SUPERVISORY COMPETENCIES REQUIRED AND POSSESSED BY
SECONDARY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS IN NORTH CENTRAL STATES,
NIGERIA.
ABSTRACT
This study investigated the supervisory competencies required and possessed by
secondary school principals in North Central States, Nigeria, focusing on four
(4) identified supervisory areas of instructional leadership, communication,
information and communication technology and human relations. Descriptive
survey design was used for the study. The population of the study comprised
2511 secondary school principals located in the study area. The sample was 484
respondents representing 40% of the population drawn from three States out of
the six states and Abuja using Multistage sampling procedure. A 37 item
questionnaire titled Principals Supervisory Competencies questionnaire
(P.S.C.Q.) and Interview Schedule were used. The selection of seven principals
for the interview schedule was purposively carried out. Instrument for data
collection were validated by three experts and the reliability estimates for
clusters A, B, C and D were0.96, 0.91, .0.69, 0.70 respectively and the four
clusters put together was 0.94. The research questions were answered
descriptively using mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were
tested inferentially using the t-test statistic. The findings of this study showed
that both male and female principals in the study area possess instructional
leadership competencies, communication competencies and human relations
competencies. However, the study revealed that ICT competencies were not
possessed by both categories of principals, hence they require ICT
competencies. Similarly, the study showed that four out of the eight null
hypotheses were rejected because there was a significant difference in the
opinions of the two groups and the remaining four were accepted. Based on the
findings, conclusions and implications of the study, the researcher
recommended, among other things that: principals utilize the possessed
competencies, government at all levels should fund training programmes for
principals on ICT competency, the possession of ICT competencies should be
made a requirement for appointment of principals. Others are integration of
ICT competency acquisition into pre-service teacher training programmes,
Association of Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools
(ANCOPSS) should organize seminars’, workshops and conferences on ICT for
her members. Government should as well map out strategies to monitor and
ensure that principals utilize the supervisory competencies possessed by them to
enhance teaching and learning in the school. Stakeholders of education such as
NTI, TRCN should organize regular training on ICT for in-service teachers. The
findings from the interview showed a consensus with the result of the
questionnaire.
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CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Education is recognized as a potent instrument for social and economic
development of individuals and societies. Secondary education is the form of
education which children receive immediately after completing primary school
education. It constitutes post primary education and sometimes serves as a link
between primary and university education. According to Ogbonnaya (2010)
secondary education is the form of education which children receive
automatically after they have received primary school education. In the same
light, Whitaker, (2001) asserts that, secondary education refers to full-time
education provided in secondary schools usually for pupils between the ages of
eleven or twelve and eighteen plus. All the above means that secondary
education refers to education provided in the secondary school which is meant
for primary school graduates and a processing ground for a career in higher
education.
The broad aims of secondary education (Federal Republic of Nigeria,
2004) within Nigeria’s overall national objectives are preparation of students for
useful living within the society and for higher education (p.17). It is of six years
duration and is being given in two stages, the Junior Secondary School (JSS)
and the Senior Secondary School (SSS). Each stage is of three years duration.
Emphasizing the importance of secondary education, Ogbonnaya (2010) asserts
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that it is a stepping-stone to higher education, helps in the development of the
potentials of our youths and their cultural talents, encourages cooperation
among students, helps produce good citizens and provides for differences in
talents and opportunities as a result of its broad and diversified curriculum