PRINCIPALS' APPLICATION OF INDIVIDUALIZED CONSIDERATION IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

he main purpose of this study was to determine the level of principals’ application of individualized consideration style in the administration of secondary schools. A research question and a hypothesis guided the study. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. The population for the study was 759 respondents comprising 258 principals of State public schools and 501 principals of private schools in Anambra State. The sample for the study was 381 respondents comprising 129 principals of State public schools and 252 principals of private schools from the six education zones in the State. The sample was drawn using proportionate stratified random sampling. A researcher developed structured questionnaire titled Individualized Consideration Questionnaire (ICQ) which was arranged in clusters in line with the research question that guided the study. Face and content validity were ascertained by three experts using Cronbach alpha reliability method to determine the internal consistency of the items. This yielded coefficient of 0.82 and.as such adequate for the study. Research question was answered using frequency and percentage scores, while the hypothesis was tested using chi-square at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that principals of public school do not apply individualized consideration for improving teachers’ job performance in secondary schools in Anambra State while their counterpart in private school affirmed that they apply individualized consideration for improving teachers’ job performance. It also revealed that the difference in the responses of principals of state and private schools on the principals’ application of individualized consideration for improving teachers’ job performance in public secondary schools in Anambra state was significant. It was recommended that principals of public secondary schools should assign duties to teachers on the basis of individual specialisation.