APPLICATION OF HEAD TEACHERS’ PROFESSIONAL SKILLS FOR MANAGEMENT OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN ENUGU STATE

Abstract

The study ascertained the application of head teachers’ professional skills for management of primary schools in Enugu State. The study was guided by two research questions, and two null hypotheses were tested at a significance level of 0.05, employing a descriptive survey research design. The population consisted of 15,464 respondents, comprising 1,202 head teachers and 14,262 teachers across the seventeen Local Government Education Authorities in Enugu State. Utilizing a sample size of 1,546, including 120 head teachers and 1426 teachers. A proportionate stratified random sampling technique was employed to determine the sample size, representing 10% of the population of head teachers and teachers from each stratum. Data collection utilized a researcher-structured questionnaire titled "Application of Head Teachers' Professional Skills Questionnaire (AHTPSQ)," with validity determined by three research experts and reliability determined using the Cronbach Alpha method, yielding a reliability index of 0.80, indicating high instrument reliability. Mean scores with standard deviations was employed to answer the research questions, while t-test statistics was utilized to test the null hypotheses. Results indicated that head teachers extensively applied planning skills for primary school management in Enugu State, although their application of Information and Communication Technology skills was comparatively low. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that Enugu State government should develop and implement targeted training programmes for head teachers in Enugu State to improve their Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills, ensuring they are equipped to effectively integrate technology into school management practices