Teachers’appraisal of Principals’decision-Making Effectiveness in Secondary Schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

This study examined teachers’ appraisal of principals’ decision-making effectiveness in secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Four research questions and four hypotheses guided the investigation. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and a sample of 335 teachers, representing 16.3 % of the population of 2,052, was randomly selected. Data were gathered using a 21-item structured instrument, the Teachers’ Appraisal of Principals’ Decision-Making Questionnaire (TAPDMQ). The instrument’s reliability coefficients, obtained via Cronbach’s alpha, ranged from 0.63 to 0.88. Data were analyzed using means and z-tests at a 0.05 significance level. Results indicated that teachers generally rated their principals as effective in student-personnel, teacher-personnel, fund-management, and instructional-delivery decisions. Male and female teachers did not differ significantly in their ratings. The findings highlight the need for institutionalized teacher feedback mechanisms as a check-and-balance process in school leadership. The study recommends participatory decision-making, continuous leadership training for principals, and systematic teacher appraisal frameworks for sustainable school improvement.

principals, decision making, teacher appraisal, educational leadership, Akwa Ibom State

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