PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP STYLE AND TEACHERS' EFFECTIVENESS IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OVIA NORTH EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

This study investigated the influence of principals’ leadership styles on teachers’ effectiveness in senior secondary schools in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. Specifically, it examined the extent to which democratic, autocratic, charismatic, and laissez-faire leadership styles affect teachers’ instructional delivery, classroom management, and professional commitment. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A structured questionnaire titled “Principal Leadership Style and Teacher Effectiveness Questionnaire (PLSTEQ)” was used to collect data from ninety-three (93) teachers across selected senior secondary schools. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics to answer the research question, while simple linear regression and Pearson Product Moment Correlation were employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that charismatic and democratic leadership styles are predominantly practiced by principals, whereas autocratic and laissez-faire styles
are less common. Democratic, charismatic, and laissez-faire leadership styles were found to significantly enhance teachers’ effectiveness, while autocratic leadership style had no significant effect. Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between principals’ leadership styles and teachers’ job effectiveness. The study concluded that effective school leadership positively influences teachers’ performance, and leadership approaches that emphasize participation, inspiration, and shared responsibility are more effective than authoritarian or hands-off approaches. The study recommended that principals adopt democratic and
charismatic leadership practices, minimize autocratic tendencies, and apply laissez-faire leadership moderately.