Principals’ Administrative Styles and Students’ Academic Performance in Taraba State Secondary Schools, Nigeria

Abstract

The study determined the relationship between principals’ administrative styles and students’ academic performance in Taraba State secondary schools, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to determine the relationships between initiative structure of leadership styles, consideration structure of leadership styles, participatory structure of leadership styles as they affect students academic performance. A null hypotheses was raised and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Correlation research was adopted as a design for the study., the population of the study comprised all the 4,300 teachers’ and 10,750 students registered with Taraba State Teaching Service Board. Using stratified random sampling, 430 teachers representing 10% of the population were randomly selected from the 8 education zones spread across the state. Proforma was using in collecting academic performance record of the 10,750 secondary school students who graduated from 2009 – 2011. 30 Items Questionnaire was also used as the second instrument for data collection in this study. Using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, and Regression analysis, data were analysed, The results of the study revealed that there were no significant relationships between principals initiative administrative styles and students’ academic performance in English language. The findings also revealed no significant relationships between consideration structure of principals’ administrative styles and students’ academic performance in English language. The findings further revealed no significant relationships between participatory administrative styles of principals’ and student academic performance in senior secondary schools in English language for the year 2010, and in Mathematics 2010 and 2011respectively. It further revealed that among the three leadership styles, none is the best predictor of students’ academic performance in Taraba State secondary schools. Based on these findings, it was recommended among others that School administrators should explore ways and means of using varying administrative styles that could yields the much needed results of enhancing students’ academic performance in Taraba State secondary schools.

Keywords: Principals, administrative style, initiative structure, consideration structure, participatory structure