Principals’ managerial styles and teachers’ job performance in private secondary schools, Kwara state Nigeria

Abstract

The efficacy of the school system is hinged on principals’ possession of skills needed for smooth operation. This study adopted a descriptive design in examining the relationship between principals’ managerial styles and teachers’ job performance in Private Secondary Schools in Kwara State, Nigeria. The population comprised 4,510 students, 4,702 teachers, and 70 superintendents across the private secondary schools in Kwara State, Nigeria. Using the proportionate sampling technique, a sample size of 178 students, 187 teachers, and 17 superintendents in private secondary schools respectively were selected for the study. An adapted questionnaire titled “Principals’ Managerial Styles and Teachers’ Job Performance Questionnaire (PMSTJPQ) was administered to participants after being validated by three experts. Data collected were subjected to statistical analysis as the five research questions raised were answered using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation while the main hypothesis and three operational hypotheses were tested using inferential statistics of Pearson product-moment correlation at 0.05 level of significance. The mean for the three sub-scales in PMSTJPQ were 3.12, 2.63, and 2.57 for participative, consultative, and collaborative managerial styles respectively, while the mean for PMSTJPQ was 2.96 for teachers’ job performance. Findings showed a significant relationship between principal managerial styles and teacher job performance in private secondary schools in Kwara State, Nigeria. The paper raises important issues about collective stakeholder engagement and not limiting participation to those who have formal or specific characteristics.