PRINCIPALS’ LEADERSHIP STYLES AND SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT AS PREDICTORS OF TEACHERS’ JOB SATISFACTION IN CATHOLICMISSION SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

This study investigated principals’ leadership styles and school environment as predictors of teachers’ job satisfaction in Catholic mission secondary schools in Anambra State. Six research questions and six hypotheses guided the study. Correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised all the 4,381 teachers in the 172 Catholic secondary schools in Anambra State. A sample of 876 teachers was drawn for the study using proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Three researcher structured rating scales namely: Principals’ Leadership Styles Rating Scale (PLSRS), School Environment Rating Scale (SERS), and Teachers’ Job Satisfaction Rating Scale (TJSRS) were used for data collection. The instruments were validated by three experts; two experts in the Department of Educational Management and Policy and one in Measurement and Evaluation Unit in the Department of Educational Foundations, all in the Faculty of Education Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Reliability of the instrument was ascertained through Cronbach Alpha statistics; and an overall internal consistency co efficient of 0.89, 0.89, and 0.92 were obtained for PLSRS, SERS, and TJSRS respectively. Data were analyzed using simple and multiple linear regressions analysis. The findings revealed that principals’ leadership styles (transformational, transactional, and situational leadership styles) are strong and significant predictors of teachers’ job satisfaction in Catholic mission secondary schools i n Anambra State. The findings also showed that school environment (physical and social environments) is very strong and significant predictors of teachers’ job satisfaction in Catholic mission secondary schools in Anambra State. The results of the interactive prediction established that principals’ leadership styles and school environment jointly and significantly predict teachers’ job satisfaction in Catholic mission secondary schools in Anambra State (R = 0.753). Thus, the study concluded that the strengthening and sustained application of effective principals’ leadership styles and school environments respectively, are imperative for enhancing and maintaining high levels of teachers’ job satisfaction in Catholic mission secondary schools in Anambra State. Based on the findings, the study recommended that principals should adopt a blended leadership approach combining transformational, transactional, and situational styles, while maintaining a safe, resourceful, and collegial school environment that boosts teachers’ morale and satisfaction.