how students’ enrolment and school
resources adequacy correlates with effective administrative practices of
principals of South East, Nigeria.
Okunammiri
and Obiodu (2004) also studied administrative effectiveness of principals in
Imo State. The result of the study showed that in the schools the teaching and
learning levels is determined by principals’ supervision ability. The
managerial ability or effectiveness of the principals in staff and student
personnel administration sets the level of discipline in the schools. Again,
the communities co-operate with the principal according to the principal’s
effectiveness in managing their relationship. Finally, Okunammiri and Obiodu
(2004) concluded that the level of effectiveness in the principal’s roles
differs from one role to another and that it is the principal’s administrative
ability that determines their level of administrative effectiveness.
Iheukwumere and Afianmagbon (2010) conducted a study on administrative
competencies displayed by principals in some occupational task areas in Abia
State secondary schools. The result revealed that principals were moderately
competent in managing instructional programmes; principals display moderate
competence in the staff and student personnel administration; and that male
principals display more competence than female principals. Iheukwumere and Afiamagbon
(2010) citing Shakeshaft and Udo (1988) also commented that studies on
effectiveness of principals in school administration have indicated that the
gender of principal tends to have a hand in administrative effectiveness of
principals. They concluded that gender has a significant influence on principals
administrative effectiveness and that female principals were perceived by
teachers to rate higher than the male colleagues of theirs in terms of
effectiveness in management of strategies (Iheukwumere & Afiamagbon, 2010).
Asiyai and Ajudeonu (2010) carried out a research on effect of
school population and class size on the academic performance of secondary
school students in Delta State, Nigeria. The results obtained revealed large class size as negatively affecting
teaching and learning as it makes it difficult for teachers to give and mark
assignments and that also it breeds many disciplinary problems. Ogbonnaya
(2013) conducted a research on the impact of over population of students in the
school on internal examinations in secondary schools in Item, Abia State: using
Bende L.G.A. for the study. The researcher found among others that over-population
is caused by inadequate supply of staff/teachers; and that teachers do not give
regular assignments, tests and continuous assessment. The above studies are related to this on-going
study because over-population in secondary schools is related to secondary
school enrolment. Admission (which reflects in enrolment) into public secondary
schools however, is achieved mainly through pupils/students sitting for the
common entrance examinations which is usually administered to them in their 6th
year of basic education (Toscany, 2013). The studies reviewed so far
have concentrated mostly on administrative effectiveness of principals. To the
highest degree of the researcher’s knowledge, dearth of research exists in this
regard in relation to students’ enrolment and school resources adequacy and how
it determines effective administrative practices of principals in South East,
Nigeria. In a bid to fill this gap in knowledge, this study is presently being
conducted to investigate how students’ enrolment and school resources adequacy
determine effective administrative practices of principals in South East,
Nigeria.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In Nigeria, education is considered the most
important instrument for change and national development. The effectiveness of
schools in educating students in knowledge, skill, value and attitude is mainly
dependent upon the presence, nature and conduciveness of school in terms of
population of the school and resources available for the school population. There
is a submission in Nigeria that secondary school systems especially public
schools are not realizing the stated objectives of secondary school education.
Enrolment and school resources constitute important instruments in the
implementation of educational programmes in Nigeria and their places cannot be
overemphasized. For instance it is clear that most public schools are either
overpopulated or under-populated which makes them difficult to handle in such
extreme cases. Also schools rarely have all they need to function effectively in
terms of resources, and where they are available, they are not serviceable in
terms of functionality as they may not be in good condition. In some cases the
available ones may be either underused or overused. Besides, the school which
can be described as the factories for acquiring knowledge, skills, attitudes,
values, ethics and the culture of the society, seem to have become complex not
only in population, but programmes, expectation and procedures while resources
for achieving all these are minimal. These may be affecting the administration
of the school and the productivity of the schools.
Furthermore, the alarming rate of
administrative lapses in our secondary schools is highly embarrassing. The
population status of the schools and resources situation is likely to influence
the administrative styles and practices of principals. For instance, when a
school is thickly populated without adequate resources to take care of such
number of students in the school, it puts the administrators in jeopardy in
terms of how to harness the situation to strike a balance between the numbers
of students with the resources available. Hence, some staff and principals do
what they like to the detriment of the students’ achievement and productivity
of the school generally, thereby affecting the effectiveness of the principals
administration.
Thus, the problem of this study, put in
question form is: Do student enrolment and school resources adequacy correlate with
effective administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in
South East, Nigeria?
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The study investigated students’ enrolment
and school resources adequacy as correlates of effective administrative
practices of public secondary school principals in South East, Nigeria.
Specifically the study sought to:
1.
find out the extent teacher – student ratio
correlates with effective administrative practices of principals in public
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
2.
examine the extent class-size correlates with
effective administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in
South East, Nigeria.
3.
determine the extent gender of students
correlates with effective administrative practices of principals in public
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
4.
ascertain the extent human resource adequacy
correlates with effective administrative practices of principals in public
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
5.
investigate the extent material resource
adequacy correlates with effective administrative practices of principals in public
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
6.
determine the extent time resource adequacy correlates with effective administrative
practices of principals in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
7. find out the extent financial resource adequacy
correlates with effective administrative practices of principals
in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
To guide the investigation, seven research
questions were posed:
1. To
what extent does teacher – student ratio correlate with effective
administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in South
East, Nigeria?
2. What
extent is the correlation of class-size with effective administrative practices
of principals in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?
3. What
is the extent of correlation between gender of students and effective
administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in South
East, Nigeria?
4. To
what extent does human resource adequacy correlate with effective administrative
practices of principals in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?
5. What
extent is the correlation of material resources adequacy with effective
administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in South
East, Nigeria?
6.
What is the extent of correlation
between time resource adequacy and effective administrative practices of
principals in public secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?
7.
To what extent does financial resource
correlate with effective administrative practices of principals in public
secondary schools in South East, Nigeria?
1.5 HYPOTHESES
The following null hypotheses, were tested at
0.05 level of significance will guide the study.
H01:
There is no significant relationship
between teacher-student ratio and principal’s effective administrative
practices
H02:
Class-size has no significant relationship
with effective administrative practices of principals.
H03:
There is no significant relationship
between gender of students and effective administrative practices of
principals.
H04:
Human resource does not
significantly relate to effective administrative practices of principals
H05: There is no significant relationship
between material resource adequacy and effective administrative practices of
principals
H06: Time resource is not significantly related
to effective administrative practices of practices of principals
H07: There is no significant relationship
between financial resource adequacy and effective administrative practices of
principals.
1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
The findings of the study will be beneficial
to different classes of people including educational administrators, teachers,
students, educational managers (boards, agencies or commission), educational
policy designers, parents, and researchers.
The findings of this study may sensitize
educational administrators on some beneficial administrative practices to hold
onto. Also it is hoped to sensitize them on necessity of proper management of
school resources and school records which include students’ enrolment, for
achievement of educational goals.
The educational policy designers may
appreciate the findings of this study, as it is hoped to help them to decide
the maximum population needed in a school at particular time and maintain it.
Parents and communities whose children and
wards are admitted in the public secondary schools may equally appreciate the
findings of this study as their interest borders on the fact that education is
human investment. Parents may understand from this study that what is needed
for education to manifest is the improvement in the capacity of their children
to produce economic wealth, which occurs when adequate resources harmonize with
the population status in management of school.
The children and wards may be receiving
quality teaching and learning, conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning,
hence, this is possible as the teachers will have manageable class-size and
marching resources that encourages individualistic attention.
The Federal Ministry of Education that are
charged with making policies that would affect the entire education sector in
the country may also benefit from the findings of the study in knowing or
deciding the number of students to be admitted into a particular school at a
time and stick to it. The Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) may also
benefits as it will help them in organization of seminars, workshops and
symposia on need for good administrative practices and resources in our
schools.
This research may also be beneficial to
future researchers and those in the academia as it will serves as a reference
point.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was delimited to determining the
extent students’ enrolment and school resources adequacy correlate with effective
administrative practices of principals in public secondary schools in South
East, Nigeria. The content scope of this study covered students’ enrolment and
school resources adequacy as independent variables with special references to teacher-student
ratio, class size, gender of students, human resource adequacy, material
resource adequacy, time resource and financial resource while effective administrative
practices of principals was the dependent variable.
The geographical scope was delimited to all
public secondary schools in south east states of Nigeria owned and managed by
the state government. The states are Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo
states.
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