ABSTRACT
This study
is design to find out the effect of principal leadership style in achieving
effective administration in secondary schools in Enugu East local Government
Area of Enugu state. The purpose of this research work is to identify the
effect of principal leadership style on school-community relationship and also
to identify whether principal leadership styles affect the student’s academic performance
in secondary school in Enugu East Local Government Area of Enugu State. The
researcher adopts a descriptive survey research design approach in which three
research questions were formulated. The population of the study consisted of
378 respondent from eighteen (18) government secondary schools in Enugu East
Local Government Area, out of which (8) schools were randomly sampled for the
study. From the (8) sampled schools, random sampling was also used to sample
160 teachers and 8 principals. Questionnaire of four point rating scales was
used as the method of data collection. The instrument was adequately validated
by three experts in measurement and evaluation. Data collected were analysis
using means score; the study revealed that principal’s leadership style effects
secondary schools administration in Enugu East Local Government Area. Based on
the findings, the following recommendations were made: respect, love and
praises should be made top priority in secondary schools. Those leaders shouldunderstand the individual strengths and weaknesses. That the
principal should always leads by example; by coming to school early, dresses
well, admits when they make mistakes and make those people around them better.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
The issue of leadership style is
considered a major and basic concern for all organizations and institutions in
various countries. It has been widely accepted that the administrators in all
type of organization in the modern world has a significant effect on the people
under them. Different countries around the world have been attempting to
highlight and stress the concept of effective leadership styles in various ways
in their daily organizational activities, programs and performance. In Nigeria,
there is a rapid and increasing awareness in various sectors and fields
including the educational institutions such as Universities, Colleges,
Secondary Schools etc, on the impart of effective leadership styles. In the
country secondary schools administrators are called principals. They are
responsible for the three ‘Ps’ in the schools system, the People, the Programme
and the Plant. Halpin (2001) pointed out the need to conduct research on the
leadership styles are associated with administrative effectiveness. With this
knowledge a better job can be done in training future administrators.
The word leadership has been used in
various aspects of human endeavour such as politics, businesses, academics,
social works, etc. Previous views about
leadership show it as personal ability. Messick and Kramer (2004) argued that
the degree to which the individual exhibits leadership traits depends not only
on his characteristics and personal abilities, but also on the characteristics
of the situation and environment in which he finds himself. Since human beings
could become members of an organization in other to achieve certain personal
objectives, the extent to which they are active members depends on how they are
convinced that their membership will enable them to achieve their predetermined
objectives.
The leadership
capacity needed to develop a supporting culture is both attention demanding and
complex. According to Sackney and Walker (2006) school principals need skills
in group process facilitation, communication, conflict negotiation, inquiry and
data management.
Principals function as managers and instructional
leaders. They have the primary responsibility of accomplishing the nation’s
aims and objectives of Secondary Education as stipulated in the National Policy
on Education (NPE). In doing this, they play a number of important roles among
which is providing effective leadership in secondary schools aimed at enhancing
better job performance of teachers and in essence promoting students’ academic
achievements in schools.
The role of a principal in relation
to school administration is a topic that has been subjected to close
investigation.
In the secondary school situation,
the principle is the leader. His role involves managing the students and staff
personnel in a way that will maximize learning outcome. How the teachers will
perform their roles which depend on how they see the school principal as a
leader, and how they perceive and relate to the school climate.
In this case quality leadership
styles performed by a principal are considered as the most important tool for
achieving and determining the excellence and success of a school performance
especially pertaining to students’ performance in curricula and co-curricular
activities. The principal has always been looked upon as a leader. Complex
organizations such as schools need principals with leadership characteristics
to play an active role in steering the organization towards excellence.
According to Beare, Brian and Millikan (2002), outstanding leadership has
invariably emerged as key characteristics of outstanding schools. There is no
doubt that those seeking quality in education must ensure its presence and the
development of potential leaders must be given high priority.
In contemporary affairs, governments
or companies that prosper are said to enjoy good leadership whereas in those
that fail, the leaders are to be blamed and held accountable. Getting a job
well done requires good leadership and management of available resources.
Leadership in any organization
especially secondary schools implies the action and interaction with persons
and things with a view to attaining a specific objective. This is the ability,
to plan, control, direct and co-ordinate the activities of school involving
both human and material resources for the achievement of school goals. It is a
process through which persons or groups intentionally influence others in the
attainment of group goals. This concept can be enlarged to involve not only the
willingness to work but also the willingness to work with zeal and confidence
Ashibogwu (2008).
As Adeyemi and Bolarinwa (2013) remark,
that it is the functional behaviour of a leader in relation with subordinates
to facilitate the accomplishment of group goals. These views are however
contrary to the arguments made by Akerele (2009) who defines leadership as a
projected feeling from one individual (the leader) towards goal setting and
goal achievement. The impact of this discourse on leadership points to the fact
that any meaningful and sustainable definition of leadership must contain
certain elements such as group to be led which must have a set of laid down
objectives and a conscious effort to influence the behaviour of such groups. At
the same time, there must be a willingness of subordinates to carry out the
action of the leader.
In his day to day leadership role,
the principal constantly interacts with the teachers. He is supposed to guide,
assist and direct the teachers to achieve the aim of the organization. He sets
the environment in which the staff and the students work. In studying the
behavior of the principals, what matters so much is not how the principals see
their own performance but how the teachers perceive their principal and the
school climate. It is this perception that will largely influence the teacher’s
attitude to work. For the teacher, the school climate could be facilitative or
alienative.
Effective principal provides strong
leadership, establish violent-free school climate conducive to learning,
emphasize the important of basic skills to staff and students, install an
expectation for high achievement in the school and monitor the teaching process
as well as student’s achievement.
Thus, how the teachers perceive the
principals could to a large extent affect their attitude to their job and, by
implicating the school environment. It is suggested that successful principals
combine an effective influence mode with influence activities to provide the
consents and constraints within their schools that affect the way teachers
manage their classroom and the achievement of students.
Statement of the Problem
One of the greatest complaints
against Enugu State school system especially Enugu East local government area
is the high incidence of failure of her students in both internal and external
examinations. In schools settings, there is unrest arising from several petitions
against the principals by some communities. Investigations nearly always reveal
that these petitions are masterminded by some teacher in various affected
schools.
Teachers tend to be apathetic to work
as they exhibit lateness and truancy in the school. Among the students, there
is high incidence of malingering, truancy, examination malpractice and other
mal-adjusted behaviors. That these problems tend to pervade our schools raise
serious questions as to the type of leadership style being exhibited by the
principal in our secondary schools.
School principal are generally
expected to establish a good measure of rapport with their teachers. A good
degree of rapport between the principal and his teachers generally creates a
facilitative climate which engenders confidence, trust, mutual respect, love
and dedication to duty.
The problem become all the more
glaring when one reflects on the criteria adopted by the Enugu state Government
especially in Enugu East Local government In the selection of principals. In
Enugu state schools system, appointment of principals is based on seniority
without regard to adequate training in administration or administrative
experience. This made it possible to study the leadership style of secondary
school principals in Enugu State as they really exist. It is such an objective
assessment that would be used in making appropriate recommendations for
improvement of techniques adopted in the appointment of principals. Since the
principal is the pivot on which the activities of the school revolves for good
or for bad, studying the leadership style of our secondary School principal as
they interact with the teachers and the assessment of the impact of such
interaction becomes necessary. Since the general complaints tend to indicate
that the climate of the preponderance of our schools is alienative, the problem
then is whether there are any relationships between the leadership style of the
principals and the organizational climate of the schools.
This atmosphere of constant misunderstanding
will infinitely hamper the job performance of the teachers. The teachers are
supposed to be dedicated to their duties; they know the rules and regulations
of the organization. They are supposed to come to school early, teach their
subjects and even be involved in other extra-curricular activities if the
atmosphere is conducive. But the opposite is the case with a principal who is
not friendly. The teachers are forced to show nonchalant attitude to work. This
therefore attracts the attention of the researcher to look into how the
leadership styles of principals have helped or discourage teachers from putting
in their best.
Purpose of the Study
The main
purpose of the study is to critically investigate the effect of principal’s
leadership style in achieving effective administration in secondary schools in
Enugu East Local Government Area.
Specifically,
this study will attempt to:
(a) Identify
the effect of principals, leadership style on school community relation.
(b) Find out
the effect of leadership style on staff personnel administration.
(c) Identify
whether principal leadership styles affect the student’s academic performance
in secondary school.
Significance of the Study
The researcher hopes that the result of this
research work shall be beneficial to the following: The Principals, Teachers,
Students and the Society at large.
The principals: Educational administrators like the
principals, vice principals and head masters will gain immensely from this
study because it will points outs both good and bad leadership styles and a way
the principals will achieve effective administration in secondary schools.
The principal as the head of the
school authority should be example to other teachers and student. For example
the principal should always be at school on time which will enable the teacher
and student to emulate the attitude of the principal.
With the help of this research work
the principal will see the needs of coming to school early, which will help
teachers and even the student to emulate the punctuality of the principal.
It is generally assumed that the
success of a school depends on the leader behavior to a considerable extent, on
the leadership style projected by its principal who has much effect on the
teacher in the dissemination of knowledge to students. A school will succeed
and make progress under the good leadership of the principal. On the other
hand, it will fail and degenerate under poor or bad leadership.
The teachers: The study will be significant to the
teachers because any leadership style adopted or projected by the principal
whether good or bad will immensely affects the teacher’s job performances and
the dissemination of knowledge to students. A good degree of rapport between
the principal and his teachers will generally creates a facilitative climate
which engenders confidence, trust, mutual respect, love and dedication to duty.
The students: This study will be most significant
to secondary school students because the students and youths are seen as
leaders of tomorrow, and whatever they see is what they learn. When good or bad
leadership style is projected by the principal to teachers or the students it
will surely reflect to their academic achievements/ performance.
The society: The study will also be of great value
to the society since the principal sees the school as an organization designed
to serve the needs of the society and individuals that make it up. The content
will help to advice the society on the effect of bad principal’s leadership
style and the benefit of the good principal’s leadership styles as well.
Scope of the Study
The geographical scope of the study
will be limited to eight (8) Secondary Schools in Enugu East Local Government
Area.
The study covers the five
administrative task areas, in Enugu East namely:
·
Academic
and Instructional Management
·
Staff
personnel Administration
·
Student
personnel administration
·
Physical
and financial management
·
School
community relationship
Research Questions
The following questions are
formulated to guide the study:
1.
To
what extent does the principal’s leadership style affects school-community
relationship?
2.
What
influence do school locations have on leadership style of school principals?
To what extent does the principal’s leadership style
affects teachers and student’s educational achievement/ job performance. ================================================================
Item Type: Project Material | Attribute: 54 pages | Chapters: 1-5
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