Demographic Characteristics and Administrative Effectiveness of Secondary School Principals in Benue State Nigeria

Principals are institutional leaders who carry out specific duties in the daily administration of secondary schools. However, certain demographic characteristics such as age, gender, experience, educational qualification and marital status could impact school principals’ administrative effectiveness. This study investigated demographic characteristics and principals’ administrative effectiveness in secondary schools in Benue State, Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study. A correlational research design was adopted for this research. The population was made up of one thousand six hundred and fifty (1,650) teachers in the one hundred and nineteen (119) public secondary schools in Benue State. The sample for this study consisted of three hundred and eighty (380) respondents comprising of principals and teachers from the three Senatorial Districts of Benue State. Multi-stage sampling technique was used for selecting the sample. The instrument used for data collection were self-designed questionnaire titled “Principals’ Administrative Effectiveness Questionnaire (PAEQ)”. The Cronbach alpha reliability statistical method was used to compute the internal consistency of the instrument. The reliability coefficient of 0.892 was obtained from the trial test. Pearson Product Moment correlation were used to analyse the data collected for the study. The study found that there was significant positive correlation between the principals’ age, gender and educational qualifications and administrative effectiveness in secondary schools in Benue State, Nigeria. It recommended among others that the government should place premium on age in the appointment of secondary school teachers as principals. The government at all levels should also formulate policies that would encourage gender balance.