TEACHERS’ INNOVATIVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AS PREDICTORS OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined teachers’ innovative classroom management practices as predictors of students’ academic performance in public secondary schools in Anambra State, Nigeria. Specifically, it explored the predictive value of instructional creativity, behavioural management strategies, and classroom organization techniques on students’ academic performance. The study was guided by three research questions and three null hypotheses and was anchored on Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, which emphasizes the role of interactive and well-structured learning environments in fostering students’ development and performance. A correlational research design was adopted. The sample comprised 52 Senior Secondary II English Language teachers and 960 students, selected from 20 purposively chosen schools within the Awka and Nnewi Education Zones. Data were obtained using a structured teacher questionnaire and students’ official English Language achievement records. Simple regression analyses were employed for data interpretation. Findings revealed that instructional creativity, behavioural management strategies, and classroom organization techniques each significantly and positively predicted students’ academic performance. The study concluded that innovative classroom management is a key determinant of improved learning outcomes. It recommended sustained professional development for teachers, with emphasis on creative pedagogy, effective behavioural regulation, and systematic classroom organization to optimize students’ academic performance.