Principals’ Decision-Making Process and School Effectiveness in Secondary Schools in Imo State

This study examines the relationship between principals' decision-making processes and school effectiveness in public secondary schools in Imo State, South East Nigeria. Decision-making is a central function of school leadership, encompassing staffing, resource allocation, curriculum organisation, student discipline, and community relations. The quality of these decisions, and the processes through which they are made, has significant implications for school organisational health and educational outcomes. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with data from 30 principals and 270 senior teachers across 30 secondary schools in Owerri, Okigwe, and Orlu senatorial zones. Decision-making processes were assessed across dimensions of information use, stakeholder consultation, timeliness, and transparency. School effectiveness was measured using a composite of teacher job satisfaction, pupil academic performance, and infrastructure maintenance status. Regression and Pearson correlation analyses were applied. Results reveal that consultative and evidence-based decision-making processes are significantly associated with higher school effectiveness scores. Principals who regularly involved department heads and senior staff in key decisions demonstrated better outcomes than those who made unilateral decisions. The study concludes that participatory decision-making significantly improves school effectiveness in Imo State secondary schools. It recommends that the Imo State Post Primary School Management Board incorporate decision-making quality indicators into its principal performance appraisal framework and provide principals with professional training in educational decision-making and leadership communication.

Keywords: decision-making, school effectiveness, principals, secondary school, Imo State.