Influence of Principals’ Communication Skills on Staff Performance in Secondary Schools in Ebonyi State

This study examines the influence of principals' communication skills on staff performance in public secondary schools in Ebonyi State, South East Nigeria. Communication is a foundational skill for educational administrators, enabling them to build trust, convey expectations, resolve conflicts, and coordinate institutional activities. In Ebonyi State, concerns about the quality of interpersonal and institutional communication among school principals have been linked to staff disengagement and poor institutional outcomes. The study employs a descriptive correlational design and samples 290 teachers and vice principals from 35 secondary schools across Abakaliki, Afikpo, and Onueke education zones. Validated questionnaires serve as data collection instruments, and analysis employs Pearson correlation and regression analysis. The study draws on Barnard's Theory of Communication. Results confirm a positive and significant relationship between principals' communication effectiveness and staff performance metrics including punctuality, lesson delivery quality, and staff-to-staff cooperation. Principals perceived as poor communicators are associated with higher staff absenteeism and low institutional morale. The study recommends the inclusion of communication skills modules in principal capacity-building programmes and the periodic assessment of communication climates within schools in Ebonyi State. Keywords: communication skills, staff performance, principal administration, secondary education, Ebonyi State.