Principals’ Demographic Qualities and the Misuse of School Material Capital in Secondary Schools

Abstract

Abstract Previous studies tend to not only assess principals’ demographic variables but also use other dependent variables, such as administrative effectiveness, job performance, and student achievement. In the literature, principals’ demographic qualities and the misuse of material capital have been under-assessed. This study used a quantitative approach to investigate the demographic attributes of principals and the abuse of school material capital in secondary schools. Using a questionnaire, data were gathered from 667 secondary school administrators in Cross River State, Nigeria. The findings revealed significant differences in the misuse of school material capital by principals of different ages, professional qualifications, and years of experience. However, major disparities between male and female principals were not identified. More specifically, principals who were older, seasoned, and possessed bachelor’s and Master of Education degrees were efficient managers of school material capital. A high rate of misuse was found among principals who were younger and inexperienced than their counterparts who were young, less experienced, and possessed a postgraduate diploma in education, as well as other professional academic qualifications unrelated to the field of education (e.g., HND, BSc, BA, and MSc). Based on these findings, key implications for quality service delivery and administrative effectiveness were discussed.