SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR ENSURING QUALITY ASSURANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The study investigated the social and economic management strategies for ensuring quality assurance
in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Two research questions guided the study and two
hypotheses were tested. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study and the
population of the study comprised 263 public secondary school principals. The instrument for data
collection was a structured validated questionnaire which was subject to a pilot test. Data collected
from the pilot test was analysed using Cronbach Alpha. The analysis yielded coefficient values of
0.86 for cluster 1 and 0.82 for cluster 2. The overall reliability coefficient value for the entire
questionnaire was determined to be 0.84. Mean, standard deviations and t-test were used to analyze
data for the study. Findings of the study revealed that encouraging open and effective communication
between teachers, students, parents, and other personnel as well as creating a positive school culture
that values respect are some of the social management strategies for ensuring quality assurance in
public secondary schools in Anambra State. Findings also revealed that ensuring that funding are
allocated to areas that have a direct impact on teaching and learning, establishing scholarship
programmes to support financially disadvantaged but academically gifted students, actively seeking
external funding sources, such as grants and donations, to supplement the school's budget are some of
the economic management strategies for ensuring quality assurance in public secondary schools in
Anambra State. The gender of the respondents did not influence their opinions. Based on these
findings, the researchers recommended among others that Principals should prioritise and support
open and effective communication among teachers, students, parents, and school workers