Mokwe, Nwamaka Florence
Prof. Emenike Obi
Department of Educational Management and Policy, Faculty of Education, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State
Abstract
The study investigated principals’ emotional intelligence as correlate of their administrative effectiveness in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Two research questions guided the study and one hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. A correlational survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted all the 263 principals in the six education zones of Anambra State. All the principals were used for the study. Two sets of researchers’-developed instrument titled “Principals’ Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire” (PEIQ) and “Principals’ Administrative Effectiveness Questionnaire” (PAEQ)) were used for data collection. The instruments were face validated by three experts and subjected to internal consistency test using Cronbach’s alpha method which yielded reliability coefficients of 0.89 for the PEIQ and 0.79 for PAEQ. Pearson’ Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient was used to analyze data for the study. The findings of the study indicated that there is a strong positive and significant relationship between principals’ emotional intelligence and their administrative effectiveness in public secondary schools in Anambra State. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that the State Ministry of Education and Post Primary School Service Commission should make provision for regular professional development programmes for principals on how to effectively improve and apply emotional intelligence in their administrative endeavors. This will help improve principals’ administrative performance and effectiveness.
Key words: emotional intelligence, administration, administrative effectiveness
Introduction
Leadership is very vital in every organization for the effective management of human and material resources required for the achievement of organizational objectives. Railey (2000) defined leadership as the act of guiding or directing others to a course of action through persuasion or influence. According to Bush (2003), leadership is the process of influencing people so that they will strive willingly towards the achievement of group goals. It is a relational attribute which emphasizes the behaviour of the person leading in terms of the behaviour of the person being led.
Leadership is of fundamental importance in any system such as educational institutions. Arinze (2011) postulated that a good leader manages resources efficiently to achieve goals; provides sense of direction towards attaining individual and collective goals; allocates and utilizes limited resources for the satisfaction of basic needs of the citizenry. Akume (2012) asserted that a good leader mobilizes resources for the attainment of consensus goals of the collective interest; makes decisions for the attainment of societal goals; extracts, produces and distributes channels towards promoting the good life for all in the polity; disciplines and subjects individuals positively to the orderly demand and sacrifice necessary to attain set goals.
In secondary school organization, the principal is the chief executive who gives the necessary leadership functions for the achievement of school goals. He is the leader and is responsible for all the happenings in the school. The principal bears all the troubles and challenges in the school and also receives all the glory that comes out from the school. The principal is expected to perform several administrative roles in order to achieve the goals of secondary education. Principal’s’ ability to take decisions, delegate duties to subordinates, set good examples and motivate his staff and students alike will determine his level of administrative effectiveness.
Administrative effectiveness according to Ogbo, Obiekwe and Emere (2020) can be seen as the achievement of operative goals, capabilities, experiences, energy goals and value. It is also the satisfaction derived by members and subsequently the internal structure and operation of the organization. Adeniyi and Omoteso (2014) conceived administrative effectiveness as the extent to which secondary school principals achieve the goals and objectives of their schools. It also refers to the ability of principals to carry out administrative tasks of coordinating both human and material resources available and using them systematically for the achievement of educational objectives. Uche cited in Ogbo, Obiekwe and Emere, (2020) identified administrative effectiveness as a symbol of good administrative style, team work, morale or motivation of staff, good teaching, conducive social climate as well as maintenance of rules and regulations. Principal’s ability to control and maintain school infrastructural facilities, initiate good projects and complete both new ones and also those abandoned by his predecessors is exemplary of effectiveness.
Several factors can influence principals’ administrative effectiveness. One of such factors is their emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence could be seen as a person’s capacity to understand his personal feelings and that of others and to manage emotions within themselves and in their relationships with others. According to Adeniyi and Anuodo (2018), emotional intelligence is the ability, capacity, skill or in the case of the trait emotional intelligence model, a self-perceived ability, to identify, access and manage the emotions of oneself, of others and of groups.
Emotional intelligence can be classified into four dimensions namely: self-awareness, self-management, empathy and relationship management (Goleman, 2018). Self-awareness is the ability to know oneself and understand one’s feeling. Self-awareness goes with accurate self-assessment, understanding one’s strength and weaknesses and their effects; self-confidence, having faith in self and being willing to put oneself forward. According to Cherry (2019), self-awareness refers to the capacity to recognize and understand emotions and have a sense of how one’s actions, moods and the emotions of others take effect. It involves keeping track of emotions and noticing different emotional reactions, as well as being able to identify emotions correctly.
The second dimension is self-regulation or self- management. This dimension is all about self-control. It deals with controlling one’s feelings and/or expressing them in appropriate circumstances. It simply means waiting for the right time, place and avenue to express one’s emotions. It is the ability to be aware of one’s emotions and have the flexibility to positively direct one’s behaviour in response to those emotions, to manage emotional reactions in all situations and with all people. According to Mayer, Salovey and Caruso (2012), self- management is the ability to use emotions to facilitate thinking and behaviour focusing on how emotions influence one’s cognitive system. This dimension involves using intuition or “gut-feelings” to help make decisions and be creative.
Empathy as another dimension is very critical to emotional intelligence. It is the ability to understand how others feel. Empathy goes beyond the ability to recognize the emotional states of others. It further involves one’s responses to others based on this information. Empathy is also seen as organizational awareness- that is the ability to explain self well and be aware of how one is understood, as well as knowing the extent of comprehension of one’s audience (Serra, 2016). Empathy plays an important role in managing conflicts, making people see the bigger picture and motivating others (Jameson, 2019).
Relationship management is the fourth dimension and can be seen as the ability to communicate and interact with others. It involves translating one’s ideas to others and listening to their needs and complaints. Leaders who are endowed with great social skills are good at recognizing problems and very docile to hearing both good and bad news.
Emotional intelligent principal according to Adeniyi and Omoteso (in Obiekwe & Ogbo, 2020) is one who is able to perceive one’s emotions and remains aware of them as they happen. The ability to manage emotional reactions in every situation and with all staff. This implies that the principal should understand what his staff are thinking and feeling even though he does not feel the same way, and provide clear communication as well as effectively handle conflict that may arise. Caruso, Salovey and Mayer (2003) noted that principals of secondary schools need emotional intelligence to excel school administration. Further, Cherniss and Goleman explained that an emotionally intelligent principal will have a greater effect in his school than a principal with a low level of emotional intelligence. Principals who have low emotional intelligence hardly understand staff and students’ emotions and find it difficult to facilitate their learning, achievement and motivation towards goal attainment (Obiekwe & Ogbo, 2020). This implies that the level of emotional intelligence of a principal may influence how he can understand and communicate with his staff, students and their environment as well as carry out other administrative tasks.
Observable situation by the researchers in secondary schools in Anambra State seems to suggest that most principals lack emotional intelligence. This may be why Ekeh (2011) noted that frictions do exist at times in schools between principals, staff and students; hindering healthy interpersonal relationships and co-operation among staff towards attainment of goals of the institution. There are also anecdotal reports of various cases of outbursts of emotions by some principals, they in some cases allow their emotions to becloud their judgments. Also, most principals seem less empathetic and do not have clear communication skill to convey their intentions. These may be the reason for various cases of examination malpractice, special centers, and other types of examination fraud which are prevalent in most secondary schools in the state. There are also reported cases of poor academic achievement and performance as well as cases of indiscipline, lack of effective evaluation, monitoring and supervision in the areas of human relationships, personnel, facilities, equipment, and infrastructure in public secondary schools in Anambra state (Modebelu & Onyali; Mbonu, in Obiekwe, Ikedimma, Thompson and Ogbo 2020). These administrative problems may not be unconnected to principals’ emotional intelligence.
Research Question
What is the relationship between principals’ emotional intelligence and their administrative effectiveness in secondary schools in Anambra State?
Hypothesis
There is no significant relationship between principals’ emotional intelligence and their administrative effectiveness in secondary schools in Anambra State.
Methods
A correlational survey research design was adopted for the study. The study was guided by one research question and a null hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study was carried out in Anambra State on a population of 263 principals in the six education zones of Anambra State. All the principals were used for the study. Two questionnaire instruments titled “Principals Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire” (PEIQ) and “Principals’ Administrative Effectiveness Questionnaire” (PAEQ) were used to collect data for the study. The questionnaires were validated by three experts and internal consistency reliability coefficients of 0.89 for the PEIQ and 0.79 for PAEQ were obtained using Cronbach’s alpha method. Data obtained for the study were analyzed using Pearson's Product Moment Correlation.
Results
Table 1, Pearson ‘r’ On the Relationship between Principals’ Emotional Intelligence and Administrative Effectiveness
Source of variance | N | Emotional intelligence(r) | Administrative effectiveness (r) | Remark |
Emotional Intelligence | 261 | 1.00 | 0.77 |
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| Strong Positive Correlation |
Administrative Effectiveness | 261 | 0.77 | 1.00 |
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Data in Table 1 reveal that a strong positive correlation of 0.77 exists between principals’ emotional intelligence and their administrative effectiveness in secondary schools in Anambra State.
Table 2: Significance of Pearson’s r on Relationship between Principals’ Emotional Intelligence and Administrative Effectiveness
Source of Variation N | Emotional Intelligence r | Administrative effectiveness r | df | p-value | Remark | |
Emotional Intelligence | 261 | 1.00 | 0.77 |
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| 259 | 0.00 | Sig | |
Administrative effectiveness | 261 | 0.77 | 1.00 |
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Table 2 indicates that at 0.05 level of significance and 259df, the calculated r 0.77 has P.value 0.00 which is less than critical P.value 0.05. Therefore the null hypothesis was rejected.
Discussion of Result
The finding of this study shows that there is a strong positive and significant correlation between principals’ emotional intelligence and their administrative effectiveness in secondary schools in Anambra State. This suggests that an increase in principals’ emotional intelligence will lead to a significant increase in their administrative effectiveness. This finding is in line with the findings of Adedokun (2014) that there is a strong, positive correlation between emotional intelligence and administrative effectiveness. This finding supports that of researchers such as Mills and Rouse (2009), Moore, (2009), Sala, (2003), Beavers (2005), Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso (2004) that emotional intelligence of principals would in no small measure enhance his/her administrative effectiveness, thereby achieving the stated school goals and objectives.
Conclusion
From the findings of the study, the researchers concludes that a strong positive correlation exists between principals’ emotional intelligence and their administrative effectiveness in secondary schools in Anambra State.
Recommendation
Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations were made:
- State ministry of Education and Post Primary School Service Commission should make provision for regular professional development programmes for principals on how to effectively improve and apply emotional intelligence in their administrative endeavour. This will help improve principals’ administrative performance and effectiveness.
- Post Primary School Service Commission should consider recruiting teachers with high emotional intelligence for principal-ship position. This is likely to enhance appointment of principals who display effective in their administrative performance.
References
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