The Effect of Leadership Style of the Principal on the Performance of Secondary School Teacher
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The main objective of the study is to investigate the principals‟ leadership styles and determine how they influence teachers‟ job satisfaction in secondary schools in Nsukka Education Zone. Specifically, the study aimed at finding out;
- The leadership styles commonly adopted by principals in Nsukka Education Zone.
- The influence of the leadership styles of principals on teachers‟ job satisfaction.
- The extent to which the influence of leadership styles of principals on teachers‟ job satisfaction is gender dependent.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Leadership Styles
Leadership is admittedly defined as the power to facilitate, stimulate, and inspire followers via the useful and efficient provision of institutional resources to implement strategies and achieve shared objectives (Northouse, 2018). Also, leadership is conceptualized as how a leader influences a group to achieve communal goals (Jaques, 2017). Simply put, leaders express a strong preference for close collaboration with the subordinates to extend their mutual interest rather than reliance on their authority to influence the subordinates to obey what has been dictated to them (Adair, 2007; Northouse, 2018). The ways in which leaders provide direction, influence, and motivate their subordinates are called styles of leadership. In the educational sector, the pertinence and efficacy of leadership style rest on the functioning state in which school leaders balance their style with devotees’ tasks (Petersen et al., 2015; Lunenburg and Ornstein, 2021). The leadership styles adopted by the principals are diverse and derived from the foundation of locally cultural associations and the context of school settings (Hallinger, 2018; Miller, 2018; Phuc et al., 2020). Simply put, principal leadership styles are greatly influenced by various factors, i.e., leader personalities, socioeconomic environment, and school culture; thus, styles and practices of leadership vary according to cultural and geographical differences (Busher, 2006; Hoy and Miskel, 2008; Chen et al., 2017; Solomon and Steyn, 2017). Through previous empirical research, three basic leadership styles mostly adopted by principals in developing countries are as follows: (i) autocratic leadership style; (ii) democratic or participative leadership style; and (iii) laissez-faire or freerein leadership style (Oplatka∗ , 2004; Okoji, 2016; Saleem et al., 2020). Mumford (2006) argued that most leaders preferably deploy participative and directive styles and endorses the encouragement of democratic leadership style as an alternative to laissez-fair and autocratic leadership styles. The literature review highlights the use or blend of various leadership styles in certain situations, i.e., democratic, autocratic, task-oriented, collegial, or transformational, that enable school leadership to instigate school improvement and reform (Heck and Hallinger, 2010; Kiboss and Jemiryott, 2014; Sebastian and Allensworth, 2019; Hosseingholizadeh et al., 2021). Additionally, a conceptual model of school leadership was recently developed typically reliant on three leadership styles, namely, instructional, transformational, and moral, to improve school effectiveness and teacher job performance (Phuc et al., 2020). Moreover, leadership, although being administrators or pedagogical leaders, demands the integration and proficient use of numerous approaches, such as behavioral approach, trait approach, and skills approach, and appropriate leadership styles across different situations or occasions (Schleicher, 2015; Northouse, 2018; Lunenburg and Ornstein, 2021). Thus, successful school leaders are those who adopt an appropriate leadership style or a mixture of various styles to lead teachers toward the attainment of school goals (Schleicher, 2015; Stevenson et al., 2016).
Principal Leadership Styles and Teacher Job Performance
The effective performance, work motivation, and contentment level of employees constitute factors of great importance for all institutions, especially educational organizations (Ertas, 2015; Chen et al., 2017; Demircioglu, 2021). Previous studies further confirm that the capacity to complete the job tenure and survive a position is due to not only performance or the economic need for employment but also the leadership practices of superiors (Sun and Wang, 2017; Bickmore and Dowell, 2018; Lee et al., 2019; Baig et al., 2021). Ultimately, the leadership role is of great significance in decision-making to inspire subordinates and reach a consensus about how and what their desires to be fulfilled for the achievement of employees’ needs and desired objectives (Kafka, 2009). Given teacher morale and performance improvement, certain leadership practices have empirically proved themselves valuable such as effective communication with teachers, well-established principal and teacher relationships, and attention to teacher professionalism (Lambersky, 2016; Terosky, 2016). Thus, extant literature suggests that it requires tremendous efforts by both the school administration and teachers to enhance teacher job performance (Imhangbe et al., 2018; Saleem et al., 2020). The ethical behavior of organizational leaders plays an important role in promoting work behavior, innovative ideas, and job satisfaction among workers (Hsiung, 2012; Haque and Yamoah, 2021). Adeyemi (2010) investigated principal leadership styles (i.e., democratic, autocratic, and laissez-faire leadership) in relation to teacher job performance in senior secondary schools in Ondo State, Nigeria. Using the stratified random sampling technique, the study sample comprised 240 principals and 1,800 teachers. Frequency counts, percentages, Pearson’s correlation matrix, and t-test were performed to establish the relationship among study variables. Regarding the study findings, the democratic leadership style constituted the dominant leadership style exercised by the principals under study. Specifically, higher levels of teacher job performance are closely associated with the principals’ use of democratic and autocratic leadership styles in certain situations (p < 0.05). Accordingly, no significant relationship was found between laissez-faire leadership and teacher job performance. The authors recommended that a mixture of autocratic and democratic leadership styles should be encouraged in their school administration to promote better teacher job performance, whereas principal laissez-faire leadership style should be discouraged as it failed to induce better teacher job performance.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine the effect of leadership style of the principal on the performance of secondary school teacher. Selected secondary schools in Nsukka, Enugu forms the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the effect of leadership style of the principal on the performance of secondary school teacher. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of leadership style of the principal on the performance of secondary school teacher
Summary
This study was on the effect of leadership style of the principal on the performance of secondary school teacher. Three objectives were raised which included: The leadership styles commonly adopted by principals in Nsukka Education Zone, the influence of the leadership styles of principals on teachers‟ job satisfaction and the extent to which the influence of leadership styles of principals on teachers‟ job satisfaction is gender dependent. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected secondary schools in Nsukka, Enugu Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
The use of different leadership styles by principals in the administration of secondary schools has positive effect on the schools overall progress and development in Nsukka. The democratic style of leadership of principals in the secondary schools of the zone help in contributing to the development and achievement of the schools. The disposition of autocratic leadership styles by principals of secondary schools with nsukka does not really help in the harmonization of secondary school administration and progress in achieving the set goals.
Recommendation
- The principals should be encouraged to keep and home an open door policy and also see to it that teachers participate fully in decision making by allowing teachers to make suggestion whenever the needs arise.
- Also the zonal directors should always discourage the principals from being the alpha and omega always telling the staff what to do all the time in order to avoid the over centralization of power on the principals giving the impression of Top-Down system of administration.
- In providing rewards and punishment for staff, the principal should be careful not to over react on issue no matter how minor. Furthermore the principals should encourage team work
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