AN EVALUATION OF THE SCHOOL CLIMATE CHALLENGES FACING PRINCIPALS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

AN EVALUATION OF THE SCHOOL CLIMATE CHALLENGES FACING PRINCIPALS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the effect of school climate factors in teacher job satisfaction between government and non-government secondary schools. Besides the study examined the level of principals’ job satisfaction in both government and nongovernment secondary schools in Anambra State. To that effect,92 principals were selected by random sampling and 10 principals were selected using availability sampling method  from five government and five non-government secondary schools. A job satisfaction questionnaire consisting intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction with internal consistency reliability N =18 0.754 was applied. In the same way, school climate description questionnaire for the reliability N=31 0.812 was applied. Data from the completed questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that the mean value for each of the independent variables of non-government secondary schools were greater than government secondary schools. Besides the findings revealed that teacher- student interaction had significant effect on principals job satisfaction in government secondary schools compared to non-government schools. Concerning the school climate factors that are affecting principals’ job satisfaction, frustrated teacher behavior, supportive principal behavior and directive principal behavior are school climate variables that play a significant role in determining government secondary school principals’ job satisfaction; however the frustrated principals behavior and supportive principal behavior are the only factors that found to determine non-government principals’ job satisfaction. Concerning student-teacher interaction, it has a significant effect I principals’ job satisfaction in non-government schools compared to government secondary schools. Result of the study has revealed that student-teacher interaction was not good in government schools. So the principals in government schools should work hard to bring behavioral change on the students at school level by involving parents and other concerned bodies.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background of the Study

Schools are social institutions (Getzels & Guba, 1970). Within school organizations, there are students, principals, administrators, and many kinds of service personnel. Members of each of these groups occupy distinctive positions and are expected to behave in certain ways. The role expectations of these groups and norms ascribed to them are different from each other. Clearly, the relationships among many kinds of people in schools are varied and complex. Only if those relationships are understood and generally accepted can the school organization function effectively Campell, Corbally & Nystrand, (1983).

Characteristics of schools, such as the physical structure of school buildings and the interactions between students and principals, are two diverse factors that both affect and help to define the broad concept of school climate. School climate has been researched for many years and continues to be examined and redefined as a result of its significant influences on educational outcomes. The elements that comprise a school’s climate are extensive and complex. As a result, factors like number and quality of interactions between adults and students Kuperminc, Leadbeater and Blatt, (2001);  students’ and principals’ perception of their school environment, or the school’s personality Johnson, Johnson, & Zimmerman (1996)  environmental factors (such as the physical buildings and classrooms, and materials used for instruction); academic performance Johnson & Johnson (1993)  feelings of safeness and school size Freiberg (1998) and feelings of trust and respect for students and principals Manning & Saddlemire, (1996), are all factors related to school climate.

In this regard, school climate is multi-dimensional and influences many individuals including students, parents, school personnel, and the community. Additionally, school climate can significantly impact educational environments, as Freiberg (1998:22) notes, “school climate can be a positive influence on the health of the learning environment or a significant barrier to learning”.

Every educational organization has a climate that distinguishes it from other schools and influences behavior and feelings of principals and students for that school Sergiovanni & Starratt, (1988). As it is cited by Robert B. Kott Kamp.(2004) Hoy & Miskel, 1987: Tagiuri (1968) put simply, the organizational climate of a school is the set of internal characteristics that distinguishes one school from another and influences the behavior of its members. In more specific terms: School climate is the relatively enduring quality of the school environment that is experienced by participants, affects their behavior, and is based on their collective perception of behavior in schools.

As for schools, climate is a necessary link between organizational structure and teacher attitude and behavior. It was found that formal characteristics of schools had an important influence on the way in which principals’ perceived climate George & Bishop (1971). Clearly, climate represents a composite of the meditating variables that intervene between the structure of an organization and the style and other characteristics of leaders and teacher performance and satisfaction Sergiovanni & Starratt (1988)

According to Johnson (2006) principals who feel that they are safe in the workplace, have adequate supplies and access to professional development and career growth opportunities will have higher levels of job satisfaction. But principals who are not satisfied with their job could not be committed and productive.

Using his own experience  and based on the above research findings, the researcher has become gradually  aware and interested in the way in which school climate influences principals’ job satisfaction.  Having worked as a teacher and having the opportunity to supervise the principals being a school principal, the researcher strongly believes that school climate has a major effect on principals’ job satisfaction. In order to achieve these goals, potential of the principals must be realized to the maximum. It is known that in the school there are principals, students, school principals and other administrative or supportive staff together with the non human resources. The interactions of these different bodies within the school affect principal’s job satisfaction either positively or negatively. Even though school climate factors vary from school to school, it is important to investigate their impact on principals’ job satisfaction. So the purpose of this study is to assess the status of the school climate on principals’ job satisfaction in both government and non-government secondary schools found in Shashemene and to carry out a comparative analysis between the two school types. Although the number of schools is increasing from time to time with increasing population number in the town, principals are always seeking another job and leaving the schools from time to time.

Therefore, this study assesses the status of the effect of school climate on secondary school principals’ job satisfaction in Anambra State.

1.2. Statement of the Problem

In any education system the secondary level is a very important stage as it is a link between the elementary and higher education. Secondary School principals have to work hard to prepare the young students for future education. As it is seen from past and present experiences most of the principals are not interested in teaching profession and looking for the other organizations to be employed. As cited by Richard (2011) many studies have searched for the reasons principals leave the profession. A number of factors are shown to contribute, such as low salaries, discipline problems, school climate, and working conditions. If they are not given due reward for their services, their satisfaction level decreases and they will be unable to perform their duty properly.

Attempts to improve performance in schools will never succeed if principals’ job satisfaction is ignored. If employees in an organization are motivated, they will render services to the employer and customers very efficiently and effectively (Mbua, 2003). This implies that motivated and satisfied secondary school principals are most likely to affect the students’ learning positively, while the opposite of that may have negative impacts on students’ performance. Educational leaders and administrators have to pay special attention to the phenomena of motivation and job satisfaction.

As it is observed from the physical view point of schools, there are different factors that affect principals’ job satisfaction, such as students’ background, school principals leadership ability, staff members’ interpersonal communication, work load, parental influence, the physical safety of the school and etc. These factors may cause principals to leave or turnover their teaching job.

In relation to the rapid expansion of schools in our country, the number of both school types (government and non government secondary schools) is dramatically increasing from time to time in the country as a whole including the study area and significant number of principals is teaching in those schools. According to Anambra State Education Department; Education Management Information System Report (EMIS: 2007) there are six government secondary schools in Shashamene city: of which three of them are general secondary schools and the rest three are preparatory schools. Similarly there are seven non government secondary schools of which five of them are general secondary and the rest two are preparatory schools in the city. This indicates that the number of non government secondary schools is greater than that of government even though the number of principals is 284 in government secondary schools and 99 in non government secondary schools. As a result, the researcher believed the significance and motivated to conduct a comparative analysis on the case in hand between the government and non-government school secondary schools of the study area.

Here as the researcher has observed from his personal experience working in both school types as a teacher and school principal, there are principals who always complain about students’ behavior, large class size, the school facility and their work load. As a result of these factors, it is common to see that, most of the principals were observed complaining not  to continue in teaching profession and always search other opportunities and transfer to other organization.   That is why the researcher intended to assess the effect of school climate factors on principals’ job satisfaction in both government and non government secondary schools and make comparative analysis. Based on the above assumptions, the study examined the effect of the school climate on the principals’ job satisfaction in the study area and revealed the comparison of the effect on the two types of schools.

This research would therefore, attempt to answer the following basic questions.

1. What are school climate variables that are affecting principals’ job satisfaction in bothgovernment and non government secondary schools of the study area?
2. Do government and non government schools vary in terms of the effect of school climate onprincipals’ job satisfaction?
3. What is the relation of student-teacher interaction with principals’ job satisfaction?

1.3. Objectives

 1.3.1. General Objective

The main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the school climate dimensions on the job satisfaction of principals and to carry out the comparative analysis between the two school types (government and non-government secondary schools) in Anambra State.

1.3.2. Specific objective

The specific objectives of this study were:

1. To examine the school climate variables which are affecting principals’ job satisfaction in selected secondary schools in Anambra State.
2. To find out the difference between government and non government secondary schools in terms of the school climate factors for, principals’ job satisfaction and their effect.
3. To asses how principal’s relation with their students affect their job satisfaction.

1.4. Significance of the Study

The researcher strongly believes that many researches have been conducted in the area of the problem and different ideas were forwarded to the concerned bodies. The researcher realized from the literature that most of the studies were done either in either government or non government secondary schools especially in our country’s context due to different factors and motives. It is this reality that motivated the researcher to conduct the comparative analysis between government and non government secondary schools which are found in Anambra State. Because of the above mentioned fact, the study would have the following significance:

• It may create awareness among concerned decision makers to develop better ways to improve principals’ job satisfaction.
• It helps the school management to give more emphasis on school climate factors which affect secondary school principals’ job satisfaction.
• It helps create awareness, to educational policy makers and other stockholders about the problems and work hard to play their role as to create conducive school climate.
• It may help principals to see and evaluate themselves in the endeavor of bringing job satisfaction for themselves.

1.5. Delimitation of the Study

This study was conducted in government and non government secondary schools in Anambra State and it dealt with the assessment of the effect of school climate on principals’ job satisfaction and carried out comparative analysis between the two school types .There are different factors that affect principals’ job satisfaction, but in this study only the effects of school climate factors on job satisfaction was considered. These are believed to have significant correlation with principals’ job satisfaction.

To keep the consistence between the two school types and to maintain its manageability the study was delimited only to ten secondary schools out of the total thirteen secondary schools of which five of them Therefore, to make the study simple and manageable five government and five non government secondary schools in Anambra State were selected using purposive sampling. (See Table Two)

1.6. Limitation of the study

As any research work, the researcher has found it challenging to conduct this study.  Some of the limitations to be mentioned are time and finance. Due to limited time and financial constraints, it has become challenging for the researcher to complete the research work at the proposed time interval. Reluctance of some principals and principals to fill and return the questionnaire within the given time interval was also another limitation of the study. However, the researcher tried to overcome these problems as much as possible and produced this research work. As the result, there was no negative impact made due to such limitation because 100% of questionnaires completed and returned after persistent and continuous follow up.

1.7 Operational Definition of Key Terms

School Climate: the work environment of the school that reflects the relationships among principals, the interaction between students and principals, and the relation of principals with principals.

Job Satisfaction:  how safe principals feel and satisfying their relationships are with students, staff members, and school principals.

Government Secondary Schools: in the context of the study, government secondary schools imply schools which are governed and owned by Anambra State Education Office.

Non-government Secondary Schools: in the context of the study, non-government secondary schools imply schools which are governed and by private owners, PLCs or NGOs.

General Secondary School: in the context of the study, general secondary school implies the school that offers general secondary education and operates grades 9-10.

Preparatory School:  in the context of the study, preparatory school implies the school that offers pre-college education and operates grades 11-12.

Intrinsic Job satisfaction is a job satisfaction which depends on the individual characteristics of a person. Hoy, W. K., Tarter, C. J., & Kottkamp, R. B. (1991).

Extrinsic Job satisfaction is a job satisfaction which is situational and depends on the environment. Hoy et al. (1991)

AN EVALUATION OF THE SCHOOL CLIMATE CHALLENGES FACING PRINCIPALS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE