Perceived Challenges to Effective Administration of Secondary School in Imo State

Abstract

This study investigated the perceived challenges to effective administration of secondary schools in Imo State. The study employed a survey design and it was guided by two research questions and one null hypothesis that were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The population of the study consisted of 5,896 subjects, comprising 268 principals and 5,628 teachers in the 268 public secondary schools in Imo State. The sample for the study was 600 respondents that were selected through proportionate stratified random sampling technique. The study sample was made up of 100 principals and 500 teachers. The instrument for data collection was a 20-item research-developed structured questionnaire that underwent validity and reliability tests. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while the null hypothesis was tested with t-test statistic at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study showed, among others, that the challenges to effective administration of secondary schools in Imo state include: insufficient funds; inadequate physical facilities, equipment and instructional materials; inadequate qualified staff, inadequate staff motivation, poor decision-making, and poor leadership style of school principals.

Keywords: perceived challenges, effective administration, and principals.