RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRINCIPALS’ LEADERSHIP PRACTICES AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN DELTA STATE

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between principals' leadership practices and school performance management in private secondary schools in Delta State. The study was guided by five research questions, and five null hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 alpha level. A correlational research design was adopted for this study. The population of the study comprised 15,612 teachers in 1,177 private secondary schools in Delta State. The sample for this study consisted of 390 principals drawn using the multistage sampling technique. Two questionnaires, titled "Principals' Leadership Practice Questionnaire (PLPQ)” and “School Performance Management Questionnaire (SPMQ)," were used for data collection. The instruments were face-validated by three experts. Cronbach's alpha was used to test the internal consistency of the instruments, yielding overall coefficient values of 0.847, 0.841, 0.830, 0.861, and 0.885, respectively. The instruments were administered by the researcher and five research assistants, and a 96% return rate was recorded. The findings of the study revealed, among others, that principals' communication practices, accountability practices, decision-making practices, motivation practices, and staff development practices are strong and significant predictors of school performance management in private secondary schools in Delta State. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that principals should maintain open, transparent, and consistent communication with teachers, parents, and students to foster trust and enhance management in the school. Training programs are recommended for principals to strengthen their skills in accountability, decision-making, and staff development, as these were shown to directly influence school performance. Principals should implement both financial and non-financial reward systems to sustain teacher motivation, which is vital for improved student outcomes, and prioritize continuous professional development for teachers by organizing regular workshops, mentoring programs, and refresher courses.