Assessing Disciplinary and Participatory Practices of Principals: Implication for Administrative Performance of Public Secondary Schools in Makurdi

Abstract

In this study, assessing disciplinary and participatory practices of principals: implication for administrative
performance of public secondary schools in Makurdi was investigated. The study adopted the survey design
in collecting data. A self designed instrument tagged, influence of human resource management practices
of principals on school administration questionnaire (IHRMPPSAQ) was used to collect data from 673
school administrators across 32 secondary schools in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.
This includes 96 respondents for the principal category and 577 respondents for the non-principal category.
Statistical mean was used to analyse and answer the research questions while t-test was adopted for
analysis and testing of the null hypotheses at 0.05% level of significance. Results reveal that the practices
of disciplinary measures and participatory decision making all have influence on school administration.
Findings further show that the perceptions of principal category and non-principal category of the
respondents with regard to how practices of motivational rewards, disciplinary measures and participatory
decision influence school administration did not differ. Based on these results, the study recommends
among others that the ministry of education should prioritize staff discipline and conduct in the schools by
regularly promptly and professionally addressing staff disciplinary recommendations of the principals. This
would encourage the principal to uphold disciplinary measures that have proven to be strongly and
positively related with school administration.