Principals Material Resources Management Competence in Secondary Schools in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State

Principals Material Resources Management Competence in Secondary Schools in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State

Okafor Amarachi Christiana¹, Nwuzor Chimdindu Olivia², Ekwunife Nneoma Francisca³, Chinonso Anthony Ofozoba⁴, Nwobu, Chukwudi Michael⁵

Department of Arts and Social Science Education Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.90400264

Received: 30 April 2025; Accepted: 02 May 2025; Published: 09 May 2025

ABSTRACT

This study evaluated the Principals Material Resources Management Competence in Secondary Schools in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State. The specific objectives of the study were to: examine the to; determine the  availability of   material resources in the secondary school; determine the skills needed by principals in planning material resources in secondary schools; determine the skills needed by principals in organizing material resources in secondary schools; determine the skills needed by principals in controlling the material resources in secondary schools; determine the skills needed by principals in secondary schools for evaluating the use of material resources. The Research design employed in the study is descriptive survey research design. The data generated for the study comprises of primary sources (field survey). Primary data are those obtained directly from the originators or main source. The population of this study was 904, and this comprised of 42 principals, 12 supervisors, and 850 teachers for the 42 secondary schools in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State. Source: Anaocha LG H Qs, 2023. The sample sizes of 559 were chosen for the study. The study found that: there is significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for planning the use of materials resources in their schools. Principals differ significantly in their opinions regarding the mean ratings of the principals and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for planning the use of materials resources in their schools. The study recommends Principals, teachers and supervisors should cooperate and work in synergy to develop a comprehensive report about the inadequacy of material resources in schools in the area and how it has constrained them from ensuring full implementation of the content of the curriculum. Principals should uphold the planning competences been deployed in managing the schools by collaborating with teachers and supervisors to ensure that more practicable planning practices and strategies are put to use.

Keywords:  Principals Material Resources Management Competence, planning material, organizing material, controlling.

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Education is a transformational tool in every society and should be held in high esteem. It is the acquisition of knowledge and skills required to sustain individual, groups, and organizational advancement at all levels and spheres of life. Egwu (2016) stated that the principal is a leader who must plan, coordinate and supervise the affairs of the school, so that they run smoothly. The principal is the chief administrator of secondary school who is expected to effectively use various resources through the adoption of management practices for the realization of the school goals. If education system must achieve her national policies and goals, the school managers at all levels must ensure optimum management of human, material, financial and time resources.

Management is the arrangement of available human and material resources for the achievement of desired goals and objectives (Nwune, Nwogbo & Okonkwo, 2016). It is a distinct process which consists of planning, organizing, motivating and controlling performances to accomplish stated objective with use of human beings and other resources. It is the productive use of available resources in an efficient and effective manner geared towards goals realization. Nkwoh (2011) stated that school principals must possess a wide array of competencies in order to lead schools effectively towards the accomplishment of educational goals. In the word of Anthony, O. C. (2019), the government has long recognized that technology development is vital to the development of the agriculture sector, yet the national research system has enjoyed only limited success in generating new technologies which in any case are yet to be adopted by farmers. Competency as stated by Carol and Edward (2018) is the successful performance of a task through the use of knowledge, skills, attitude and judgment. It is the ability and required skills to accomplish given task. Managerial competency is the possession of necessary skills to effectively manage resources for productivity. Communication skills allow you to give and receive information. Indeed, employers consistently rank communication skills as one of the most commonly requested skills in 2020 job postings. Using, improving and showcasing your communication skills can help you both advance in your career and be competitive when searching for new jobs (Morah, Ofozoba, Nwobu, & Obi, 2022)

Heller (2012) stated that the functions of school administrators include but are not limited to: management of instructional programmes, staff personnel administration, students’ personnel administration, finance and physical resource management, and community relationship management. Effective management of human, material, time and financial resources is highly crucial for institutional sustainability and the development of schools’ action plans. Resources are assets used to accomplish goals (Akomolafe, 2015). These resources include human and material resources (Alasoluyi, 2015). The material resources according to Kirthika (2022) are assets in form of material possessions or anything of material value or usefulness that is owned by a person, company or an organization. For the school system, material resources might include school furniture and fittings, equipment, curriculum and teaching materials such as boards, chalks, markers, benches, desks, books, flags, chairs, etcetera. Material resource management is concerned with the integrated approach to planning, organizing, controlling of the flow of materials based on the demand, and distribution of procured materials to different sections of the school for coordinated and smooth operations (Kirthika, 2022).

Planning for material resources in the school involves thinking ahead and deciding on actions to take in using the instructional materials and facilities to improve learning in the school. Through planning, the school teacher also prepares and maintain the material resources to facilitate teaching and learning in the school. Organizing involves arranging and coordinating the tasks and the materials needed to put plans into operations (Akomolafe, 2013). Organization implies arranging or putting the required material resources in order which will take into consideration the materials to use, the time of use and the activities or play to be performed. The control of the use of the materials resources is also very important for effective monitoring and supervision of teaching and learning in the school. Controlling involves being in charge of the use and access of the school to the materials resources in the school environment. Evaluation of the material resources is also an important responsibility of the school principal. Evaluation is the last component of the management system to monitor whether the objectives of the organization or the school system are being achieved. Evaluation deals with the assessment of situations in order to determine their relationships with the stated goals and objectives (Kirthika, 2022). Evaluation involves assessing from time to time the relevance, the condition, the effectiveness and the utilization of the material resources for instructional delivery in the school.

The school principal must be very skillful in managing the available material resources in the school if the objectives of the system are to be met on continuous basis. Efficient management in the school will ensure maximum utilization and management of the existing school resources in order to make educational institution a huge success. The management of school to a large extent is influenced by a number of factors which include location (urban and rural) and school management (private or public). On the location for instance, schools in rural areas are at disadvantage in terms of availability of required material and even human resources. Also, the possession and management of resources in private schools tend to be more effective than that of the public schools due to strict management practices in private schools. To ensure effective management of the available material resources of the school on sustainable basis, the management activities and skills of the school principals is an important factor. The resource management activities of the school principals cover careful planning, organizing, controlling and evaluation of the available instructional materials and other facilities in the school in order to create conducive teaching and learning environment for the teachers and the student.

Material resources are school facilities like buildings, laboratories, library, e-learning facilities, instructional materials, furniture, classrooms, offices, school records, and sport facilities among others that augment teaching and learning process. Material resource management is the effective and efficient utilization of physical facilities and instructional materials for school improvement. The quality of education delivered by teachers and academic achievement of students of any school is dependent on several factors of which school facilities is paramount (Asiyai, 2018). Akinfolarin and Ehinola (2014) stated that institutional facilities should continue to be provided to facilitate effective teaching and delivery of knowledge as it improves academic performance. However, material resource management is very crucial to the secondary school system as poor management of it may decrease the quality of educational outputs. Despite the significance of material resources to educational system, schools in Anambra state are still experiencing faulty and shortage of vital facilities in the implementation of action plan for secondary school improvement. Government can utilize the enormous budgeted funds for subsidy payment to revitalize other sectors of the economy like education, knowledge, agriculture, transportation, health, power generation/distribution (Ofozoba, Nwobu, & Okechukwu, (2023).

There are serious challenges in secondary schools in Nigeria ranging from inadequate coverage of scheme of work, teachers’ persistent lateness, frequent conflict, truancy among students, inadequate and damaged physical facilities, shortage of fund, unprecedentedly high fees charged on students among others. This may be as a result of poor managerial competencies in effective and efficient management of the key resources in every organization including the school system which are; human, material, and financial and time resources. No meaningful organizational change can take place without effective management of resources. Premised on these challenges that the study aimed at a survey of the material resources management skills needed by principals in secondary schools in Anambra state. School plant constitutes important resources for the implementation of educational programme in Nigeria. Its place in the teaching process cannot be over emphasized, for instance, classroom constitute a common ground for sharing learning experiences and for trying out research findings. Play grounds are places for recreation and sports while instructional materials such as teaching aids generally, are facilitators of the teaching learning process. Despite the above importance of these physical facilities, evidence abound which seems to suggest that there is ineffectiveness in the management of school plant in secondary schools particularly in Anambra states of Nigeria. The school administrators appear to pay less attention to school plant management as one of the task areas of school administration. It appears that principals do not motivate teachers and students adequately because they appear to treat the provision of infrastructural facilities like conducive classrooms, comfortable staff rooms, libraries, laboratories and workshop with levity. This affects the productivity of the teachers and the achievement of the students. This ineffectiveness according to Idoko (2005) are in the form of washed off paints, falling ceiling and roof tops that have suffered from heavy rainfall. Noticeable also are cracked dilapidated decaying walls, sagging roofs, broken doors, windows and bushy surroundings as common phenomena in secondary schools in Anambra states. Most schools have no doors or window shutters to protect students against hash whether conditions. The classrooms are overcrowded which do not allow for personal attention of students by the teachers. Some secondary schools have no laboratories and even the schools that have are not provided with the relevant materials and equipment for learning activities that the students can be engaged in.

Therefore, if appropriate material resource management skills were identified and the teachers were exposed to it, there is every likelihood for improvement in material resource management. It was based on this premise that this study was conducted to investigate principals’ material resources management competence in secondary schools in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State.

Purpose of the Study

The main objective of the study was to examine Principals Material Resources Management Competence in Secondary Schools in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State. Specifically, the study sought to determine;

1. To determine the availability of material resources in the secondary school in Anambra state.
2. To determine the skills needed by principals in planning material resources in secondary schools.
3. To determine the skills needed by principals in organizing material resources in secondary schools.
4. To determine the skills needed by principals in controlling the material resources in secondary schools.
5. To determine the skills needed by principals in secondary schools for evaluating the use of material resources.

Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses guided the study:

Ho1: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals, teachers and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for planning the use of materials resources in their schools.

Ho2: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals, teachers and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for organizing material       resources in their schools.

Ho3: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals, teachers and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for controlling the use of material resources in their schools.

Ho4: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals, teachers and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for evaluating the use of material resources in their schools.

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Theoretical Framework

Theories according to Jamabo and Kinanee (2004) can be viewed as a set of concepts, principals, propositions and generalizations that are logically interconnected which present a systematic view of phenomena that enable the user to describe, explain, predict or advance knowledge. In the view of Atkinson, Atkinson, Smith and Hilgard (1990), theories are described as cluster of relevant assumptions that are systematically related to one another. They are related statements that are logically presented to give functional meaning to a phenomenon under investigation. For instance, Akposheri (2014) stated that a theory is simply an attempt at synthesizing and integrating empirical data for maximum clarification and unification. Theoretically, this study is therefore based on theory of management and Maslow hierarchy theory of need.

Theory of Management

Theory of management is postulated by Fayol and Bernard in 1961. Management is the art or science of achieving goals through combination of the available organizational or institutional resources. Management refers to the development of bureaucracy that derives its importance from the need for strategic planning, coordination, directing and controlling of large and complex decision-making process. Fayol and Bernard (1961) listed 14 management principals to include:

• Division of Work: Specialization allows the individual to build up experience, and to continuously improve his activities. The consequence is that he can be more productive.
• Authority: The right to issue commands, along with which must go with balanced responsibility for its function.
• Discipline: Employees must obey, but this is two-sided: employees will only obey orders if management plays their part by providing good leadership. Unity of Command: Each worker should have only one boss with no other conflicting lines of command.
• Unity of Direction: People engaged in the same kind of activities must have the same objectives in a single plan.
• Subordination of Individual Interest: Management must see that the goals of the firms are always paramount.
• Remuneration: Payment is an important motivator although by analyzing a number of possibilities, Fayol and Bernard pointed out that there is no such thing as a perfect system.
• Centralization (or Decentralization): This is a matter of degree depending on the condition of the business and the quality of its personnel.

• Scalar Chain (Line of Authority): A hierarchy is necessary for unity of But lateral communication is also fundamental, as long as superiors know that such communication is taking place.
• Order: Both material order and social order are necessary. The former minimizes lost time and useless handling of materials. The latter is achieved through organization and selection.
• Equity: In running an organization or institution, a ‘combination of kindliness and justice’ is needed. Treating employees well is important to achieve desired goals of the institution.
• Stability of Tenure of Personnel: Employees work better if job security and career progress are assured to them.
• Initiative: Allowing all personnel to show their initiative in some way is a source of strength for the organization.
• Esprit de Corps: Management must foster the morale of its employees. This suggests that the real talent of employee is needed to plan, coordinate, organize and evaluate the progress made in the achievement of organizational goals and objectives.

Fayol and Bernard looked at management as constituting the following functions: planning, organizing, directing, coordinating and evaluating. In relation to this study, Fayol and Bernard’s principals as presented above were meant to provide school principals with the necessary guidelines for managing available material resources in schools towards the achievement of the stated objectives of school system.

Maslow Hierarchy of Needs Theory

Abraham Maslow in (1954) propounded the need theory. The theory is composed of five human motivational needs: namely, physiological needs, safety/security needs, belonging and love needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. This theory accurately describes many realities of personal experiences. It is believed that humans strive for an upper level of capabilities, which means that, humans seek the frontiers of creativity, the highest reaches of consciousness and wisdom. This has been labeled “fully functioning person”, “healthy personality”, or as, “self-actualizing person.

Maslow has set up a hierarchy of five levels of basic needs. Beyond these needs, higher levels of needs exist. These include needs for understanding, esthetic appreciation and purely spiritual needs. In the levels of the five basic needs, the person does not feel the second need until the demands of the first have been satisfied, nor the third until the second has been satisfied, and so on. From this set of hierarchy or model developed by Maslow it means that basic low-level needs such as physiological requirements and safety must be satisfied before higher-level needs such as self-fulfillment are pursued. Therefore, only needs not yet satisfied can influence behaviour and when such needs are satisfied the person will be motivated to pursue the next higher need in the order. Our need comes up the moment one need is satisfied.

Maslow’s basic needs are as follows: (a) Physiological Needs: consist of needs for air, food, water, sleep and a relative constant body temperature; (b) Safety needs: comprise need for security, job security, medical insurance and financial reserves; (c) Social needs: include needs of love, affection and belongingness; (d) Needs for esteem: some esteem needs are self-respect, achievement, attention, recognition and reputation; lastly, (e) Need for self-actualization: This level of need is the basis of the quest to reach one’s full potential as a person.

To motivate any human resource, the manager must be able to recognize the needs level at which the human resource is operating, and those needs as levels of motivation. These needs are ranked according to the order in which they influence human behaviour in hierarchical fashion ascending from the lowest to the highest level of needs. This theory is related to this study in that the principals could deploy their planning, organizing and controlling competences on teachers, encouraging them to maintain and judiciously use such material resources as instructional materials to aid their lesson delivery in a manner that could help student attain high academic achievements. Consequently, a teacher whose students have attained better academic achievement often develop the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. This could be likened to self-actualization. It should be made known here that if principals effectively apply the aforementioned competence practices, it could become a source motivation that would spur the teachers into demonstrating commitment to helping the schools make the most of available material resources in pursuit educational goals.

Related Empirical Studies

Aremu (2022) conducted a study on assessment of sanitation facilities in primary schools within Ilorin, Nigeria. The study was undertaken to assess the state of sanitation facilities in primary schools within Ilorin, north central Nigeria. A multi stage sampling technique was used for the survey to select and 200schools eventually participated. Data for the study was obtained from physical inspection of sanitation facilities and semi-structured questionnaires. The study revealed that 5.5%-26.5% of the assessed school have sanitation facility in adequate quantity, quality or usage;23% have a smaller number of facilities compared to pupil population, 42% have grossly insufficient facilities and 12.5% have no sanitation facility. The quality of facilities in24.5% of the schools is tolerable while the facilities in 57.5% of the schools are in deplorable condition. 26.5% of the school effectively use the toilet and urinals. 22.5%seldom use them while 38.5% do not use the at all. Because they are objectionable or risky, therefore, raising the status of schools lacking behind in quantity, quality or usage of sanitation facilities should be a top priority in order to achieve developmental goals.

Morgan (2020) conducted a study that identified human resource management skills required of technical college administrators in south-south states of Nigeria. The objective of the study was to determine the staffing, training and development, motivation, and maintenance needs of technical college for human resource management. To accomplish this task, the researcher sampled 20 principals, 34 vice principals, and 184 technical teachers making the total population of 238.The methodology adopted was a survey research design because it intended to seek the opinions of technical college administrators. Four research questions were developed for the study and four null hypotheses were tested at a probability of 0.05 level of significance. Data for the study were collected with the use of structured questionnaire from 238 respondents. The findings of this study showed that technical college administrators and prospective educational administrators with the knowledge of the human resource skills required would enhance their job performance and serve as a guide to enable them apply the activities in order to achieve the objectives of the college. The study of Morgan in 2020 is technically related to the present study in that both studies adopted the same design, while the reviewed study focused on management of human resources, the present study focused on materials resources, although the approaches in the two studies were similar.

Menges (2020) carried out a research work on knowledge management competencies needed by librarians for effective library services in the information age. Four research questions guided the study. The design of the study was a descriptive survey and the population comprised all the librarians in university libraries in south eastern Nigeria. The sample was made up of 66 librarians randomly selected from university libraries in the zone. Data for the study were generated using questionnaire and the data generated were analyzed using frequency tables and mean. The findings revealed that the knowledge management tasks such as training users in online searching and provision of assistance in information selection and evaluation of resources are required for effective library services in university libraries. The study also found that knowledge about web content management and information architecture in addition to collaborative activities, ability to share and transfer information as well as understanding information and knowledge needs of users are required to perform knowledge management (KM) tasks in the university libraries. It was recommended, among other things, that librarians must nurture an organizational climate that encourages growth and sharing of knowledge.

The present study is related to that of Menges in the sense that both studies aimed at assessing the needs of school teachers and librarians in effective resource management in school settings. While the study being reviewed focused on information management, the present study focused on material resource management. Both studies employed descriptive survey research design for collecting data for the study.

Dubbin (2020) examined the usefulness of Human Resource Management in the administration of secondary schools in Nigeria. To guide the investigation the researcher raised research question and formulated one hypothesis in the study. A sample of fifty-six schools was selected from a total population of 278 schools in the Delta North Senatorial District through the stratified random sampling technique. In these fifty-six schools, there was a total of 5,315 staff from which a further selection of 1,063 staff, representing 20% of the target population were the subject of the study. A questionnaire was used in collecting data which were analyzed using percentage and Z-test statistic. The result of the findings revealed that human resources undergo different forms of training. The result also revealed that there is a significance difference between the performances of human resources in relation to students’ academic performance. It was therefore concluded that school personnel should undergo training and attend regular workshops and seminars. Also, that the performance of human resources has considerable effects on students’ academic performance. The researcher therefore recommended that the human resources in schools who are not trained professional staff should be advised to go for Post Graduate Diploma in Education to acquire teaching skills. They should be made to understand the importance of appropriate teaching methods for specific subject areas as they help the staff perform more effectively.

Anthony, M. O. C., & Ifeanyi, I. (2019) aimed at assessing the ICT competencies needed by secondary school principals for administrative effectiveness in secondary schools in Anambra state. To this end, the researcher outlined 3 purposes, 3 research questions and 3 hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. A descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The entire population was used for the study. Data was collected using a questionnaire of 41 items titled ICT Competency Questionnaire (ICTCQ which was validated by experts from the faculty of education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. A reliability index of 0.71 was obtained using Cronbach’s alpha. Data analysis was done using mean and t-test. The findings revealed that principals of secondary schools in Anambra state need computer operational competency, internet/networking competency and ICT safety competency. However, Male and female principals differed significantly in their mean ratings on ICT competencies needed for administrative effectiveness

Ofozoba, C. A., & Perpetua, O. (2023). focus on how rule of law takes the center stage in enhancing sustainable education in Nigerian society. Education is simply an overall lens through which principles of rule of law smoothly transit as essential tenets of democracy. As a component of democracy, rule of law supports equality by directing institutions to be accountable, to safeguard human rights, to be fair and transparent, and to empower citizens to participate and engage constructively in society. Education enables this through the capacity to give learners the opportunities and competencies to realize their rights and obligations for a better world and future. Education equally provides curricula for understanding the generative ideas, methods of reflection, and analysis of rule of law by equipping learners with the appropriate knowledge, values, skills, attitudes, and behaviors they need to contribute to the continued improvement and regeneration of rule of law in society. The paper, therefore, calls for the activation of educational principles, worth, and merits in Nigeria and also for remedial steps to redress those educational inconsistencies in Nigeria that may hinder the efficiency of rule of law.

Ezeamama, I., & Ofozoba, C. A. (2023). analyzed the role of Local Governments in rural development of Nigeria, a case study of Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State The objective of the study was to Evaluate the contribution of local government to agricultural development in Ekwusigo Local Government in Anambra State. Examine the role of local government on infrastructural development in Ekwusigo Local Government in Anambra State. Assess the contributions of local government on employment creation Ekwusigo Local Government in Anambra State. Three research hypothesis and three research questions are formulated in line with the above objectives of the study. Descriptive survey design method was used; the sample techniques employed was simple random sampling. The study selected Ekwusigo Local Government Area; the population are 99242 where the sample size is 398 using Taro Yamane formula. The researcher distributes Three hundred and ninety-eight (398) questionnaires but only three hundred and forty-seven (347) copies of questionnaire were retrieved. Structured questionnaire was use to gather information from the population. Percentage tables and ANOVA method of data analysis was used to test the questionnaire. The finding of the study shows that; Local government has made significant contributions to agricultural development in Ekwusigo Local Government in Anambra State. Local government has contributed to infrastructural development in Ekwusigo Local Government in Anambra State. Local government has made significant contributions to employment creation in Ekwusigo Local Government in Anambra State. The study recommended that more concerted efforts should be made toward development of rural areas. These should include increase in budget allocation, effective policy implementation and completion. Corruption and mismanagement of resources should also be discouraged by punishing officials engaged in associated corrupt cats and blocking channels of diverting resources through effective budget planning and monitoring.  

Onu, S. C., Ofozoba, C. A., & Nditu, J. K. (2024) examined Conquering unemployment through opportunities in digital economy: An Empirical Study of Nigeria and Kenya. The study adopted employed descriptive survey design, with two research questions answered. The sample size of 1,000 digital professionals and enthusiasts were selected through the convenient sampling technique. An online structured survey, ‘Unemployment, Digital Skills and Digital Economy Questionnaire (UDSDEQ)’ was deployed for the data collection. Face validation of the instrument was carried out while Cronbach alpha method was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument, with satisfactory reliability coefficients:0.76 and 0.89. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistic, specifically the weighted mean and tables. Results revealed among others that the digital skills that must be acquired in order to become gainfully employable in the digital economy are cyber security and data privacy skills; digital and social media marketing; augmented reality, virtual reality and animations/video editing; artificial intelligence and machine learning; data science, analysis and visualization, etcetera. With this, the teaming unemployed youths have a clue on the best and salable digital skills to acquire in order to stand any chance of being gainfully employed in the emerging economy. Public-private partnership was envisaged towards addressing the challenges limiting the digital economy from engaging most of the unemployed in Nigeria and Kenya.

Morah, J. N., Ofozoba, C. A., Nwobu, C. M., & Obi, C. J. (2022) examined the knowledge of social science education: a panacea for employability in Nigeria’s development sector There has been an observed knowledge and awareness gap among the general public and students on the relevance and value of Social Science as a field of Study in Nigerian schools. These observed ideas make students who wish to enroll or who have enrolled into this field of learning to be inferior most times and often wonder if they would be employed after graduation. This could be attributed to the fact that they do not understand the skills and contents embedded in the field of Social Science discipline. It is against this background that this paper reviewed knowledge of Social Science as a panacea for employability in Nigeria’s development sector. It is pertinent to note that social science majorly is the integration of economics, political science, sociology, psychology and anthropology. These disciplines provide one with analytic, communication, critical, problem solving, writing and research skills. These six skills are capable of providing one the needed survival instincts in the development sector and as well contribute positively towards nation building.

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The Research design employed in the study is descriptive survey research design. The design is suitable for the study because it aims at obtaining data from a portion of principals, teachers and supervisors, to enable the researcher describe their mean ratings, as well as made generalization on the population in relation to material resource management competences of the principals in Anaocha Local Government Area.

Population

The population of this study was 904, and this comprised of 42 principals, 12 supervisors, and 850 teachers for the 42 secondary schools in Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State. Source: Anaocha LG H Qs, 2023.

Sample and Sampling Technique

A sample size of 559 respondents was drawn through a multistage sampling procedure. This gave rise to a sample composition of 25 principals, 7 supervisors and 527 teachers. Firstly, simple random sampling by open balloting was used to draw 27 secondary schools and their principals automatically became selected. This is approximately 60% of the principals in the local government. Secondly, proportionate sampling was used to draw 7 supervisors and this represents about 63%. The proportionate sampling was also deployed in drawing 527 teachers, which is approximately 60% too. The researcher thought that the proportions are true representation of the population. Similarly, St. Otaf College (University), USA (2021), recommended that a minimum ratio of 30% drawn for a population below 1,000, and a minimum of 10% for a larger population of 10,000 respectively in order to ensure representativeness.

Administration of the Instrument

The researcher, together with four trained researcher-assistants, helped to collect the data by direct method of data collection to minimize chances of loss. Extra copies of the questionnaire were produced and giving to the assistant enable the replace any loss and or mutilated copy. A total of 559 copies of instrument were distributed, and completely recovered. The distributed questionnaires comprised of 25 copies of questionnaire to principals; 527 copies to teachers, and 7 copies to supervisors. This implies that 100% of the copies of the questionnaire were retrieved.

METHOD OF DATA ANALYSIS

Data was analyzed using percentages, weighted mean and standard deviation in answering the five research questions that guided the study while analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for testing the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. According to Jones and Smith (2020), analysis of variance (ANOVA) is a statistical test used in comparing the mean ratings of three group of participants or respondents of a research venture. ANOVA is considered appropriate for testing the null hypotheses because data was collected from three categories of respondent, including principals, teachers and supervisors.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

INTRODUCTION

The data collected from the respondents were analyzed and presented in this chapter. The presentation and analysis were based on the responses to the items of the questionnaire. Twenty-five (25) copies of questionnaire were distributed to principals, while five hundred and twenty-seven (527) copies were administered to the teachers. Also, seven (7) copies were distributed to supervisors in the two education zones totaling five hundred and fifty-nine (559) which were all correctly filled and returned. Therefore, the analysis was based on this number of respondents. The following tables show the demographic variables of the respondents and the items drawn from the statement and category of responses which either agreed or disagreed and undecided. Also, the chapter presents tables of the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) used to indicate whether any significant difference existed in the opinions of respondents, while the four null hypotheses were accepted or rejected at alpha 0.05 significance level.

Bio-Data of Respondents

Descriptive statistics was used to analyzed the demographic information of the respondents which include frequency counts and percentages.

Table 3 showed that a total of 25 principals, equivalent to 4.5% were used for the study, while 527 or 94.3% teachers were used and 7 or 1.2 supervisors were used in the study. This result clearly showed that teachers were more represented than principals and supervisors in the study.

Table 4 showed that 387 or 69.2% are male that responded to the questionnaire, while a total of 172 representing 30.8% females took part in the study. This shows that the male respondents were more represented in the study.

Table 5 showed that, 21 or 84.0% schools out of the total of twenty-five (25) schools used in the study are day school, while only 4 or (16.0%) are boarding school used for the study.

Table 6 showed that, out of the twenty-five (25) schools used for the study, 10 or 40.0% schools are from the rural area, while 15 or 60.0% are in the urban centers.

Table 7: Years of Experience

Table 7 showed that, 88 or 15.7% of the respondents have between 1-5 years of experience, while 213 or 38.1% have between 6-10 years of experience and 44 or 7.9% have 11-15 years of experience. Similarly, 71 or 12.7% have 16-20 years of experience, while 67 or 12.0% have between 21-25 years of experience and 40 or 7.2% have between 26-30 years of experience, while 36 or 6.4% have between 30 and above years of experience. This result revealed that respondents who have 6-10 years of experience were more represented in the study.

Response to Research Questions

Frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data collected which was meant to provide answer to the stated research questions. The questions and the analysis were as follows:

Research Question One: Which material resources are available in the secondary schools in Anambra State?

In order to answer this research question, data was collected from principals, teachers and supervisors through the administration of questionnaire. The analysis of the data collected is presented on Table 8:                                                       

Cumulative % Yes- 32.5   Cumulative % No – 67.5

Table 8 revealed that material resources in secondary school in Anambra State is inadequate or insufficient. Details of items 2 revealed that a total of four principals representing 16% agreed that audio visual materials and resources are provided and utilized while 21 principals representing 84% responded that they are not provided and utilized. Also, a total of 50 teachers representing 9.488% agreed that they are provided and utilized while 477 teachers representing 90.512% responded that they are not provided and utilized. Similarly, one supervisor representing 14.286% agreed that the audio-visual materials and resources are provided and utilized while 6 supervisors representing 85.714 responded that they are not provided and utilized.

Research Question Two: What competences are needed by principals in secondary schools for planning the use of materials resources in their schools?

In order to answer this research question, data was collected from principals, teachers and supervisors through the administration of questionnaire. The analysis of the data collected is presented on Table 9:

Table 9: Descriptive Statistic on the Competences needed by principals in secondary schools for planning the use of materials resources in their schools.

Cumulative Mean       = 3.1

Table 8 the on the Skills needed by principals in secondary schools for planning the use of materials resources in their schools in Anambra State was not felt as such, as the cumulative response mean of 3.1 was greater than the decision mean of 3.0. The implication of this result is that, planning the use of material resources will enhance the performance of principals in secondary schools. Hence, details of item 1 which has the highest response mean from all the respondents showed that a total of 15 principals strongly agreed with item 1, while 10 strongly disagreed. Also, a total of 163 teachers strongly agreed, while 124teachers agreed, against 33 that stayed undecided and 179 that strongly disagreed. Similarly, 2 supervisors agreed with item 1 against 3 of them that stayed undecided and 2 strongly disagreed with 2 that disagreed with the item.

Research Question Three: What are the competences needed by principals in secondary schools for organizing material resources in their schools?

In order to answer this research question, data was collected from principals, teachers and supervisors through the administration of questionnaire. The analysis of the data collected is presented on Table 10:

Table 12: Descriptive Statistics on the Competences needed by principals in secondary schools for organizing the use of material resources.

Table 12 revealed that the Skills needed by principals in secondary schools for organizing the use of material resources was not felt as such, as the cumulative response mean of 2.6 was less than the decision mean of 3.0. The implication of this result is that, principal do not helps the teachers in making sure that the material resources are well organized in the school. Also, the respondents disagree with all the ten items tested on this research question except for item number 7 and 8 which has the response mean higher than the decision mean of 3.0.

Research Question Four: What are the competences needed by principals in secondary schools for controlling the use of material resources in their schools?

In order to answer this research question, data was collected from principals, teachers and supervisors through the administration of questionnaire. The analysis of the data collected is presented on Table 11:

Table 10:Descriptive Statistics on Competences needed by principals in secondary schools for controlling the use of material resources in their schools

Table 10 revealed that Skills needed by principals in secondary schools for controlling the use of material resources in their schools as the cumulative response mean of 3.1 was greater than the decision mean of 3.0. The implication of this result is that, the Skills needed by principals in secondary schools for controlling the use of material resources in their schools is to ensure that all activities in school are carried out according to schedule. Hence, details of item number 3 which has the highest response mean from all the respondents especially the supervisors showed that a total of 18 principals agreed with item 3, while 5 stayed undecided and 2 strongly disagreed. Also, a total of 5 teachers strongly agreed, while 304 teachers agreed, against 84 that stayed undecided and 112 that strongly disagreed, while 22 disagreed with the item. Similarly, 4 supervisors strongly agreed with item 3 against 3 agreed with the item.

Research Question Five: What are the s competences needed by principals in secondary schools for evaluating the use of material resources?

In order to answer this research question, data was collected from principals, teachers and supervisors through the administration of questionnaire. The analysis of the data collected is presented on Table 11:

Table 11: Descriptive Statistics on the Skills needed by principals in secondary schools for evaluating the use of material resources

Cumulative mean = 3.1

Table 11 revealed that the Skills needed by principals in secondary schools for evaluating the use of material resources as the cumulative response mean of 3.1 was greater than the decision mean of 3.0. The implication of this result is that, when fund allocated are judiciously utilized for what it is meant for, will help to ensure adequate material resources in secondary schools. Hence, details of item 8 and 9 which recorded the highest response mean from all the respondents showed that a total of 16 principals agreed with item 8, while 9 stayed undecided. Also, a total of 9 teachers strongly agreed with item 9, while 328 agreed against 136 that stayed undecided and 3 that strongly disagreed, while 51 disagreed. Similarly, 4 supervisors agreed with item 8 against 3 of them that stayed undecided. In like manner, 17 principals agreed with item 9, while 7 stayed undecided against only 1 principal that disagreed. Also, a total of 10 teachers strongly agreed with item 9, while 272 agreed against 145 that stayed undecided and 58 that strongly disagreed, while 42 disagreed. Similarly, 4 supervisors agreed with item 8 against 3 of them that stayed undecided.

Hypotheses Testing

The four null hypotheses formulated for this study were tested using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at 0.05 level of significance.

Hypothesis One: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for planning the use of materials resources in their schools.

Opinions of principals, teachers and supervisors were collected and analysed using ANOVA. The summary of hypothesis tested is presented in Table 14.

Table 12: Summary of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Statistics on the mean ratings of the principals and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for planning the use of materials resources in their schools.

Table 12 showed the f-ratio value of (4.205) at 2 df 557 and at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The critical value (3.15) is less than f-ratio value (4.205), the probability level of significance P(.003) is less than 0.05. This means that there is significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for planning the use of materials resources in their schools. Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected.

Table 13 shows that the response mean of teachers was found to be closer to that of supervisors, implying that the difference between the two respondents was not wide. But on the contrary, the response mean of principals was found to be lesser than that of teachers and supervisors. This shows that the principals differ significantly in their opinions regarding the mean ratings of the principals and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for planning the use of materials resources in their schools.

Hypothesis Two: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals and school teachers on the competences needed by school principals for organizing material resources in their schools.

Table 14: Summary of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Statistics on the mean ratings of the principals and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for organizing the use of materials resources in their schools.

Table 14 showed the f-ratio value of (14.29) at 2 df 557 and at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The critical value (3.15) is less than f-ratio value (14.29), the probability level of significance P(.004) is less than 0.05. This means that there is significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for organizing the use of materials resources in their schools. Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected.

Table15 shows that the response mean of principals was the same with that of teachers, implying that the difference between the two respondents was insignificant. But on the contrary, the response mean of supervisors was found to be less than that of principals and teachers. This shows that the principals differ significantly in their opinions regarding the mean ratings of the principals and school teacher on the competences needed by school principals for organizing the use of materials resources in their schools.

Hypothesis Three: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for controlling the use of material resources in their schools.

Opinions of principals, teachers and supervisors were collected and analyzed using ANOVA. The summary of hypothesis tested is presented in Table 17.

Table 14:          Summary of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Statistics on the mean ratings of the principals and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for controlling the use of material resources in their schools.

Table 14 showed the f-ratio value of (4.205) at 2 df 557 and at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The critical value (3.15) is less than f-ratio value (4.205), the probability level of significance P(.001) is less than 0.05. This means that there is significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals and supervisors on the competences needed by school principals for controlling the use of material resources in their schools. Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected.

Hypothesis Four: There is no significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals and school teachers on the competences needed by school principals for evaluating the use of material resources in their schools.

Opinions of principals, teachers and supervisors were collected and analysed using ANOVA. The summary of hypothesis tested is presented in Table 19.

Table 15:          Summary of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) Statistics on the mean ratings of the principals and school teachers on the competences needed by school principals for evaluating the use of material resources in their schools.

Table 15 showed the f-ratio value of (8.163) at 2 df 557 and at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The critical value (3.15) is less than f-ratio value (8.163), the probability level of significance P(.000) is less than 0.05. This means that there is significant difference in the mean ratings of the principals and school teachers on the competences needed by school principals for evaluating the use of material resources in their schools. Therefore, the null hypothesis is rejected.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusion

Managing educational systems demand that school principals should possess adequate managerial skills. This study found that many principals in Anambra State of Nigeria did not possess some of the managerial skills for effective management of secondary schools. By lacking some of these skills, the principals would not be able to effectively organize and direct the available recourses and processes and the extent to which principals are able to perform this, determines the extent of educational transformation, is limited. Thereafter the identified strategies should be used to enhance principals’ managerial skills for national transformation. Finally, it was evident that provision of instructional materials is very important because it aids learning faster.

Recommendations

Based on the findings from the hypotheses tested in this study, the following recommendations are worthy of note that:

1. Principals, teachers and supervisors should cooperate and work in synergy to develop a comprehensive report about the inadequacy of material resources in schools in the area and how it has constrained them from ensuring full implementation of the content of the curriculum. Copies of the report could be sent to the government through the Ministry of Education, her agencies and other stakeholders of secondary education in the LGA. This might trigger off more supports that could boost availability and deployment of material resources for the effective running of the schools.
2. Principals should uphold the planning competences been deployed in managing the schools by collaborating with teachers and supervisors to ensure that more practicable planning practices and strategies are put to use. This will ensure they are never taken unawares on important issues that could enhance implementation of school programmes and activities.
3. Principals should engage more in organizing practices and strategies that could help develop a good structure for teachers operate and carry out their tasks of effective instructional delivery. With organizing practices, principals are able to create units, department and assign leadership roles that make easier for the school to be run through teamwork and cooperation.
4. Principals should devise a more robust and functional way of controlling activities and members of staff of the school, so that there would be orderliness and discipline in the school. With effective control practices, teachers, supervisor and other staff members of the school, would become sensitive to dos and dons in the school.
5. Principals should be encouraged to uphold sincerity and integrity when evaluating teachers, supervisors and other members of staff of the school. With openness and honesty in assessing people working with him, teachers and non-teachers would trust his judgment and continue to make efforts at doing what can help to improve the school.

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