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EFFECT OF SELECTED FACTORS ON ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECTIVENESS AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS

ABSTRACT

The study focused on the effect of selected factors on administrative effectiveness among secondary school principals. The study also examined the effects of some demographic variables such as status (experience), gender and location on principals’ administrative effectiveness. Three research questions were posed to guide the study and three null hypotheses were tested. The target population of the study consisted of all the principals and teachers in Delta. State public secondary schools as at August 2001. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select the schools and teachers from 25 Local Government Areas of Delta State: 1.7 schools and principals with 675 teachers selected from 5 Local Government Areas were used for the study. Two sets of questionnaires were designed and utilized for the study. These were “Principal Demographic Inventory” (PDI) and “Teachers’ Perception of Principals’ Administrative Performance” TPPAP). The latter was the main instrument and it has a reliability of 0.57. The data obtained were analyzed using statistical tools such as simple percentages, mean scores, t-test and one way analysis of variance. The findings from the results showed that principals in Delta state secondary schools were generally effective in their administrative task performance. The female principals were slightly more effective than their male counter- parts. There was a significant difference between principals of merit grade status and principal grades 1 and 11. There was also a significant difference between rural and urban principals In view of the findings of the study, the researcher recommended that areas of least effectiveness should be examined and improved upon, more female principals should be made to head schools, incentives should be given to principals in rural areas and principals should endeavour to delegate duties properly for very effective administration.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Administrative effectiveness is of particular importance in educational management because of the far-reaching effects on the accomplishment of school programmes, objectives and the attainment of educational goals. Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1973), did express a situational theme in their leadership model when they made the point that the most effective leaders or administrators are not authoritative or democratic, but flexible leaders who are able to select a style that is not only comfortable to them but also appropriate for the situation they are handling. The school administrator therefore, must take cognizance of the various situational forces. These include the school climate, the nature of the subordinate’s work task, members attitudes toward constituted authority, group effectiveness, pressure of time and the nature of the problem.

Fiedler (1967), identified three important elements in the work situation that will help determine which leadership style will be effective. These elements are the Leader-member relations, task structure and the leader’s position power. The leader-member relation refers to the degree of confidence, trust and respect the subordinates have in the leader. This situation characteristic reflects the loyalty shown the leader, his attractiveness and acceptance by the subordinates. The main idea is that if the leader is respected and accepted by his or her group and interpersonal relations are friendly, leader-member relations are considered good. On the other hand, Leader-member relations are considered poor, when the groups lack respects for the leader, does not support or accept him and interpersonal relations within the group are unfriendly. it is also believed that the better the relationship between the leader and subordinates, the easier it will be for the leader to exercise influence and lead informally without having to rely on fontal rank, authority and directive to accomplish group tasks, Fiedler (1967), stated that the quality of leader-member relations is the most important influence on the school administrator’s power and effectiveness. The second most important factor is the task structure in the work on which concerns the nature of subordinate’s task. The degree to which s to be accomplished are programmed (structured or reutilized) or spelt out via established procedures. In other words, task structure refers to the degree which! tasks are simplified and easy for the group to understand. The more structured a task is, the greater the influence of the leader (Middlemist and Hitt, 1981).

Leader’s position power is the final situational variable identified by Fielder as the power inherent in the leadership position. It is measured by the degree to which the leader can reward, punish, promote and/or demote employees in the work group.

Therefore, administrative effectiveness is judged by the extent to which group accomplishes its primary task; that is, the quality and efficiency of personnel who perform the functions necessary for the fulfillment of stated also and objectives of the primary tasks. Hence, the quality of education in the system depends largely upon the quality of the personnel engaged in the educational process, and upon the effectiveness with which they carry out individual/group responsib1ities.

Since the educational reform that gave birth to the 6-3-3-4 programme in 1982, tremendous changes have been observed in all facets of the secondary school system m Delta State. These changes coupled with the existence of free education programme re-introduced since 1999, by civilian government of the peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of Nigeria, brought about an astronomical increase in both size and number of secondary institutions in Delta State as well as the other states of the federation. Currently, there are 327 public secondary schools with 327 principals, as well as over 9,928 teachers in Delta State. The rapid expansion rate of Secondary Schools has no doubt increased the complexity and dimension of the duties of all school principals in areas, such as curriculum and instruction, students and staff personnel management, finance and physical facilities management and school community relations.

Nwana (1975) and Nwadiani (1999), stated that the rapid expansion trails several educational issues and problems such as the lowering of standards, increase in the number of failures in public examinations, examination malpractice, and increase in the number of drop outs, resulting from principals administrative incapability to foster discipline in schools. This incapability have been attributed to the extra-ordinarily large students enrolment which made effective school administration more difficult to attain. In Delta State, these large enrolments, have led to the splitting of schools, particularly in the urban areas, and the creation of many arms of junior secondary classes (JSS) so as to  must be such as would serve the diverse needs of the students to become a total man

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