PRINCIPALS’ JOB INVOLVEMENT VARIABLES AS PREDICTORS OF ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECTIVENESS IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined principals’ job involvement variables as predictors of administrative effectiveness in public secondary schools in Anambra State, Nigeria. Four research questions guided the study and four null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlational survey research design. The population comprised 275 principals in public secondary schools across the six education zones in Anambra State. All the 275 principals were used in the study. Data were collected using two questionnaires; Principals’ Job involvement variables questionnaire and Principals’ Administrative effectiveness questionnaire. The instruments were validated by three experts, and reliability coefficients of 0.85 were obtained for PJVQ and 0.88 for the PAEQ. Data were analyzed using simple and multiple regression analyses with the aid of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that Principals’ job involvement variables with its components significantly predicted administrative effectiveness among principals, with psychological connection and attitude to work demonstrating the strongest predictive influence. Similarly, principals’ emotional attachment significantly predicted administrative effectiveness among principals. The findings further showed that psychological connection, emotional attachment and attitude to work jointly made a significant prediction of administrative effectiveness among principals in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Overall, the study established that job involvement variables are significant determinants of administrative effectiveness among principals. The study concluded that principals who demonstrate a strong psychological connection with their schools, maintaining positive emotional attachment to their work environment, and exhibit positive attitude towards their responsibilities are more likely to be administratively effective. It was therefore recommended, among others, that government and educational stakeholders should organize programmes that strengthens principals’ psychological connection with their schools through leadership orientation, institutional goal alignment, and professional commitment initiatives, while school administrators should be encouraged to cultivate positive emotional attachment  by promoting healthy interpersonal relationship, staff welfare, teamwork, and supportive school environments that enhance commitment to school development and achievement of educational goals.