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AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE LEADERSHIP SKILLS TO
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS
ABSTRACT
This study examined the development of leadership skills in
schools; an assessment of the contribution of leadership skills to effective
management of Caleb International and Supreme Foundation schools located in
Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State. Literature review was carried out
under relevant sub-headings. The descriptive research survey design was applied
in the assessment of respondents’ opinions using the questionnaire and the
sampling technique. A total of one hundred and fifty (150) respondents were
involved in this study to represent the entire population of the study. A total of four null hypotheses were
formulated and tested using the pearson product moment correlational statistic
and independent t-test statistic at 0.05 level of significance. Also, the
bio-data and the responses of the respondents were analysed using the simple
percentage frequency counts. At the end of the data analyses, the results
obtained showed that: there is a significant relationship between authoritative
and authoritarian leadership styles amongst school principals, there is a
significant relationship between permissive leadership styles and democratic
leadership styles of the principals, there is a significant difference in the
leadership of principals who are skilful and those who are not, and there is a
significant difference between the job performance of teachers who teach in
schools where there is principal-teacher relationship and those who work in
schools where there is none. Based on the results obtained at the end of the
analysis, and the conclusions arrived at, at the end of the study, the
researcher recommended that school leaders or administrators should seek
government’s financial support in funding the secondary school system. They
should ensure that atmosphere of peace and harmony is maintained. Principals
also should create good and healthy school climate where academic work is
carried out without hindrance.
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Teacher education programme is saddled with the
responsibility of nation building for the Nigerian as development society. The
quality of the products from teacher training institutions determines the pace
of the nation’s development.
Quality in the educational sector is considered in terms of
exceptionally high standards, consistency, fitness for purpose, value for money
(accountability) and transformative effects (Atanda 2007). Onuh (2006) claims
that quality in education is a multidimensional concept which should embrace
all functions and activities, teaching
and academic programmes, research and scholarship, staffing, students,
buildings, facilities, equipment, services to the community and academic
environment (UNESCO 1998). There are five indicators of quality measures in an
organization or the school system. They
include highly trained staff; adequate funding; visionary leadership; Service
to the community/academic environment and Research and academic activities
There are also some elements or indicators of good service
delivery in schools or organizations. They are adequate staffing, population
(enrolment of students), management of funds, and adequate management of
infrastructure, accommodation and equipment,
provision of adequate instructional materials, co-curricular activities,
uniform input and output evaluation procedures and provision of scholarship
facilities. In schools that are extremely good, we inevitably found an
aggressive, professionally alert, dynamic principals determined to provide the
kind of educational programmes deemed necessary no matter what (Gold, 2006).
In another development, (Hechinger, 2005) has this to say “I
have never seen a good school with a poor principal or a poor school with a
good principal. I have seen unsuccessful schools turned around into successful
ones and, regrettably outstanding schools slide rapidly into decline. In each
case the rise and fall could readily be traced to the quality of the principal.
Leadership is the pre-eminence of one or a few individuals in a group in the
process of controlling the societal phenomena”. By this definition, leadership
is meant to be the central focus of a group of people (workers) in the working
goals. Thus, by virtue of his/her special position in the group, the leader
serves as the primary agent for the determination of group activities (Mumford,
2000).
Gbadamosi and Adebakin (2006) hold the view that a leader is
one who inspires others to work willingly towards the achievement of a goal
through maximum application of his/her personal qualities and capabilities. In
order words, people are said to be leaders endeavour to the extent that they
succeed in their attempt to influence others to perform a goal or an activity.
In doing so, the leader is expected to have some basic attributes such as
skill, intelligence, determination, imagination, endurance, charisma and
courage. This means that leadership means the process of influencing the
activities of an individual or group of individual in their efforts towards the
accomplishment of goals and objectives of the organization (Hersey and
Blanchard, 1999). From the above descriptions, one can affirm that leadership
involves social influence and interaction between the leader and the
subordinates, the aim of which is to achieve a stated goal.
Therefore, the importance of leadership in an organization or
work environment cannot be overemphasized. This is because leadership concerns
the total manner by which a manager influences the actions of the subordinates.
This includes the issuing of orders that are clear, complete and within the
capabilities of workers to accomplish. It also implies a continuing training
activity in which subordinates are given instructions to enable them carry out
the particular assignment in the existing situation (Makinde, 2005).
According to Eskor (2001), there are two broad views of
leadership such as psychological and the sociological views. Eskor opines that
the psychological view holds that the primary function of leaders is to develop
an effective motivation system. The psychologists also believe that the leader
must stimulate their subordinates in such a manner that they would be able to
contribute positively to the organization’s achievement of goals and
objectives. They think that the Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs is a model
good enough for leaders to use in developing the most effective motivational
system for their subordinates. They also hold the view that a motivational
system which focuses on the entire needs of the subordinates (i.e.)
physiological, safety, social, system and self-actualization, will have a
higher probability of success than a system which covers the needs spectrum
only in parts.
The above statements show that it is the leadership of the
school that makes the difference between mediocrity and excellence.
A capsule description of the qualities and behaviours that
characterize principals in successful schools; qualities that have surfaced
again and again in the research literature, runs as follows:
(a) Effective
principals have a strong vision of what their schools can be, and they
encourage all staff to work towards realizing that vision (Gunge, 2000).
(b) They hold high
expectations for both students’ achievement and teacher staff performance.
(c) They observe
teachers in classrooms and provide positive constructive feedback aimed at
solving problems and improvising instruction.
(d) They
encourage excellent and efficient instruction time and design procedures to
minimize disruptions.
(e) They use
material and personal resources creatively.
(f) They
monitor the individual and collective achievement of students and use the
information to guide instructional planning (Adamson 2001).
Unfortunately, many less effective principals define their
role as managers of the building and budget, keepers of the records, chief
disciplinarians and communicators with everyone (Davis, 2000). According to
Willower (2002); many less quality or effective principals leave teaching
to teachers. Research on the
activities and behaviours of principals indicate that most school principals
spend very little time on curriculum and instructional matters; while few of
them have been trained and prepared for instructional leadership.
As Goodhead (2003) puts it, most teachers, parents and
interested others are not aware of the pivotal role an instructionally active
principal can play in creating an effective school, a school where everyone is
concerned with learning and achievement, where expectations are high and
educational improvement is a daily concern.
The daily routine of every school principal, although routine
is hardly the correct word includes activities which are described as “varied,
brief and disjointed” Lee (2007), and “varied brief and fragmented” by Martin
and Willower (2001); While Greenfield concluded that the activities of
effective school principals involve “an endless series of brief interpersonal
encounters and exchanges with students, teachers, parents, supervisors and
others”.
Principals must deal with competing values and expectations
along with shortages in space, staff, funds, equipment and materials and miss
communications are common (Barnett et al, 2004) The work of the principal is
largely verbal. Principals dispense information about procedures and politics
to veteran teachers, new teachers,
substitute, teachers, special education teachers, reading specialties,
counsellors, school psychologists, maintenance staff, students, parents and
others in the community. Well-trained and experienced school principals answer
questions about the availability of aids, space, materials and other resources
and details about forth coming events in the schools where they are found
(Bloomberg, 2007). According to Morris et al (2002), the principals’ activities
are classified into monitoring school activities, serving as school
spokesperson, disseminating information to school staff, handling resources and
so on.
The school principal is the arrow head of the school system.
This means that the school principal determines the pace at which things or
events move in the school. In this regard therefore, the quality of the school
principal to a large extent, determines the services he/she renders to the
school. According to Goodhead (2003), many less effective principals view the
role they play in the school as managers of the school building and budget
keepers of the school records and communicators with every one. They
unfortunately, leave the teaching to the classroom teachers. Most principals
spend little time on curriculum and instructional matters. Most principals in
the school system today are poor school leaders, inefficient administrators,
who lack the required capacity and academic process to keep the school moving
ahead. They lack experience and qualification with which high and qualitative
services are rendered in the administration of the school (Ola, 2004).
Statement of the Problem
The problem inherent in the lack of or and adequate leadership
skill or competence among secondary school heads cannot be overemphasized. This
is because, principals who are not competent, who lack the wherewithal to
manage the affairs of the school, will find it extremely difficult to run and
control effectively, the school system placed in their care. Needless to say
that most school principals lack the required skills in terms of the ability
and capacity to provide good leadership quality, to provide good school climate
and cooperation. For instance, in school where there is bad leadership, where
the principal lack the necessary skills and capacities of managing, controlling
and organising and leading effectively, there tend to be chaotic situation in
the school. There may be no leader-follower relationship, and in a situation
where there is non-relationship between the leader and the followers, things do
not work well and this affects growth and development of the school negatively.
For instance, if there is no good relationship between
principals and teachers, and between principals and students, there will be a
confused situation in the school and this can lead to poor academic performance
of students and poor work activities by the teachers and this gives bad image
to the school system on the other hand.
The above identified problems gave rise to the examination of
development of leadership skills in schools, a contribution of leadership
skills to effective management of schools.
Purpose of the Study
The objectives of this study include to:
(1) examine the
difference between authoritarian and authoritative leadership styles among
school principals.
(2) Investigate
the relationship between permissive leadership style and democratic leadership
style of principals.
(3) find out
the leadership skills of school principals.
(4) examine the
difference between the leadership skills of principals who are skillful and
those who are not.
(5)
differentiate teachers’ job performance in schools where there is
principal-teacher relationship and schools where there is none.
Research Questions
The following research questions were raised in this study.
1. Would there be
any relationship between the authoritarian and authoritative leadership styles
among school principals?
2. Is there
any relationship between permissive leadership style and democratic leadership
style of principals?
3. Can the
leadership skills of school principals be investigated?
4. Will
there be any difference between the leadership styles of principals who are
skilful and those who are not?
5. Will there be
any difference between the job performance of teachers who are in schools where
there is principal-teacher relationship and those who are in school where there
is none?
Research Hypotheses
The following research hypotheses were postulated in this
study:
1. There will be
no significant relationship between the authoritative leadership and the
authoritarian leadership styles of principals.
2. There will be
no significant relationship between permissive leadership style and democratic
leadership styles of principals.
3. There will be
no significant difference in the leadership styles of principals who are
skilful and those who are not.
4. There will be
no significant difference between the job performance of teachers who are in
schools where there is principal-teacher relationship and those who are not.
Significance of the Study
This study will be beneficial to the following:
This study will help school principals have better insight on
the importance of service delivery in the school. With the recommendations and
findings of this study, school principals would be more aware of the importance
of quality in service delivery.
This will enable them to imbibe the culture of being exposed
to training and retraining in the school in order to achieve maximum quality
for effective service delivery in the day to day management and administration.
The findings of this study enables teachers in the school
system, who practice teaching on daily basis, the opportunity of knowing that
the quality of a teacher to a large extent affect the way at which he/she delivers service in the
teaching profession.
With this study, practising teachers would be able to imbibe
the culture of updating their academics periodically as that will help them to
perform their duties creditably well. It also helps teachers to know that it
pays to deliver quality services in one’s
profession.
This study would help the school authority to be able to
provide conducive environment towards the production of personnel who will be
able, available, ready and efficient in service delivery in the school system.
With this study, the school authority will be able to make policies that would
enable staff to be trained and groomed for better performance and higher
productivity in the school. The study
would serve as a good and important reference material to the public and the
upcoming researchers and students in general.
Scope of Study
This study covered an investigation into the development of
leadership skills of school principals in Caleb International and Supreme
Foundation schools in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Limitations of Study
The constraints of this study include lack of finance, time
frame, lack of adequate materials and other logistics that may arise as a
result of collecting data.
Definition of Terms
The following terms were defined in this study:
Quality: Quality is defined as grade of goodness, excellence
or degrees (especially high degrees) of goodness of work.
Service Delivery: The control and effective management and
utilization of school population, funds, infrastructures, accommodations,
equipment, information communication technology and so on for growth and
development of the school system.
Quality Service Delivery:
This is a situation in which services or functions are at the apex
level. This means the highest services delivered by those expected to deliver
them in an organisation or institution.
School Administrators: This refer to those or personnel who
manage the schools as institutions of learning. The headmasters,
headmistresses, principals, vice principals are regarded as school
administrators.
Leadership – It is the way leaders or school principals pilot
the affairs of the school. Leadership also means the way and manner management
sees things and applied control and others in order to get things done.
Effectiveness – The ability or power to have a notable or
desired effect on something.
Performance – The act of performing something, the action or
an act of performing, the ability to do something especially something needing
skills etc. Performance also means the overall activities of students in a
particular school over a period of time.
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