PRINCIPALS’ MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR ACHIEVING EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined principals’ management strategies for achieving educational objectives in secondary schools in Delta State. Three research questions were raised to guide the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. Population for the study entailed 7,533 teachers in 312 public secondary schools from 13 LGAs out of the 25 LGAs in Delta State. The sample size for the study comprised 377 teachers from 156 public secondary schools from 13 LGAs selected using the purposive sampling technique. The sample represented 5% (percent) of the teachers and 50% (percent) of secondary schools selected from 13 LGAs in Delta State. A 26-item questionnaire personally developed by the researcher and titled “Principals Management Strategies Questionnaire - (PMSQ)†served as instrument for data collection. The questionnaire was validated by three experts from the Faculty of Education, Delta State University, Abraka. A pilot-test was conducted through a single administration of the validated questionnaire on a sample of 20 teachers selected from 5 public secondary schools in Edo State in order to ascertain the reliability of the research instrument. After the pilot-test, data were collated and the score obtained were measured using Cronbach Alpha statistics which gave an overall internal consistency r-value of 0.73, showing that the questionnaire was reliable to collect the necessary data for the study. Data collated were analyzed using only mean scores for answering all the research questions. Findings of the study indicated among others that: the public secondary school principals did not efficiently and effectively employ all the management strategies investigated as regards to their instructional leadership strategies, decision making strategies and school facilities management strategies, in order to successfully achieve educational objectives in secondary schools in Delta State. From the findings of study, some recommendations were made and among such included that: the secondary school principals should employ effective instructional leadership strategies for achieving educational objectives in secondary schools in Delta State. This can be actualized when the Post Primary Education Board (PPEB) organize retraining programmes that will expose them to effective instructional strategies which will enable them constantly supervise teachers’ classroom instructional delivery coupled with students’ learning progress and assessment in the school; monitor teachers’ use of adequate instructional materials to improve students’ learning and encourage or create opportunities for all staff to actively participate in professional training and development programmes that will improve their competences for effective achievement of instructional objectives in the classroom, among others for achievement of educational objectives.