PRINCIPALS’ HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AS CORRELATES OF TEACHERS’ JOB ENGAGEMENT IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ENUGU STATE

Abstract

This study ascertained principals’ human resource management practices as correlates of teachers’ job engagement in public secondary schools in Enugu State. The study was guided by four research questions and four hypotheses which were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlation design. The population of the study comprised 8,805 teachers in the 291 public secondary schools in Enugu State. The sample size for this study consisted of 750 public secondary school teachers.  The proportionate stratified sampling technique was used in this study. A researcher-developed instruments titled Principals’ Human Resource Management Practices (QPHRMP)”  and Questionnaire on Teachers’ Job Engagement” (QTJE) was used for data collection, it was validated by three experts, who are lecturers in Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Cronbach alpha was used to determine the reliability co-efficient for QPHRMP and QTJE were 0.78 and 0.82 obtained respectively. The researchers together with eight research assistants collected data for the study using on-the spot technique and 97% return rate was recorded. Data analysis was done using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient to answer the research questions and linear regression analysis to test the hypotheses. The findings of this study revealed among others that there is a strong positive relationship between principals’ monitoring practices and teachers’ job engagement. The findings also indicates that principals' practices of involving teachers in decision-making contribute to improving teachers' job engagement, but it is not the sole factor. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that principals should actively seek to involve teachers in key decisions affecting the school, especially those related to curriculum development, teaching methods, and school policies.