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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Principal administrative skills are various skills or technique used by the principal in running of educational institutions, which involves guidance, planning, leadership and controlling of efforts of individuals in the achievements of goals of the institution. Principal administrative skills also are skills used by the principal in the management of material resources and evaluation of educational effort. Principal administrative skills are various methods and techniques through which the principal uses to influence people so that they strive willingly and enthusiastically toward the achievement of group goals. School success depend on the principal administrative skills effective administrative skills help to get things done in time and has the ability to inspire, improve, guide and listen and also encourage students to work toward academic success. Principal administrative skills are the pattern of behaviours principal proffer to use.
Education over the years has been regarded as the key to entire individual development (Ali, 2015). Throughout one’s life it is education that remains central to shaping the goals and ideas of an individual pace of coping with daily challenges and integral development. Society’s development is also determined by the standards of education people undergo, hence, aspect that determine an individual academic performance remain vital to any member of the society that is value development (Chronister, 2015). Education is a process by which students acquire the relevant skills, knowledge and values to ensure proper intellectual, character development of individuals for self-reliance and responsible citizenship. It is a vehicle for economic, socio-cultural and political development of a nation. Over the years, education has been regarded as the key entire individual development. It is education that remain central to shaping the goals and ideas of an individual space of coping with daily challenges and integral development.
Despite the importance of education, the academic performance of students in secondary schools has been poor over the years. This poor academic performance has been attributed of principals. A good number of schools principal have not considered their skills of administration as a determinant student’s academic performance (Akinibagbe, 2012). According to Fika and Aji (2015) some of the principal seem to find it extremely difficult to effectively lead their schools leading to poor academic performance of students. Academic performance is the outcome of education as it indicates the extent to which the student, teacher, curricular and in the educational institution has achieved the predetermined educational goals. According to Engel (2012) academic performance are academic achievement of students in school subject as measured by results of examination or test given.
Academic performance is generally used to determine how well an individual is able to assimilate, retain, recall and communicate his knowledge of what has been learnt. Knowles (2008) asserts that academic performance is the demonstrated achievement of learning as opposed to the potential for learning. Performance of students in examination is attributed to many factors which includes provision of physical facilities, classroom size, effective school discipline policies, administrative style of support and effective leadership (Mali, 2015). Good administration provides necessary guidance, clarity of direction and reward for effective performance of students. Okumbe (2008) pointed out that in any organization human resources are the most important resources it has and therefore, the success of the organization depends entirely on how workers are managed. This means that sustained effort is needed to achieve integration where all the members are involved and work together with a sense of common purpose of achieving the organization goals.
A school consists of the principal, teachers, non-teaching personnel and students who interact with each other to accomplish predetermined goals. For a school organization to be keep together, effective administrative and efficient management skills are required (Farrant, 2007). Effective administration in school has been widely noted as a factor that will make a difference between achievers and non-achievers. Dramatic changes noted in a work environment will result due to visionary leadership who encourages and persuades rather than commands follower towards goal. Bukar, Ibi and Adulahji (2015) emphasizes that principal are directly involved in influencing the activities of the students and school towards setting goal attainment.
The quality of education outcome is the product of effective and efficient utilization of human, material, financial and time resources. Of these, the contribution of the human resources particularly the principal cannot be overemphasized. The principals are the active agents of production who utilizes the other resources and skills in a manner that can produce the desired results.
Statement of the Problem
Education in Nigeria is an instrument for instrument for effective national development. The country’s educational goals have been set but in the national policy on education in terms of their relevance to the needs of individual and the society (FRN, 2013). The dwindling performance of students in secondary schools in Nigeria senior secondary certificate examinations in a core of the school curriculum such as English, mathematics has been a major concern to stakeholder in education. Many reasons have been accounted for this poor academic performance in secondary school in Ikwere Education Zone of Rivers State. Among these reasons was perhaps the observed principals’ administrative skill. It has been revealed that inability of the principal to effectively communicate, property manages their time and adopted modern supervision skills are the major reasons behind students’ poor academic performance in schools. Therefore, this study seeks to investigate the relationship between principals administrative skills and students academic performance in secondary schools in Ikwere educational zone of river state.
Purpose of the Study
This study was to investigate the relationship between principal administrative skills and students academic performance in public secondary schools in Ikwere educational Zone of River State. The specific objectives are:
- To determine the relationship between principal time management and student academic performance in public secondary school in Ikwere Educational Zone of River State
- To determine the relationship between principal Communication skill and student academic performance in public secondary school in Ikwere Educational Zone of River State
- To determine the relationship between principal supervisory skill and student academic performance in public secondary school in Ikwere Educational Zone of River State
- To determine the relationship between Principal Disciplinary Skill and Student academic performance in social studies in public secondary schools in Ikwerre Educational Zone of River State.
Significance of the study
The study will be beneficial to the following: students, researchers, school administrators, teachers and government. The study would serve as an insight to researchers who might consult it in the process of carrying out similar study in the future. Education students in colleges and universities would also find the study valuable when they consult it in the cause of their similar studies. To school administrators, the study will to their knowledge the vital function as time management skill, supervisory skill and communication skill to enhance both teacher and students academic performance in schools.
The finding of this study would be useful to policy makers in equipping principals with requisite skills in leadership behaviours necessary for a conducive teaching and learning environment to ensure that teachers have job satisfaction to enhance students academic performance. Government would also find the study useful because it attempts to show area where it intervention is required such as greater issues like retraining of teachers and principals.
Research Questions
The following research questions were raised to guide the study.
- What is the relationship between principal time management and student academic performance in public secondary school in Ikwere Educational Zone of River State?
- What is the relationship between principal Communication skill and student academic performance in public secondary school in Ikwere Educational Zone of River State?
- What is the relationship between principal supervisory skill and student academic performance in public secondary school in Ikwere Educational Zone of River State?
- What is the relationship between Principal Disciplinary Skill and Student academic performance in social studies in public secondary schools in Ikwerre Educational Zone of River State?
Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study
- There is no significant relationship between principal time management and student academic performance in public secondary school in Ikwere Educational Zone of River State?
- There is no significant relationship between principal Communication skill and student academic performance in public secondary school in Ikwere Educational Zone of River State?
- There is no significant relationship between principal supervisory skill and student academic performance in public secondary school in Ikwere Educational Zone of River State?
- There is no significant relationship between Principal Disciplinary Skill and Student academic performance in social studies in public secondary schools in Ikwerre Educational Zone of River State.
Design of the Study
This study utilized ex-post facto research design to determine the relationship between Principal Administrative Skills and Students Academic Performance in Social Studies in public secondary schools in Ikwerre Educational Zone of Rivers State. The design was suitable because the variables were already on ground and were studied as they are without manipulation to determine their relationship.
Area of the Study
This study was conducted in Ikwerre Educational Zone of Rivers State. The Ikwerre is natively known as Iwhuruoha are one of the many ethnic groups in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. They are considered a part of the largely Igbo although many Ikwerre do not consider themselves Igbo but a district ethnic nationality. They speak Ikwerre and Igbo dialect now considered a separate language in the recognition as a separate ethnic nationality. Ikwerre Local Government area lies roughly within the coordinates of 40501N, 50151N, 60301E 70121E. The geology and geomorphology of the area are intimately associated with that of Niger Delta which was created in the Holocene by the process of erosion and part of Rivers State and are predominantly settled in the Ikwerre Obio-Akpor Port Harcourt and Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. The Ikwerre cultural area is boardened by the Ohaji/Egbema of Imo State to the Northwest, the Epeye and Abua to the West, the Ijoid group of Degema, the Kalabari and Okrika to the South. The eleme and Oyibo to the South east and the Etche to the East. The Ikwerre Local Government Area is made up of four clans namely: Elele, Igwurata, Akpor and the Risimini.
Ikwerre people are found in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. They are within the rainforest belt which receives high annual rainfall. Some parts are blessed with Creeks that crisscross Rivers State. There is also abundant raffia forest. These features, coupled with adequate sunshine, have made the soil in Ikwerre adequate for the cultivation of palm produce, cassava, yams, vegetables, etc. and the distillation of palm wine into gin (Kai-kai, Ogogoro, Akamere, Manya Beknu).
The Riverine Ikwerre villages engage in fishing in addition to the general occupations of farming and trading.