UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIA

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1 ISSN: UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT IN CONTEMPORARY NIGERIA Autin N. Noike The Granada Management Intitute, GranadaSpain Nkaiobi S. Oguzor ederal College of Education (Technical), OmokuRiver State, Nigeria ABSTRACT The problem that plague the chool ytem are o numerou that thoe who are within the educational ytem are o overwhelmed not to talk of outider who are poied to ak uch a pertinent quetion like are the principal leading the chool well?. Thi paper examined the quality valuation among the male and female principal in their choice of leaderhip tyle. The principal, the teacher and the tudent were all required to make their contribution to acertain what tyle of leaderhip that i commonly adopted by the male on the one hand and the female principal on the other. The analyed data how that the female principal qualitatively involve the democratic tyle of leaderhip than the men. The female principal alo involve their taff in deciionmaking than doe the male counterpart, the male principal, who adopted the democratic and the autocratic tyle of leaderhip are quicker at the management of crie in chool than the female principal. Keyword: School, Principal, Leaderhip Style, Gender 1. INTRODUCTION The poition of the principal a a leader within the chool cannot be overemphaized. Every peron within the chool ytem look forward to the principal to give the appropriate leaderhip for other to follow. Adeina (1980) maintained that the principal are where action i. Leaderhip i commonly referred to a management a getting other to do omething. The current happening in chool ytem like increaed failure rate, ecret cult formation, the unabated trend in examination malpractice, the principal and taff feud, academic rivalry and a pate of unwarranted tranfer of teacher, the poor alary regime and lack of needed ocial facilitie and benefit to teacher and the entire working public require that the principal who know how bet to organized the work force to achieve the goal of the chool, whether a male or female, be given the high reponibility of leading the different chool in the State

2 ISSN: The ex of the principal from previou experience reveal that the trength of character and dynamim i needed to achieve or reach ome adminitrative goal. The female principal may be intimidated by the enormity of the chool problem and get carried away or accept the ituation a it i. After all the women are already piqued in a war of word with men regarding their right denial and marginalization in the cheme of thing within the chool ytem. The great awarene among the children, the parent and the hrinking in ize of the world a a global village owing to much improvement in international communication require the chool leader both male and female to wake up becaue it i not the time to play to the gallery on the bai of gender factor. The teacher would definitely hare part of the blame for the ol called falling tandard of education, even though the falling in tandard of education i till being debated a to whether it i a real or a myth. The tudy i a contribution along thi line for it trie to find out the differential that exit between the male and female principal of qualitative valuation and principal choice of leaderhip tyle and application in the management of taff and the tudent in general in River State. The amount of money the State i committing to the education of our children at thi level i much, and much more will continue to be o committed to that and other level. The econdary education i uch an important apect, to the youth that cannot and hould never be idelined for any reaon. The moment it i known among educationit, who among the male and female principal chooe the right type of tyle for the management of the chool, a vital dicovery would have been made. Thi type of quality valuation among the female and male principal will definitely help future manager of the chool. Thi i what undercore the importance of thi tudy. 2. THE HEART O THE MATTER There exit a number of literature on what role the principal hould play in the leaderhip of the chool. In playing ome given role, the male or female principal ability to make a qualitative value judgement and their need dipoition will enable them chooe the right tyle of leaderhip to achieve the needed goal (Getzel and Guba 1957) and Lipham and Hoeh, 1974) note that there are till ome degree of diagreement on the boundarie of the main role of the principal. The principal functional area, when the appropriate valuation of the right leaderhip tyle i to be ued to give effective leaderhip are: A. Intructional programme uperviion B. Staff peronnel adminitration C. Student peronnel adminitration D. inancial and phyical reource and adminitration 14

3 ISSN: E. School community relationhip adminitration Many tudie have been carried out that acknowledged the leaderhip poition of the chool principal in recent year. afunwa(1971) recognized that the principal i the overall adminitrator of the chool, the uperviion of taff, tudent, the curriculum planner and the community relation developer. The type of leaderhip adopted by the teacher along the line to achieve thee everal goal within matter to a large extent. The high rate of failure in chool certificate examination yearly, the unexpected proliferation in examination midemeanour and cheating, ecret cult formation among teenager, and unparalleled wanton detruction of life and propertie of colleague in chool, the intolerable fight between the principal and teacher on the one hand and the tudent and teacher on the other ha made (Soli and Deveine, 197) to cat aperion on the leaderhip role of the principal. Ejiogu (1990) tudied on male and female principal of Imo and Anambra State; it wa found that the female principal were more of the initiating tructure than their male counterpart. Cambel (1971) in hi pioneer tudy of econdary chool principal in the United State alo reported leaderhip tyle difference along the line of exrole ocialization orientation. The finding revealed that mot of the female principal were reported to be autocratic. The poition taken by another reearcher like McKinney (1975), ha hown that the female principal are better adminitrator than their male counterpart whoa re decribed a more chauvinitic and authoritarian in the variou role in the econdary chool adminitration. The tudy i, therefore, keenly intereted in placing in perpective the following quetion: The extent to which the male and female principal differ in their adoption of leaderhip tyle in econdary chool in River State. The extent to which the male and female principal differ in their involvement of their taff in deciionmaking in their chool. The extent of difference between male and female principal ability to ue the right tyle of leaderhip to manage crie in econdary chool. The extent to which difference exit between male and female principal emphai on the ue of appropriate leaderhip tyle to achieve curriculum and cocurriculum goal of the chool. 3. METHOD The tratified random ampling technique wa ued to obtain the ample of 14 principal; that took care of the even male and female principal headed chool, the 24 viceprincipal, the 5 head of department and teacher who have pent nothing le that year in their chool. The choice of the 120 enior econdary tudent who had been in the chool for a period of year wa o tratified to enure that the tudent contribution wa not faked in any way. The principal, the 147

4 ISSN: teacher and the tudent were all made to repond to the ole intrument of the tudy. The intrument ued for thi tudy wa the Principal Leaderhip Style Adoption and Uage Quetionnaire (PLSAUQ). Thi 24item quetionnaire wa in five main ection including the peronal data of the repondent. The intrument addreed iue related to the principal adoption of leaderhip tyle, owing to hi value for it importance, involvement of the taff in deciionmaking, management of cae and adoption of mot valuable leaderhip tyle to achieve the curriculum and extra curricular goal of the chool. The reliability of the intrument, baed on the tetretet method, that involved Pearon product moment correlation formula wa r = The tet of tability and conitency wa therefore compared, when the coefficient of wa compared with the fiher tranformation of (Zn Zr) table core. The repondent were required to repond to the item of the intrument wanting to know how the principal involved the three leaderhip tyle of democracy, autocracy and laiez faire. The repone categorie were Alway, Often, Occaionally, Seldom and Never. Each repone wa weighted accordingly with value from Alway = 4 to Never = 0. On collection of the data imple frequency count baed on their repone and a weighted were analyed in percentage. 4. RESULTS The following reult preented in the table 1 4 clearly how how the different repondent, that i the tudent, the teacher, the vice principal and the principal have een thee principal in thi part of the country chooe and apply their leaderhip tyle for the control and management of their variou intitution. Table 1, how how the different repondent ee the principal valuable choice of leaderhip tyle eparately and collectively. The table how that the female principal are more democratic with 41 percent than their male counterpart with 40 percent. The data analyi equally reveal that the male principal ue autocratic tyle of leaderhip more than the female principal with a percentage of 2, a reflected in a bracket. It can be een alo that the female principal with 5 choe to ue the Laiez faire tyle of leaderhip than their male counterpart with jut 2 percent. Table 2 ha hown again that the principal are more democratic than being autocratic or involving the laiez faire tyle. The total ummation in the table how that while 51 percent of the female rapidly delegate the deciion making in chool. More repondent were in agreement that principal adopt the democratic tyle of leaderhip a 91 of the principal were aid to involve their taff in chool deciionmaking. Some alo agree that 8 of the laiez faire chooing principal involve their taff in deciionmaking. Table 3 how the difference between the male and female principal ability to manage crie ituation in the chool. Some 31 of male principal involving 148

5 ISSN: the democratic leaderhip and 24 percent of the female principal the ame democratic tyle are rated a being able to manage crie ituation. It i rather intereting to note that it i alo hown on the table that 2 percent of the male principal and 9 percent of the female principal involving the autocratic trategy are able to control and manage crie ituation in chool. In general 55 of the principal that involve the democratic tyle of leaderhip and ome 35 of thoe principal involving the autocratic tyle of leaderhip were aid to have been ucceful in managing crie in their chool. Table 4 how how the different principal valuably choe the leaderhip tyle with which they emphaize the achievement of goal of their chool. There wa no perceptible difference een between the male and female principal uing the democratic tyle of leaderhip. The only area of difference wa noted wa with their aement under thoe who adopted the laiez faire wa male and 10 female were aid to be concerned with the ue of the appropriate type of leaderhip tyle for goal achievement. Neverthele, a many a 79 of thoe uing the democratic type of leaderhip, 5 of thoe who are proautocratic leaderhip tyle and 1 of thoe with laiez faire inclination are concerned with the ue of the mot valuable tyle of leaderhip for the achievement of goal. 5. INDINGS The finding in thi tudy ha hown that the female principal are more democratic in their choice of leaderhip tyle to ue than their male counterpart. The finding quite agree with the finding of McKinney (1975). Thi in the main, make the appointment of female principal into municipal econdary chool, where highly qualified and politically aware teacher a inequanon. Unfortunately, thi tudy ha equally hown that ome female principal are often more autocratic in their choice of leaderhip than their male counterpart. Thi finding i however at variance with what (McKinney, 1975) decribed in male principal a more chauvinitic and authoritarian in the variou role in the econdary chool adminitration. In recent year with the women now taking the role of men and with the pirit of women liberation programme, women tend to be overaertive about their poition in adminitration. Often their much orchetrated campaign and propaganda i targeted at the men folk they regard a the enemy that ideline them in control poition. Thi tudy, finding that women who now blend both democratic and autocratic tyle of leaderhip i a proper tep in the right direction. Thi i highly needed to achieve the muchneeded peace in any chool environment. Thi tudy ha alo hown u that the female principal are equally more prone to the laiez faire tyle of leaderhip than male principal are. Thi doe not how a qualitative valuation of leaderhip tyle before chooing one. The frequent reort to the laiez faire tyle of leaderhip often borne out of lazine on the part 149

6 ISSN: of the peronnel in the poition of leaderhip. It i thi type of ituation that may have led (Soli and Deveine 197) to cat ome aperion on the leaderhip role of the principal. The fact that the female principal had come out very trong when they how that they qualitatively value the ue of the democratic and autocratic tyle of leaderhip, make thi tudy very unique. Thi would have put the women fold far ahead of the men in quality valuation of leaderhip tyle. But it ha again been hown in thi tudy that the female principal reort to the ue of the laiez faire tyle of leaderhip than their male counterpart, how that female principal are neverthele more uperior to the male principal in quality valuation and choice of leaderhip tyle in the management of chool in River State. The female principal are hown in the tudy to involve the teacher more in deciion making than their male counterpart. Thi how that the women are more democratic in their choice of tyle of leaderhip than the male counterpart. The laiez faire tyle adopting principal are equally involving their taff in deciion making. Thi ituation i found to be very common with the female principal than the male principal. Thi i a minu point on the part of the female principal. The male principal were found to be more tactical with the ue of the democratic tyle of leaderhip to arret the crie ituation than their female principal. More men principal who are prone to autocratic leaderhip tyle manage crie than the female counterpart. Again, there wa no much difference oberved between the male and female principal in their choice of leaderhip tyle to achieve the main goal of their chool. Their ue of the democratic tyle of leaderhip more than the autocratic and laiez faire tyle may have accounted for thi. Once the ytem i ued to one main dominant tyle of leaderhip, the leader can hardly change to autocratic or laiez faire tyle over night.. CONCLUSION The male and female principal were found to involve more of the democratic tyle of leaderhip than the autocratic and the laiez faire tyle of leaderhip. Given the fact that different principal face difference ituation in their place of adminitration daily, it will not be out of place to proffer thee uggetion. The principal hould though a mot reearched procedure adopt the mot valuable leaderhip tyle in their chool. The ituation that require management deciion in the chool are many. It i not what happen today that i expected the next day. Therefore given the circumtance in the chool the principal hould be tactful in uing a blend of the leaderhip tyle. The democratic tyle of leaderhip i highly praied a the bet tyle becaue it involve conultation with other taff and a general involvement of all in the procee of deciionmaking. The moment the taff of the chool feel a ene of 150

7 ISSN: belongingne, they will be willing to contribute their bet toward the achievement of the goal of the organiation. The leader out of widom mut undertudy the different tyle of leaderhip, o that they can adopt the mot appropriate method at the mot ripe ituation. Thi i what make the real tuff of an adminitrator. Rigidity to one particular tyle of leaderhip ha no place in the leaderhip of a tried and teted leader in the chool. Thi paper i not objecting the autocratic and laiez faire tyle of leaderhip, but it i rather highly recommending the mot chool principal hould be more tutored and oriented toward the democratic ideal in leaderhip in their chool for fat goal achievement and the involvement of the higher percentage of their peronnel in active and efficient participation. If it i poible, the chool leader hould be involved in ome training and retraining of refreher coure in order to give them more information along thee new reearch finding that are very important to contemporary ociety. REERENCES Campbel, R.. (1971).Introduction to Educational Adminitration, Boton Allyn and Boon Inc. Ejiogu, A. M. (1990).Educational Management; A Sytem Approach, Ikeja Lantorn Book afunwa, A. B. (1971).Hitory of Education in Nigeria, London: George Allen and Unwin. ederal Government of Nigeria (1981).National Policy on Education 1981, Minitry of Education, Lago, Nig. Getzel, J. W. and Guba, E. G. (1957). Social Behaviour and Adminitrative Proce, The School Review, Volume 5 Lipham, J. M. and Hoeh, J. A. (1974).The Principalhip oundation and unction, New York, Harper and Row Publiher. McKinney, J. D. (1975). Relationhip between Claroom Behaviour and Academic Achievement, Journal of Education Pychology, Vol. 7 Soli, S. D. and Deveine, V. T. (197). Behavioural Correlate of Achievement. A Look at High and Low achiever, Journal of Education Pychology, vol

8 Augut 2011, Vol. 1, No. 1 Table 1: The Percentage Difference in Male and emale Principal Choice of Leaderhip Style in River State Group No of Principal Sex Democratic Leaderhip Autocratic Leaderhip Repon Laiez Repon aire Repon Student120 M 50 (42) 8 (7) 0 (50) 2 (2) Teacher0 M 22 (37) 10 (17) 3 (5) 14 (23) 4 (7) 7 (12) Principal14 M (42) 1 (7) (42) 1 (7) Total 194 M 78 (40) 19 (10) 3 (2) 80 (41) 4 (2) 10 (5) Grand Total Table 2: Repond in the Group Numb er of The Percentage Involvement of the Staff in Deciion making by Male and emale Principal Principa l Sex Democrat ic Leaderhi p Repo ne Autocrat ic Leaderhi p Repon e Laie z faire Repo ne Student 120 M 48 3 (40) 53) 3 (5) (3) Teacher 0 M (41) 50) 5 (8) Principa l 14 M 5 (35) (43) 1 (1) 2 (14) HRMARS, Pakitan

9 Augut 2011, Vol. 1, No. 1 Total 194 M 79 (40) 8 (4) 99 51) 1 (1) 8 (4) Grand Total Table 3: Repond in the Group The Percentage Difference in Male and emale Principal in management of Crie Situation Numb er of Principal Sex Democr atic Leader hip Rep one Autocratic Leaderhip Rep one Laie z faire Repo ne Student 120 M (32) (27) (17) (8) Teacher 0 M (30) (20) 24 (40) (10) Principa l 14 M 5 2 (3) (14) 1 (43) (7) Total 194 M 1 (31) 50 (2) 4 (24) 17 (9) Grand Total Table 4: Repond in Numb er The Percentage Difference between Male and emale Principal emphai on Goal Achievement baed on Right Leaderhip tyle Principa Democrati c Rep Autocratic Leaderhip Rep Laiez faire Rep HRMARS, Pakitan

10 Augut 2011, Vol. 1, No. 1 the Group of l Sex Leaderhip one one one Student 120 M (43) (35) 7 () 9 10 (8) (8) Teacher 0 M (33) (50) 10 (17) Principa l 14 M 5 4 (3) (29) 3 (20) 2 (14) Total 194 M 77 (40) 7 (4) 11 () 7 (39) 3 (2) 20 (10) Grand Total Key: M = Male Principal = emale Principal (*) = Percentage Repone HRMARS, Pakitan