PRINCIPALS’ MANAGERIAL STYLES AS DETERMINATE OF STUDENTS ’ DI SCIPLINE AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARYSCHOOLS IN NIGERIA

The study examines schools’ principals’ managerial styles and their influence on students’ discipline; academic performance in secondary schools in Nigeria. Correlational survey research design was used for the study. The research involved 1092 students and 82 principals from 38 schools. The sample for the study was 98 (86 students and 12 principals) in secondary schools. The instruments used for data collection are Principals’ Managerial Styles Questionnaire (PMSQ), Students Discipline Questionnaire (SDQ) and Students’ Performance Test (SPT). The research questions, null hypothesis was answered and tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that there was strong positive significant relationship between principals’ autocratic managerial style and students’ discipline in secondary schools in Nigeria. There was moderate positive significant relationship between principals’ democratic managerial style on students’ discipline in secondary schools in Nigeria. There was moderate positive significant relationship between principals’ autocratic managerial style on students’ academic performance. There was moderate positive significant relationship between principals’ democratic managerial style and students’ academic performance. There was strong positive significant relationship between principals’ managerial style and students’ academic performance in secondary schools in Nigeria. The study recommends among others that Principals in secondary schools should adapt a mixture of managerial styles in the management of schools in order to enhance their students’ academic performance in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).