The Effects of Staff Records Management on Administrative Effectiveness in Secondary Schools in Fako Division, South West Region of Cameroon

Administrative effectiveness is fundamental for the success and functionality of any educational institution. The management of staff records of a school plays a crucial role in the effective administration of the institution. This study sought to examine the effect of staff records management on administrative effectiveness in secondary schools in the geo-political area of Fako Division, South West Region of Cameroon. The study therefore sought to investigate the types of staff records being managed by principals, and the extent to which these types of records, as well as the methods of management, affect administrative effectiveness of secondary schools in the study area. The records continuum theory by Cook in 1999 provided the theoretical backbone of the study. The study objectively adopted the descriptive survey design. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire from a stratified randomly selected sample of 87 vice principals of lay private and confessional schools in Fako Division, South West Region of Cameroon. The instrument was subjected to a Cronbach alpha reliability test to obtain a high reliability coefficient of 0.755. Data was analyzed descriptively (frequencies and percentages) and inferentially (Multiple logistic regression analysis and Chi-Square test). Our findings revealed that out of the 7 types of records management investigated, syllabus coverage (87, 100%), staff attendance (63, 72.4%) and staff workload (50, 57.5%), in that decreasing order, are the most commonly generated and managed staff records by secondary school administrators. Equally, we concluded that syllabus coverage (p=0.010), staff attendance (p=0.015) and staff workload (p=0.033) are the only 3 types of staff records investigated that significantly predict administrative effectiveness, out of the 7 types investigated. Finally, we concluded that there exists a significant difference between the two methods of staff records management in secondary schools in Fako Division, with the manual method having more impact on administrative effectiveness (p=0.018). Bearing in mind the importance of staff records management in the enhancement of quality administration, and cognizant of the limitations accompanying the manual methods of records management, we recommend that school administrators should adapt, through skill acquisition, to electronic records management practices.