PRINCIPALS' ATTITUDE AS A CORRELATE OF TEACHERS' JOB SATISFACTION IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study examined principals' attitude as a correlate of teachers' job satisfaction in public secondary schools in Anambra State. The study adopted a correlational survey research design. Five research questions guided the study, while five null hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 level of significance. The population comprised 8,500 teachers in 275 public secondary schools in Anambra State, from which a sample of 600 teachers was selected using simple random and proportionate stratified sampling techniques. Data were collected using the Principals' Attitude Scale (PAS) and Teachers' Job Satisfaction Scale (TJSS). The instruments were validated by experts, while their reliability coefficients, determined using Cronbach Alpha, were 0.73 for PAS and 0.78 for TJSS. Data were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation to answer the research questions, while the hypotheses were tested using the p-value at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that principals' attitude and its dimensions—effective communication, supportive leadership, approachability, student-centeredness, and collaborative decision-making—had significant positive relationships with teachers' job satisfaction. Supportive leadership and collaborative decision-making emerged as the strongest correlates of teachers' job satisfaction. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the Anambra State Ministry of Education and the Post Primary Schools Service Commission should organize regular leadership development programmes to strengthen principals' interpersonal and administrative competencies for improved teachers' job satisfaction.