Influence of Leadership Pattern on Effective Administration of Public Secondary Schools in Jalingo Education Zone, Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the influence of leadership patterns on the effective administration of public secondary schools in Jalingo Education Zone, Taraba State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the influence of democratic and autocratic leadership styles on effective school administration. Two research objectives, two research questions, and two corresponding null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design because it was appropriate for collecting and analyzing data from respondents without manipulating the study variables. The population comprised 1,837 teachers drawn from 45 public secondary schools in Jalingo Education Zone, while a sample of 317 teachers was selected using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) sample size determination table together with proportionate and simple random sampling techniques. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled Influence of Leadership Pattern on Effective Administration Questionnaire (ILPEAQ) consisting of 40 items. The instrument was validated by experts in Educational Administration and Measurement and Evaluation, while its reliability was established using the test-retest method and Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.84, indicating that the instrument was reliable for the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while simple linear regression analysis was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that democratic leadership had a positive and significant influence on effective administration by promoting staff participation, collaboration, and shared decision-making. Autocratic leadership also had a significant influence, although excessive use reduced teachers' involvement in decision-making. The regression results further indicated that all two leadership patterns significantly influenced effective administration, leading to the rejection of all five null hypotheses. The study concluded that leadership pattern is a critical determinant of effective administration in public secondary schools in Jalingo Education Zone, Taraba State. The study recommended that principals should adopt participatory leadership practices and minimize excessive use of autocratic leadership, participate in continuous leadership development programmes, and integrate effective performance appraisal, supervision, and reward systems to improve teachers' productivity and overall school effectiveness.