ABSTRACT
This study investigated the relationship between
principals’ financial management strategies and teachers’ task performance in
secondary schools in Onitsha Education Zone. Guided by three research questions
and three null hypotheses. Two questionnares-How principals provide fund
questionnaire (HPPFQ) and the principals’ rate on level of teachers’ task
performance questionnaire (PRLTPQ) were used to collect the data. Proportionate
stratified random sampling technique was employed to select to a sample of 495
respondents. Pearson product moment correlation was used to answer the research
questions, while t-test was used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of
significance. The major finding revealed that the relationship between
principals’ financial management strategies and teachers’ teaching performance,
discipline of students and involvement in co-curricular activities in secondary
schools in Onitsha Education Zone could be described high and positive. The
conclusion was that there was a significant relationship between principals’
financial management strategies and teachers’ task performance in Onitsha
Education Zone. Recommendations included the organization of regular seminars
and workshops for both principals and teachers in order to improve financial
management strategies of principals’ and boast teachers’ task performance.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
BACKGROUND OF THE
STUDY
The present economic crisis
which has affected the Nigerian nation has been biting so hard that the various
social services such as education which the government used to provide has been
adversely affected. Public attention has been drawn by the school
administrators to the inadequate funding in public schools in this country.
Both government and the general public have always responded in different ways
to the financial crisis in Nigeria by granting aid or giving more financial
support to schools. It introduced education task fund (ETF) to help to provide
financial needs both for the student and teachers.
Ezeocah (1985) states that
for any venture to function, it must be financially viable. Finance is needed
for any business organization to succeed. Prudent management of the financial
resources of an organization is vital to the achievement of organization goals.
Judicious management of educational finance is necessary just like any business
that needs finance.
Financial
management is the raising and administering of funds. It deals with how to
plan, programme, budget for, secure and maintain both material and financial
resources in order to attain the institutions objective. It is an obvious fact
that no institution can survive or carry out its functions effectively and
efficiently without utilizing properly its financial resources. According to
Pandy (1979), financial management is considered a vital and integral part of
the overall management. In this broad view, the central issue of financial
policy is the “wise utilization of funds”.
Adequate financial management
strategies bring about job satisfaction which according to Ndu, Ocho and Okeke
(1997) has to do with a high level of emotional stability of an individual in
his job such that his morale is also high and consequently he aspires to do
more for the organization goals. This implies that the more teachers are
rewarded, the more likely they are to work hard. The greater the extent in
which an employee’s needs are satisfied in his job, the greater the extent to
which he will response, presumably with gratitude or loyalty and effective productivity
on that job.
Every
nation would want to give her citizens the best of education she can afford
within the limits of her resources, since education is regarded as a prime
instrument for social, economic, technological and moral dynamism.
Consequently, the federal government of Nigeria has adopted education as an
instrument per excellent for effecting national development. Infant education
is so expensive now that the government finds it difficult to finance it alone.
The government now encourages the local communities, individuals, companies and
others to assist in financing education. Parents deny themselves a lot of
things to keep their children in the school. With the help of government and
these groups of people, substantial amount of money is raised for the school
use. The amount provided is often not enough.
Despite these efforts, one of
the most serious problems facing the educational institutions today remains
that of ineffective funds management strategies. Teachers find it extremely
difficult to achieve educational goals, to provide services for which schools
are set up these days. The problem could be brought about by inadequacy of
funds. It is obvious that if the funds were adequate, enough instructional
materials will be provided that will induce teachers to positive actions. At
the same time, if the funds are grossly mismanaged, teachers will not fulfill
their obligations to the schools. Principals therefore are required to use what
resources, particularly subvention they have to motivate teachers so as to get
what is wanted in this era of self-reliance. To ensure maximum task performance
of teachers, principals’ must motivate teachers by providing them with
instructional and their material needs
Task performance in this
study implies work or job performance. It is also the responsibilities or
obligations teacher have to fulfill. Whawo (1995) enumerates task performance
of teachers to include admission of students, classification, registration,
student’s welfare services, teaching, and evaluation of class work, reports to
parents and guardians, co-curricular activities and issues of students
discipline. Ogunna (1992) writes that the material needs of the workers can be
satisfied through adequate and regular payment of salaries and fringe benefits.
Workers should be adequately remunerated for their efforts in order to secure
their commitment and dedication to their task.
Nigeria’s
economy is so bad (continuous inflation and devaluation of naira) that
government’s allocation to education is not equivalent to school requirements.
Schools are expected to maintain existing services, pay staff salaries and
allowances, purchase instructional materials and meet other recurrent
expenditure in order to motivate teachers to carry out their task effectively
and effectively. Whawo (1995) opines that teachers must be motivated with
adequate compensation. The zeal and enthusiasm in teachers should be sustained
by providing them with enough benefits not minding their locations, gender and
teaching experience.
This study thereby aims at
identifying the relationship that between secondary school principals’
financial (subvention) management strategies and teachers’ task performance.
Statement of
Problem
Principals’ as administrators
of schools are expected to provide the required instructional materials that
would influence the teachers to perform their task to a reasonable standard.
Teachers on the other hand are expected to be committed to their task performance to achieve
the goals and objectives of the schools. Whawo (1995) stresses that the major
task of educational administrators is to utilize all available resources in an
effort to achieve the objective for which schools are established.
Unfortunately, principals mismanage the grants given to schools in the name of
subvention to boost their financial resources. As a result teachers manifest
signs of low job satisfaction, lack of sense of accomplishment, physical
breakdown, unhappiness as well as various vices (Amoo and Adenle, 2003). Since
instructional materials cannot be provided by principals, teachers exhibit
laxity and truancy in their jobs. Many of them go to classes to teach at their
own will, no longer care for the discipline of students, show less concern in
extra curricular activities, etc.
The consequences of effective
financial management strategies by principals on teachers’ task performance
remain under researched. Is effective financial management strategies related
to teachers’ teaching performance? How does financial management relate to
discipline of students by teachers and teachers involvement in extra
curricular activities? These problems present the problem of this study
Purpose of Study
The purpose of this study is
to find out the relationship between principals’ financial management
strategies and teachers’ task performance in secondary schools in Onitsha
Education Zone. Specifically the study investigates:
1.
The relationship between principles’
financial management strategies and teachers’ teaching performance.
2.
The relationship between
principals’ financial management strategies and teachers’ discipline of
students.
3. The
relationship between principals’ financial management strategies and teachers’
involvement in co-curricular activities.
Significance of
the Study
Maslow (1954) has implicated
the role of motivation on the attainment of educational goals when Maslow
postulated a theory of hierarch of human needs states that, it is only when a
man gets
all his needs that he can be
satisfied. This theory can be applied in this study, teachers need to be
motivated to perform optimally. This study will therefore be significant in the
sense that it will find out the relationship between effective financial
management and teachers task performance in secondary schools in Onitsha
Education Zone. The study will be beneficial to teachers because it will reveal
to them those things that will be provided for them to be motivated and bring
out their best.
Principals on their own will
benefit from the study in that it will throw light on factors that may pose
problems in financial management and as a factors that impedes teachers task
performance.
Also, both government and
public would see the need through the findings of the study for more financial
grants to schools, monitor the usage to minimize mismanagement by principals.
The study will help the government to know that delay in payment of teachers
salaries contributes to their inefficiency.
In addition, this study will
help students to contribute money among themselves to provide some
instructional materials to the schools and draw the
attention of their rich relations to help provide some of the materials needed
in the schools. This will motivate their teachers to perform better. Finally,
the findings will be of good help or contribution to research findings the
relationship between financial management strategies and teachers’ task
performance, on the other hand it will be of immense benefit to the researchers
in the field.
Scope of the
Study
This study
covered all state government secondary schools in Onitsha Education Zone. The
content was limited to the relationship between principals’ financial management
strategies and teachers’ task performance. Financial management concentrates on
government grants to education. Teachers’ task performance was investigated in
terms of teaching performance, discipline of students and involvement in
co-curricular activities.
Research
Questions
1.
Is there a relationship between
principals’ financial management strategies and teachers’ teaching performance?
2. What
is the nature of the relationship between principals’ financial management
strategies and teachers’ discipline of students?
3. To
what extent does a relationship exist between principals’ financial management
strategies and teachers’ involvement in co-curricular activities?
Hypotheses
The hypotheses
were tested at 0.05 level of significance
1.
The relationship between the mean
ratings of principals and teachers on the principals’ financial management
strategies and teachers’ teaching performance is not significant.
2.
school location is not a
significant factor in the relationship between the respondents’ mean ratings of
the principals financial management strategies and teachers’ discipline of
students.
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