Principal-Staff Relationship For Effective Secondary Schools Administration In South-South Geo-Political Zone Of Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the principal-staff relationship for effective secondary schools administration in South-South Geo-political Zone of Nigeria. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study was two thousand five hundred and eighty-nine (2.589) principals and forty-two thousand, nine hundred and sixty (42,960) secondary school teachers. Stratified random sampling technique was used to draw a sample of fifty (50) principals and five hundred (500) secondary school teachers from each state in the zone. These summed to three thousand three hundred (3300) respondents. Principal-staff relationship and effective school administration questionnaire (PSRESAQ) was used to gather data. The instrument was validated and a reliability index of 0.86 was established through the test-retest method. Some major findings which emerged from the study were that:- there is effective school administration when principal-staff relationship is devoid of envy and strife, intimidation, pride and non-challant attitude over staff and students’ welfare. Effective communication, collective decision-making, compliance to staff code of conduct, principle of fair-hearing and demonstration of sympathy and empathy were found to be useful qualities of principals-staff that enhance effective secondary school administration in the zone. Some recommendations were also proffered viz; principals-staff should communicate effectively to each other; members of staff should be allowed to participate in decisions affecting them and the school; there should be cordial relationship devoid of envy, strife, intimidation, self pride and non-challant attitude among principals and members of staff and above all people should develop positive attitude to their job.