A Mixed-Method Analysis of Educational Leadership Development and School Quality Improvement in Federal Government Colleges in Nigeria

This study provides a comprehensive mixed-method analysis of educational leadership development systems and their relationship to school quality improvement in Federal Government Colleges in Nigeria. Federal Government Colleges represent Nigeria's flagship secondary school institutions, admitting students through a national competitive examination and receiving premium federal funding. Despite their resource advantage, quality outcomes in FGCs vary significantly, and questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the leadership development pathways that produce their principals. This study employs a sequential explanatory mixed-method design. Phase one uses panel data from 104 FGCs across all geopolitical zones for the period 2015 to 2023, examining relationships between principal tenure, qualification, appointment process quality, and school quality indicators including WAEC results, inspection scores, and infrastructure ratings. Phase two uses in-depth case studies of eight FGCs representing high and low quality trajectory schools, combining 80 interviews with principals, vice-principals, teachers, and parents with document review and non-participant observation. Multilevel regression and cross-case thematic analysis are applied. Results reveal that principal qualification in educational management and length of productive tenure are the strongest predictors of FGC quality trajectories. Political appointment interference in principal selection is the most damaging institutional factor. High-trajectory schools share transformational leadership cultures and structured teacher professional development programmes. The study contributes an original FGC Leadership-Quality Pathway Model and recommends that the Federal Ministry of Education reform principal appointment processes to eliminate political selection and mandate educational leadership qualification as a minimum appointment requirement.

Keywords: educational leadership, school quality, Federal Government Colleges, Nigeria, mixed method.