Effect of Principal Administrative Styles on School Outcomes: Comparative Evidence from Public Secondary Schools in the North Central and South West Zones

This study provides comparative empirical evidence on the effects of principal administrative styles on school outcomes in public secondary schools across the North Central and South West geopolitical zones of Nigeria. The comparative framework enables examination of how contextual factors, including cultural, economic, and geographic differences, moderate the relationship between administrative behaviour and school performance. The existing literature on principal administrative styles in Nigeria has been largely single-zone in scope, limiting the generalisability of findings. The study employs a multi-site survey design and samples 400 teachers and principals from 50 secondary schools, distributed equally between Kwara and Oyo States as representative sites for the North Central and South West zones respectively. Validated questionnaires measuring administrative styles and composite school outcomes are administered, and data are analysed using analysis of variance and structural equation modelling. The study draws on the Situational Leadership Theory of Hersey and Blanchard. Findings reveal significant zonal differences in the prevalence of administrative styles and in the relationship between style and outcomes, with democratic and consultative styles proving more effective across both zones but yielding stronger outcomes in the South West sample. Recommendations include the contextualisation of principal development programmes to account for regional administrative cultures. Keywords: administrative styles, school outcomes, principal leadership, comparative education, North Central South West Nigeria.