STATEKHOLDERS ENGAGEMENT AS CORRELATE OF SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

The study investigated the relationship between stakeholders’ engagement and school effectiveness in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Specifically, it examined the relationship between parent engagement and school effectiveness and between community engagement and school effectiveness in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Two research questions and two null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance guided the study. The research adopted a correlational design. The population consisted of all 275 principals of public secondary schools in Anambra State. The entire population was utilised through census sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire named Stakeholders Engagement and School Effectiveness Questionnaire (SESEQ), which had two sections with 10 items each for assessing parent engagement and community engagement on a 4-point Likert scale. Out of 275 questionnaires distributed, 232 were returned and analysed. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient was used to analyse data. Findings revealed a high positive relationship between parent engagement and school effectiveness and a high positive relationship between community engagement and school effectiveness in public secondary schools in Anambra State. The study concluded that stakeholders’ engagement has a significant positive relationship with school effectiveness in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Based on these findings, it was recommended that public secondary schools in Anambra State strengthen parent engagement by promoting regular communication, involvement in decision-making and home-school learning support, while actively fostering community engagement through partnerships with local leaders, organisations and alumni associations for resource mobilisation, infrastructure support and sustained school development.