Transformational Leadership Behaviours of Public Secondary School Principals for Teachers’ Job Performance in Ebonyi State

Transformational Leadership Behaviours of Public Secondary School Principals for Teachers’ Job Performance in Ebonyi State

Paul Ikechukwu Ifere, Ph.D¹, Victor Ifeanyi Usulor, Ph.D², Ogodo Samuel Monday³, Uguba Chinyere Otuu⁴

¹Department of Arts & Humanities Education, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Aliki, Ebonyi State

²Department of Arts Education, University of Nigeria Nsukka

³Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwan

⁴Department of Educational Management, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Aliki Ikwo, Ebonyi State.

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2024.803300S

Received: 29 August 2024; Accepted: 09 September 2024; Published: 08 October 2024

ABSTRACT

This study focused on transformational leadership behaviours of public secondary school principals for teachers’ job performance in public secondary schools in Ebonyi State. Two specific purposes with two corresponding research questions and null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. Correlation survey research design was adopted for the study. The population consists of 4682 teachers in all public secondary schools in Ebonyi State. There are two hundred and eighty one (281) junior public schools, four thousand six hundred and eighty two (4682) teachers in junior public secondary schools in Ebonyi State. Simple random and proportionate sampling technique were adopted to select the sample size of 468 teachers for the study. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient statistical tool was used to answer the research questions while Linear Regression was used to test the hypotheses. The findings from the data analysis showed that: there is positive relationship between Principals Intellectual Stimulation, Principals’ Individualized Consideration, Principals influence idealized in Ebonyi State while the hypotheses revealed that there is significant relationship between Principals Intellectual Stimulation, Principals’ Individualized Consideration, Principals Idealized influence and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State. Based on the findings, the study recommended that Government of Ebonyi State should from time to time organize capacity-building workshops for principals on enhancing their Intellectual Stimulation for effective school administration.

Keyword: Transformational, Leadership, Behaviours, Secondary, Principals, Teachers, Job and Performance

INTRODUCTION

It is widely acknowledged that no organization be it private or public can attain to its goals and objectives without a transformative leadership. This is because, transformative leadership gives room for positive changes, and creates conducive environment which promote friendliness among staff (Sowza (2015). According to Aja-Okorie, 2018), leadership in an organization is the process of influencing the activities of an organized group in its efforts towards the attainment of pre-determined goals and objectives. From the above discussion, leadership can be defined as a process of social influences from which a leader enlist aid and support of others in the accomplishment of common task. Based on the aforementioned premises, it is crucial to note that the conditions of leadership in the classroom cannot be overemphasized as it could mar or make an effective teaching and learning. Leadership is strategic to organization because it can go a long way in determining performance of both teachers and students or learners. It equips the classroom teacher to serve as the boss, director, manager, administrator and organizer in the classroom environment. Amadikwe (2016) affirmed that effective leadership in schools helps teachers to enjoy relatively higher degree of privacy and autonomy in schools. It thereby follows that reasonable part of a teacher’s life is spent in building students’ knowledge, influencing the feelings and behaviours of students towards goal achievement in secondary schools.

Secondary education in Nigeria is the type of education received by children immediately after primary education which prepare them for tertiary education (Federal Republic of Nigeria, FRN, 2014). This education offers students functional skills to functions in the society or the tertiary institutions they find themselves. Secondary education however, takes place in an establishment referred to as ‘secondary school’. This establishment is seen as key the actualization of national education policies. The major objective of secondary education as noted by the National Policy on Education of the Federal Republic of Nigeria are, a) to prepare the young ones for tertiary education, and b) to offer functional skills which would help young ones to become a contributive members of the society. Like every other conventional establishment, it is saddled with a procedural administrative structure with entrenched rules and regulations to offer the desired chance and/or change for the pedagogy and growth or evolution of both the learners and staff of the school and routinely under the leadership of the principal. This leadership of principals must be transformational to bring effective changes in the life of teachers and students.

Transformational leadership in education is a model that principals and teachers can use to lead by example (Brundrett, 2011). It places a high value on creating community bonds which encourage both teachers and students to greater levels of achievement. Sergiovanni (2016) identified five leadership forces exhibited by transformational educators, namely: technical, human, educational, symbolic and cultural. The technical aspect of transformational leadership in education is good management practices, including planning and organization. Without effective evidence based school administration, change in education becomes more challenging. The human aspect is the use of the social and interpersonal resources already available in the school setting. By building interpersonal competence and participatory decision making, schools can improve morale among staff. The educational force is rooted in the professional competence and implementation effective teaching strategies that transformational leaders bring to their schools.

The educational force relates to counselling, evaluation and professional development within the school setting. The symbolic force recognizes the vital role of administrators and teachers as symbolic leaders of their school community. By creating a sense of clarity and unity, the symbolic force helps all members of educational community feel that they are part of a close-knit group that shares the goal of building the possible school ecosystem. A transformational leadership model places symbolism as a core element of a school environment that supports leading a personal growth. (Brundrette, 2011). The cultural aspect of transformational leadership is statement of shared value and beliefs. Cultural leadership articulate both the school’s mission and the myths of the educational milieu. School culture is viewed as the glue that holds the students body together. Culture reminds both students and teachers of the important work they do together. These leadership forces are reflected in certain typical behaviours exhibited by transformational leaders. These behaviours are inspirational motivation, idealised influence, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and shared decision-making and professional development.

Intellectual stimulation is the promotion of intelligence, rationality and careful problem- solving. It entails motivating teachers’ innovation, creativity, seek teachers’ ideas and encourage teacher’s career growth and development. It is the degree to which, the leader challenges assumptions, takes risks and solicits follower ideas. Principals’ individualized influence is the degree to which the leader listens to each follower’s needs. As a mentor or coach to the follower. The leader acknowledges and celebrates the achievement of the individual. When the principal acknowledges individual teacher contribution, it makes the teacher feel that what she or he is doing is good. These raise the self-esteem of the teacher thus encouraging him or her to perform much better. For example attending to teacher individual need, show empathy and support to the teacher, acknowledge and promote individual contribution and engaging in decision-making. The leader shows empathy and support to keep communication open and places challenges before the follower.

Principals’ idealised influence is behavioural charisma. Principals that lead with idealized influence instill a sense of faith for a better future in all members of their organizations, including the students. The dimension of idealized influence requires that the principal lead by example, act confidently with reality, share risks together with the application of theories, and reinforce values through a high level of ethical behaviour (Alzoraiki, Rahman & Mutalib, 2018). Inspirational Motivation is the degree to which the leader pronounces a vision that is likable and inspirational to the followers, for example, articulates the vision in clear and inspirational way, challenge teachers with a higher standard and communicate optimism. According to Lai (2014), the performance of the principals and their continuous assistance to the teachers highly inspires teachers to carry out their duties effectively.

Decision making is the act of determining a course of action following a more or less deliberate consideration of competing alternatives (Nwankwo, 2014). According to Talat (2013), decision making is a process of choosing the best course of action, out of many alterative available. The decision making therefore is considered as systematic and careful deliberation and selection of the best course of action among the available alternatives. (Nwankwo, 2014). For effective decisions to be made, every role player in the school system needs to participate at one level or the other (Omobude & Igbudu, 2012). One of the key players in school is the teachers who are the implementers of the school curriculum and co-organisers of the school activities along with the principals.

Principals’ involvement of teachers in decision-making therefore is an opportunity for teachers to gain experience and confidence in performing their duties. Professional development, according to Hardy (2012), means one’s ability to growth and development without focusing on a specific task. Professional development originates from various concepts including the continuation of vocational training, self-improvement, in service training and career development in order to be more successful and productive in the profession while people are working. Professional development refers to the leader’s ability to expose teachers to new skills, knowledge and techniques, to impact classroom instructions that lead to students’ academic performance of students.

Performance is the actions of a person or group during the task. According to Cansoy (2018), job performance is the product of a combination of an individual’s motivation and ability (Wilson, 2016). Job performance comprises the observable behaviours that people do in their jobs that are relevant to the goals of the organization (Avolio, 2014). Job performance is of interest to the organizations because of the importance of high productivity in the work place (Hartley, 2010). Walson (2020) views job performance as the act of achieving a given task in which an individual or employee is paid for. Job performance is usually accompanied with behaviours and results. In general, the behaviour of workers can make or mar the objectives and goals of an organization. More commonly, job performance implies how well someone performs at his/her work.

Teacher job performance involves his/her knowledge, attitudes and skills as a result of doing his/her job in the process of teaching and learning in the school. Performance in this study implies effects (result) of the teaching activities, that is, the functions; instructional feedback, management off instructional time and management of student’s behaviour. On the other hand, Cansoy (2018) identifies teachers’ job performance on seven performance dimensions, including preparation and planning, effectiveness in presenting subject matter, poise, relations with students, self-improvement, relations with other staff and relations with parents and community.

From the foregoing, job performance of teachers could also imply those duties in the school implemented by teachers at any specified time geared towards achieving the daily school and classroom tasks, including the set goals and objectives of education. Teacher job performance is a consequence of diverse interrelated variables among which, is the principal’s leadership behaviours (Thompson, 2019; Goddey, 2017; Uzoechina & Ogbuegbu, 2015). In other words, the action of the principal determines the staff activities, directly or indirectly, and accounts for staff job performance in school.

Nevertheless, most principals seems to be autocratic and laissez faire in their leadership and this could mar the performance of teachers and students in varying degrees. In Ebonyi State today, one of the challenges in education that affect the teacher’s morale and culminates in poor job performance is ineffective management of schools. Some of the principal’s leadership behaviours expose their lack of general leadership skills or inability to deal with their teachers’ difficulties. When principals lack the ability to invest in the development of their teachers or staff, some teachers’ initial shortcomings may worsen (Yariv, 2011). Some evidence suggest that motivating is harder when teachers do not deliver the expected results. Employers become more directive, allow workers little responsibility and communication appears to be one-away. In response, employees reduce their loyalty and motivation (Yaslioglu & Selenayerden, 2018). With regard to monitoring and appraisal, much evidence shows that principals do collect extensive information about their teachers, but hesitate to transit negative feedback (Yanfei, Yangliu & Yu, 2019). Lack of structured feedback means weak teachers attempt to function without an essential tool that might improve their performance, which causes the situation to deteriorate gradually. This simply reveals the principal’s behaviours as lacking the important role of school-level leadership in the development of a professional community.

Consequently, teacher’s morale, efficacy conditions of work, und professional autonomy that are crucial to his/her emotional lives are compromised. Additionally, schools are not only rendered ineffective, they do not have the capacity to improve as principals cannot make significant and measurable contributions to the effectiveness of their staff/teachers. In most cases, most teachers are arguing consistently that the principals’ leadership behaviours mean that they experience teaching and learning as never-ending barrage of externally imposed, randomly timed and badly managed initiatives that they have little constructive role in helping to shape. This lack of a skilled and well-supported leadership team in secondary schools invariably could frustrates efforts that can help foster a sense of ownership and purpose in the way that teachers approach their job.

The situation of poor leadership by the principals could lead to setbacks for students. When students have a class with a bad teacher, it is incredibly easy for them to lose confidence in their ability to learn the subject. Some students may simply lack interest in the topic because the teacher is less effective at demonstrating lessons in a way students understand. The lingering effect could potentially put a student off a subject for the rest of his/her career, and even later in life. Such scenario can set a student or group of students back considerably. This can create significant learning gaps, making the next teacher’s job much harder. Poor teaching can foster an atmosphere full of discipline issues and chaos, establishing a pattern that is extremely difficult to break. The effects can be disastrous and nearly impossible to reverse.  It is obvious that where decision-making is perceived by the teachers in secondary schools as not being collegial. cooperative and consultative and without providing adequate opportunities for participation, it will be more likely to lead to negative student perceptions about their school and teachers as well as negative perceptions about relationships and their own performance. Although, transformational leadership can bring about effective changes in school system, one wonders if principals adopt this leadership style in promoting teachers’ and students’ performance. It is against this background that this study determined the transformational leadership behaviours of public secondary school principals for teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State.

Statement of the Problem

The issue of ineffective management of secondary schools in Nigeria is on the increase. This issue could be occasioned by lack of transactional leadership skills by some principals in decision making. Most of the principals prefer giving out instruction and insist on absolute compliance by the subordinates. They do not accord respect to teacher’s autonomy, encourage team meeting of the teachers where this teachers stay together and rethink ideas that have never being questioned, and as well brainstorm and come up with new ways of tackling they need in their jobs so as to meet up with the changing times. The researchers observed with dismay that most of the principals hesitate to transit negative feedbacks, gathered about their teachers during inspection and supervision to the appropriate quarters where these teachers receive the guidance that will enhance their competence for good performance. They seem to lack the skill of handling their teachers’ weaknesses. This and many more portray the principals’ weakness in their leadership skills.

Over the years, both the Ebonyi State government and non-governmental organizations (NGOS), including World Bank, have organized workshops, conferences and seminars on the importance of principals’ leadership behaviours in the attainment of the goals of education. Despite exposure to such fora, most principals in secondary schools in Ebonyi State still find it difficult to inspire vision that motivate teachers to work harder. The researchers wonder why these principals behave that way. Therefore, the thrust of this study was to investigate the extent to which secondary principals in Ebonyi State have embraced transformational leadership behaviors and how this is contributing to the classroom performance of teachers.

Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study was to investigate on the transformational leadership behaviours of public secondary school principals for teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State. Specifically, the study seeks to finding out the:

1. relationship between principals’ intellectual stimulation and teachers job performance in Ebonyi State.
2. relationship between principals’ individualized consideration and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State.
3. relationship between principals’ idealized influence and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State.

Research Questions

The following research questions are raised to guide the study.

1. What is the relationship between principals’ intellectual stimulation and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State?
2. What is the relationship between principals’ individualized consideration and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State?
3. What is the relationship between principals’ idealized influence and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State?

Hypotheses

The following research hypotheses are formulated to guide the study.

1. There is no significant relationship between principals’ intellectual stimulation and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State.
2. There is no significant relationship between principals’ individualized consideration and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State.
3. There is no significant relationship between principals’ idealized influence and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State.

METHODS

This study adopted correlational survey design. Ali (2006) states that correlational design measures the relationship between two variables, that is, the extent of relationship that exists between two variables which emphasize that, “when the value of one variable goes up, the value of the other variable goes up likewise” in the case of positive correlation (Ali, 2006). However, it the direction of a correlation is negative, the variable change in opposite direction (Bhandari, 2021). The area covered only public secondary schools in Ebonyi State. The area is made up of three Education Zones (Abakaliki, Afikpo and Onueke Zones). There are two hundred and eighty one (281) junior public secondary schools with four thousand six hundred and eighty two (4682) teachers in public secondary schools in Ebonyi State (Ebonyi State Ministry of Education: Planning, Research and Statistics Department, Abakaliki, 2023/2024). In terms of Zone, there are hundred and seven (107) junior public secondary schools in Abakaliki Education Zone; ninety eight (98) schools in Afikpo Zone; and eighty two (82) schools in Onueke Education Zone. Simple random sampling technique was adopted to select 56 junior public secondary schools which constitute 20% of the population (i.e. 20 schools from Abakaliki, 18 schools from Afikpo and 18 schools from Onueke Zone). Proportionate sampling technique was used to select 162 teachers from junior secondary schools in Abakaliki Education Zone; 158 teachers from Afikpo Education Zone; and 148 teachers from Onueke Education Zone in the proportion of 34.6, 33.8 and 31.6 respectively. The choice of proportionate sampling technique was because it helped the researchers to draw the sample size based on the proportion of teachers in each zone. In all, there were 468 teachers that were used for the study.

The instrument for data collection is a structured questionnaire. It is designed and constructed by the researcher. The questionnaire is tagged: transformational Leadership and Teachers Job Performance Questionnaire (TLATJPO) divided into three sections A and B. while section B elicits information on the variables under investigation which include: principals’ intellectual stimulation, principals’ individualised consideration, principals’ idealised influence. Sections B measures teachers’ job performance which is a dependent variable in the study. The researcher first obtained permission from the principals of the respective sampled schools and explain to them what she intends to do. The research assistants were briefed by the researcher on the modality on administration and collect the questionnaire, after the briefing of research assistants, they personally visit the sampled schools and administered four hundred and sixty-eight (468) copies of the questionnaires to the respondents. The questionnaires after filling by the respondents was returned and used for data analysis. The research questions was analyzed using Pearson Products Moment Correlation Statistics. The null hypotheses was tested at 0.05 alpha levels using Linear Regression Tool. This was used to determine the degree of relationship between the variables under study.

Decision Rule: In answering the research questions Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used. The decision rule was that any coefficient between 0.80 to l was described as very high or near perfect positive correlation while any coefficient between 0.60 to 0.79 was described as high positive relationship. Coefficient between 0.40 to 0.59 was described S moderate positive relationship. After applying the Linear Regressions tool, the researcher rejected the null hypotheses been the P value is less than the alpha value and did not reject the null hypotheses when the P value is greater than the alpha value.

RESULTS

The results of the study were presented based on the three research questions and three null hypotheses formulated for the study.

Research Question 1: What is the coefficient relationship between Principals Intellectual Stimulation and Teachers Job Performance in Ebonyi State?

Table 1: Relationship between Principals Intellectual Stimulation and Teachers’ Job Performance

The results in Table 1 show a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.617 which indicates a positive relationship between Principals Intellectual Stimulation and Teachers Job Performance in Ebonyi State. However, the coefficient of determination (r²) is 0.379 which when converted to percentage is 38%. This value explains the variation in principals Intellectual Stimulation as explained by the respondents’ attributed to teachers job performance in public secondary schools.

Research Question 2: What is the coefficient relationship between Principals Individualized Consideration and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State?

Table 2: Relationship between Principals Individualized Consideration and Teachers’ Job Performance

The results in table 2 show correlation coefficient of 0.715. This signifies that there is positive relationship between principals’ individualized consideration and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State. However, the coefficient the coefficient of determination (r²) is 51%, which explains the variation on principals’ individualized consideration as indicated by teachers mostly attributed to their job performance.

Research Question 3

What is the coefficient relationship between Principals Idealized influence and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State?

Table 3: Relationship between Principals Idealized and teachers’ job performance

As can be seen from data in Table 3, the correlation coefficient is 0.655 indicating a positive relationship. This signifies that there is a positive relationship between Principals’ Idealized and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State. However, the coefficient of determination (r²) is 43% when converted, which shows the variation in Principals Idealized as indicated by secondary school teachers which attributed to their job performance.

Test of Hypotheses

Ho₁: There is no significant relationship between principals’ intellectual stimulation and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State.

Table 4: Significant Relationship between Principals Intellectual Stimulation and Teachers’ Job Performance

From Table 4, r represents the coefficient of correlation which established on relationship between principals intellectual stimulation and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State. The coefficient of determination (r²) for computed r value is 0.617. This value explains respondents’ opinion on principals’ intellectual stimulation determines teachers’ job performance in secondary schools. On the test of significance of the hypothesis as indicated in table 7, the calculated ‘t’ value is 9.217 while the p- value is 0.0000.  This indicates a significant result between the p-value (0.000) is less than the level of significance (0.05). Therefore, the hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between principals intellectual stimulation and teachers; job performance in Ebonyi State was rejected.

HO₂: There is no significant relationship between principals’ individualized consideration and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State.

Table 5: Significant relationship between principals’ individualized consideration and Teachers’ job performance

From Table 5, r represents the coefficient of correlation which is established on relationship between the two variables. The coefficient of determination (r²) for computed r value is 0.715 which 51%. This value explains teachers’ opinion on adoption of principals’ individualized consideration determines teachers’ job performance in secondary schools. On the test of significance of the hypothesis as indicated in table 8, the calculated ‘t’ value is 10.772 while the p-value is 0.0000. This indicates a significant result between the p-value (0.000) is less than the level of significance (0.05). Therefore the hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between principals’ individualized consideration and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State was rejected.

HO₃: There is no significant relationship between principals’ idealized and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State.

Table 6: Significant relationship between principals’ idealized and teachers’ job performance

From Table 6, ‘r’ represents the coefficient of correlation which is established on relationship between the two variables. The coefficient of determination (r²) for computed r value is 0.655. This value explains teachers’ opinion on principals’ adoption of idealized influence determines teachers’ job performance in secondary schools. On the test of significance of the hypothesis as indicated in table 8, the calculated ‘t’ value is 10.088 while   the p-value is 0.0000. This indicates a significant result between the p-value (0.000) which is less than the level of significance (0.05). Therefore, the hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between principals’ idealized influence and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State.

DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

The finding of the study shows that there is positive relationship between Principals Intellectual Stimulation and Teachers Job Performance in Ebonyi State based on the computed ‘r’ in line with the co-efficient of determination (r²) implying that, effective Principals Intellectual Stimulation in secondary school enhances teachers’ job performance in secondary schools. Hypothesis I on table 7 concluded that there was a significant relationship between principals’ intellectual stimulation and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State, since the t. test of significance of ‘r’ at an alpha level of 0.05 was greater, and significance of t (probability value) was low. So, the study concluded that there was a significant relationship between principals’ intellectual simulation and teachers’ job performance.

The above findings in line with some works of other scholars like Berson, (2016), who asserted that, intellectual stimulation of the principals is the promotion of intelligence, rationality and careful problem-solving. It entails motivating teachers’ innovation, creativity, seek teachers’ ideas and encourage teacher’s career growth and development. In agreement with Gray, (2011), it is the degree to which, the leader challenges assumptions, takes risks and solicits follower ideas. Intellectual stimulation motivates the teachers to develop their career so that they may have the skill and the needed knowledge. It is under intellectual stimulation that leaders promote logical thought, challenge the standing position, and ultimately stimulate ingenuity and invention of the followers. In support of Wakwaoya (2020), intellectual stimulation is a dimension which is used by leaders to inspire people to be creative when dealing with issues.  The principals who exhibit innovation and creativity in their leadership enables the students to get high marks in the examination. Intellectual stimulation of transformational leadership brings change in the school context. Intellectual leadership dimension enables the leader to encourage and provide new ways of thinking to the followers in the organization. Bass & Riggio (2006) support that leaders who have intellectual stimulation involve followers in finding answers for many problems affecting the organization hence they often challenge old ways of doing things. Intellectual stimulation as the most core element portrayed by the secondary school principals. However, the teachers felt that some of their knowledge and skills were not utilized by the principals an aspect that a transformational leader should consider in making all the followers feel important and appreciated, involved in decision making. The principal’s intellectual stimulation was high leading to a strong relationship toward teachers’ job performance.

The finding of the study also showed that there was a high positive relationship between Principals Individualized Consideration and teachers’ job performance based on the computed r, in line with the co-efficient of determination (r²) which ratings implying that, Principals Individualized Consideration attributed secondary schools teachers’ job performance. Also hypothesis 2 on table 8 concluded that there was a significant relationship between principals’ individualized consideration and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State, since the t. test of significance of r, at an alpha level of 0.05 was greater than the significance of t (probability value). It indicated that there was significant relationship between principals’ individualized consideration and teachers’ job performance. The above finding in line with Gray, (2011) who observed that principals individualized influence is the degree to which the leader listens to each follower’s needs, as a mentor or coach to the follower’s concern and the needs. The leader acknowledges and celebrates the achievement of the individual. When the principal acknowledges individual teacher contribution, it make the teacher feel that what she or he is doing is good. These raise the self-esteem of the teacher thus encouraging him or her to perform much better. For example, attending to teacher individual need, show empathy and support to the teacher, acknowledge and promote individual contribution and engaging in decision-making. The leader shows empathy and support to keep communication open and places challenges before the follower.

The leader acknowledges and celebrates the achievement of the individual. When the principal acknowledges individual teacher contribution, make the teacher feel that what she or he is doing is good. In support of the findings Marjan, Frederik, Karel and Hans (2015), observed that individual considerations also help the principal to know the teachers’ strength and weakness thus helping in teachers training and development. The principal is able to support the teacher on the strong parts, develop, and improve on the weak part. The individualized influence entails giving personal attention, treating each employee individually, coaching and advice. In addition to Marjan, Frederik, Karel and Hans (2015), individual influence scale is based on emotional support and explicit appreciation for the teachers’ own initiative, In other words, individual influence is based on the premise that a transformative leader acknowledges the individual aspirations, actions, beliefs and values rather than favouring the individual,

Findings from result of analysis of research question three as shown on table 3 revealed that there was a positive relationship between Principals idealized influenced and teachers job performance in Ebonyi State. The finding anchored on the computed r and co-efficient of determination (r²), which indicate that Principals idealized influence in secondary schools contributes to teachers’ job performance in secondary schools. Hypothesis 3 on table 9 shows that there is significant relationship between there was a positive relationship between Principals Idealized influence and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State, as the alpha level (0.05) is t (probability) value of 0.000. In all indication, it was revealed that there was a significant relationship between principals’ idealized influence and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State.

This finding agreed with Alzoraiki, Rahman, and Mutalib (2018) observed that principals’ idealised influence is behavioural charisma. Principals that lead with idealized influence instill a sense of faith for a better future in all members of their organizations, including the students. Leaders struggle to gain trust, loyalty, admiration, and respect from the teachers or their staffs through the application of a charismatic vision and through leading by example. The dimension of idealized influence requires that the principal lead by example, act confidently with reality, share risks together with the application of theories, and reinforce values through a high level of ethical behaviour. In support of the findings Berson and Oreg, (2016) observed that idealized Influence provides a role model for higher ethical behaviour; instill pride, gain respect and trust for example higher ethical behaviour in teachers and instill pride, gain respect and trust. The principal must be a person who walks the talk. These encourage and strengthen the teachers. The teachers need a strong leader who they can identify with. The idealized influence aspect of the transformational leader enables the leader to be a model of performance. It is easy to practice idealized influence of transformational leadership, and it is the best style of leadership in all circumstances. The leader, who shows high level of experience in both the public and private sectors, is highly educated, positive, optimistic, and has understanding of strong educational practices, desires high expectations and standards.

CONCLUSION

The study focused mainly on transformational leadership behaviours of secondary school principals and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State. Based on the findings, the  following conclusions were made: There is a high positive relationship between Principals Intellectual Stimulation and Teachers Job Performance in Ebonyi State while in the Individualized Consideration, Principals idealized influence has a high relationship which is an indication that principals transformational leadership behaviours contributes to teachers job performance in secondary schools.

RECOMMENDATIONS

From the findings of the study, the following recommendations were made:

1. As regards the relationship between Principals Intellectual Stimulation and Teachers Job Performance in public secondary schools in Ebonyi State, Government of Ebonyi State should from time or time organize capacity-building workshops for school principals enhancing their Intellectual Stimulation for effective school administration
2. In case of the relationship between Principals Individualized Consideration and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State, School Management Board should always trained principals with the skills of considering teachers in the areas of difficulties in their teaching professions.
3. Given the positive relationship between Principals idealized influence and teachers’ job performance in Ebonyi State, Ebonyi State Ministry of Education should introduce in-service training for principals on modality of acquiring administrative skills to upgrade their knowledge in ways to manage their subordinates.

COMPLIANCE WITH ETHICAL STANDARD

Ethical consideration was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Research Unit of Secondary Education Board (SEB) Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. The students were required to sign a written informed consent form before participating in the study. The nature of the study, its relevance and the level of their participation were made known to them. Written, signed and verbal informed consent was obtained from all eligible students. Informed written consent was also obtained from teachers of students (aged 13 to 16 years) who participated in the study (survey); respondents aged 13-16 years gave consent for themselves. Assent was equally obtained from principals and head-teachers for questionnaire administration. Participation was voluntary and confidentiality was assured to the respondents.

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