AN EXAMINIATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS REQUIRED OF PRINCIPALS IN ORDER TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS

AN EXAMINIATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE SKILLS REQUIRED OF PRINCIPALS IN ORDER TO ENSURE EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Because of the difficulties that the Directorate of Inspection was having, principals were given the responsibility of instructional oversight within the schools. Several education commissions have investigated and made recommendations on how to improve and sustain high-quality education in various contexts. The commissions recommended that instructional supervision in schools be performed by competent and experienced employees who have received training in this area. School administrators have been forced to supervise instructional activities in their respective schools in addition to their many other responsibilities. Principals have been legally entrusted with the responsibility of governing their schools in order to achieve the educational objectives. Principals must focus their efforts primarily on the teaching staff who are directly responsible for implementing instruction.

Curriculum is delivered through instruction. As a result, principals should pay special attention to instructional monitoring as part of their duties.

Administration is critical in schools, so only teachers who have been taught, qualified, experienced, and demonstrated high levels of professional integrity are promoted to the position of principle. The principal’s instructional supervision actions help each child achieve his or her own level of academic achievement in school. The goal of instructional supervision is to improve the quality of teaching by enhancing instructors’ abilities, which will improve students’ academic performance in the classroom. The Quality Assurance Standards Officers have tasked principals with overseeing instructional activities (QASOs)

in their respective districts. Enhancing teaching and learning, designing supervisory tactics, implementing improvement strategies, maintaining the school system, improving curriculum and library resources, assessing students’ progress and timetabling, and reviewing students’ progress and scheduling are among the tasks (Okumbe, 2003).

Administrators serve as supervisors on occasion, in addition to inspecting teachers’ classroom work and analyzing their overall performance based on students’ academic progress. Principals are also responsible for improving teachers’ academic and professional standing by providing them with current curricular materials and in-service training. In order to improve academic performance, principals are expected to provide appropriate levels of motivation and stimulation to their staff and students. Instead of the old control and authoritarianism tactics, they are to employ supervisor-teacher-friendly methods that benefit both parties (Wenzare, 2012). Teachers’ morale suffers as a result of traditional inspection procedures, which instill fear in them (Republic of Kenya,1965). As a result, administrators must serve as sources of motivation for both teachers and students. A principal’s ability to supervise instruction is critical to the advancement of quality education in any school and to assisting students in achieving success in academics and other areas of life. Many stakeholders have emphasized the significance of instructional monitoring, and administrators are increasingly being held accountable for their students’ outcomes as a result of this trend (Zepda, 2003). While poor performance in schools is documented, principals are expected to make a change. in students’ academic achievement through instructional monitoring while they are in their positions. While numerous studies on instructional supervision have been conducted, only a few studies have been conducted on the relationship between the variable and students’ academic progress in the classroom. Stakeholders are becoming more aware of the need for schools to be held accountable for the outcomes of the students in their care and attention. This puts principals under pressure to improve the quality of instruction in their schools. This type of pressure motivates administrators to be enthusiastic about providing good instructional supervision in order to improve students’ academic performance. Principals must pay close attention to instructional leadership in order for children to achieve academic success. Activities that result in effective education and instruction. Principals must connect administrative responsibilities and procedures through a well-established supervision program that helps to tie together the many activities that contribute to the achievement of school goals. Glickman et al. (2010) correctly describe supervision as the “glue” that holds a good school together. As a result of its binding action, it serves as a sensory system for the school as well as the institution’s lifeblood. Principals and their responsibilities as instructional supervisors have been the primary focus of the research thus far. Others have studied instructional supervision activities as well as improving instructors’ class-level teaching. However, In their analyses, researchers in this field have failed to include the variable of the students who are the recipients of the principal’s instructional supervision activities. The research will not be complete until the students’ academic achievement is considered, because teaching is merely a means to an end, which is the students’ academic achievement. When discussing instructional supervision, it is critical to include student academic achievement because it reflects the quality of the activities that have been provided. Students’ poor academic performance begs the question of whether instructional monitoring improves students’ academic performance. As a result, this study looks into the administrative skills required of principals in order to ensure

the proper administration of educational institutions.

1.2 Formulation of the Problem

Despite the fact that the Ministry of Education is focusing on improving school-based monitoring, there is still much more work to be done. Poor student performance in secondary schools appears to be the result of ineffective monitoring of instructors by administrators, according to informal discussions among residents of Akure South local government area and associated study results (Cooley & Shen 2011). According to stakeholders, students in Akure South secondary schools perform poorly as a result of ineffective principal supervision. This claim has not been proven. However, the fact that many students perform poorly on their exams is a fact that must be acknowledged. Instructor supervision is designed to help instructors. in honing their professional skills and approaches in order to assist students in learning more effectively and performing at higher levels. As previously stated, instructional monitoring in schools aims to improve teacher teaching and, as a result, pupil academic achievement. According to the Ministry of Education, the goal of this practice is to improve educational quality and, as a result, to assist students in achieving academic success. A lack of academic achievement raises concerns about the effectiveness of a principal’s instructional supervising abilities in the classroom. The academic progress of students is expected to improve as a result of the competent supervision provided by principals, who are required to motivate, stimulate, and consult with instructors. Secondary school in Ondo state The education board (OEB), in collaboration with the secondary school principals’ organization, organizes seminars and in-service training for principals in order to prepare them to act as instructional supervisors in the classroom. With these initiatives in place, it would seem reasonable, if not absolutely necessary, to ask why students in Akure South’s public secondary schools continue to perform so poorly in terms of academic performance and achievement. According to some studies, principals spend less than a third of their time in supervision and less than a third of their time in administration (Cooley & Shen 2011). (Cooley & Shen 2011). (2012) (Goodwin, Cunningham, & Childress). It has been stated that they only spend 20% of their time visiting classrooms and doing curriculum-related activities.

and taking part in staff development. The Ministry of Education explicitly defines the instructional supervision and instruction activities that principals are expected to perform in their schools. Because secondary school students achieve academic success at a low rate, administrators are obligated to prioritize instructional supervision activities as the primary priority in carrying out their responsibilities in this area.

Despite the fact that principals have been educated and equipped to serve in this capacity, there is no evidence to support the efficacy of instructional supervision in secondary schools. There is no explanation for why the vast majority of students continue to perform so poorly when there are principals who have been trained and have the necessary knowledge and abilities. in monitoring. At a school, instructional supervision is supposed to have an impact on instructors’ instruction of students, resulting in improved academic success for the students under supervision. However, little is known about instructional supervision and how it affects students’ academic progress in general. Sturge and colleagues (2014) based their findings on research papers, publications, and texts; however, this study gathered data from relevant respondents to reach its conclusions. Because the students’ academic achievement was not addressed, it was designated as the dependent variable in the current study. The researchers focused on instructional supervision techniques, but they were unable to identify the procedures’ ultimate outcome or goal. Instructional supervision is simply that.

a means to an end: it does not guarantee students’ academic success. As a result, this study looked into the administrative skills required of principals in order to ensure effective school management.

1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

In general, the purpose of this research is to look into the administrative skills required of principals in order to ensure effective school management.

i. To investigate the impact of a principal’s good administrative skills on secondary school management.

ii. To assess how the effective management of the Secondary School by the principal affects students’ academic performance.

iii. To learn about the difficulties principals face in carrying out their supervisory duties in order to provide effective management.

iv. To suggest ways for principals to improve their supervisory skills.

1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH

The following inquiries have been made:

been prepared for this research

i. What effect does a principal’s good administrative skills have on secondary school management?

ii. How does the effective management of a secondary school by the principal affect students’ academic performance?

iii. What are the difficulties that principals face in carrying out their supervisory duties in order to ensure effective management?

iv. What are the suggested methods for principals to improve their supervisory skills?

1.5 THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY

The study will be useful to principals in reinforcing those supervisory activities that have a positive impact on students’ academic achievement.

The study will also be useful to the Ministry of Education (MOE) in identifying areas that require attention, particularly when developing policies relating to internal school supervision. The study would also be used by APSS to improve their in-service training.

Programs for principals and teachers aimed at improving student academic performance. APSS would be aware of and address the challenges that principals face while carrying out instructional supervision.

The study will benefit the academic community because it will add to the existing literature.

1.6 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVE

This study will look at the impact of a principal’s good administrative skills on secondary school management. The study will also look at how the effective management of Secondary School by the principal affects students’ academic performance. The study will also look into the difficulties that principals face when carrying out their supervisory duties in order to ensure effective management. Finally, the study will suggest ways for principals to improve their supervisory skills. As a result, the scope of this research will be limited to

Local government area of Akure South.

1.7 THE STUDY’S LIMITATIONS

As with any human endeavor, the researcher encountered minor challenges while conducting the study. Due to the scarcity of literature on the subject as a result of the nature of the discourse, the researcher incurred more financial expenses and spent more time sourcing for relevant materials, literature, or information and in the data collection process, which is why the researcher resorted to a limited choice of sample size. Furthermore, the researcher conducted this investigation in addition to other academic activities.

1.8 DEFINITIONS OF TERMS

Administrative skills are those related to running a business or keeping an office organized, and they are required for a wide range of jobs, from office assistants to secretaries to office managers.

The management The act of dealing with or controlling things or people.