Relationship between Principals Managerial Role Performance, Teachers' Welfare and Students' Academic Achievement in Public Senior Secondary Schools in North Central States, Nigeria

Education Letters (2025), 1(12):149-156 https: doi.org /10.5281/zenodo.18015148 Research Article Correspondence to: Baba Akwe, e-mail: akwebabao[email protected] Copyright: © 2025 The author. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Relationship between Principals Managerial Role Performance, Teachers’ Welfare and Students’ Academic Achievement in Public Senior Secondary Schools in North Central States, Nigeria Baba Akwe Department of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nigeria. Received 1 October 2025; Acceptance 25 November 2025; Published 22 December 2025. Abstract The study examined the relationship between principal’s managerial role performance, teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement in public senior secondary schools in North Central States, Nigeria. Correlation research design was used in this study. The population of the study comprises 25,164 principals and teachers in 1,115 public senior secondary schools in the North Central States. The sample for the study comprised of 2516 teachers and principals. The instrument used for data collection was Questionnaire on school managerial role performance, teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement(QSMRPTWSAA). To establish the validity of instrument, the questionnaire was given out to expert in Educational Management, Nasarawa State University, Keffi. The expert scored the instrument and in the process, a validity index of 0.72 was obtained. The instrument was further subjected to pilot study. The instruments were pilot tested on 30 students; the respondents were part of the population but not part of the sample for this study. The data obtained the pilot test was used to compute the internal consistency of the instrument using Cronbach alpha method. Results obtained from the exercise were used to obtain reliability index of 0.77 for the instrument. The data collected for the study was analyzed using Pearson’s product moment correlation. The findings from the study showed there is a significant relationship between principals’ monitoring role, teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement in North Central States, Nigeria and there is a significant relationship between principals’ supervision role, teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement. The study concludes that principals’ managerial roles significantly relates to teachers’ motivation and students’ academic achievement in public secondary schools in North Central States, Nigeria. The study recommended that there should be effective monitoring of teachers by principals in order to ensure they engage in teaching and learning activities that will help enhance students’ academic achievement. Furthermore, teachers should be periodically supervised by Akwe 150 principals for the purpose of ensuring effective instructional delivery for the purpose of improving students’ academic achievement. Keywords: Principals, Managerial role, Performance, Teachers ‘welfare, Academic achievement, Students. Introduction Education is a key driver of human capacity development and national progress (Boateng et al., 2020). In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), governments are expected to provide inclusive and equitable education that promotes lifelong learning. However, Nigeria continues to face major challenges, including large numbers of out-of-school youths and poor academic achievement at the secondary school level. Academic achievement is a major indicator of educational effectiveness. In Nigeria’s North Central States, students’ academic performance has remained low despite increased government investment in education and teachers’ welfare. WAEC result analysis from 2020–2024 indicates that 57.84%, 55.71%, and 46.36% of candidates, respectively, failed to obtain five credit passes, including Mathematics and English Language. These outcomes raise concerns about instructional quality and teacher-related factors. Teachers are central to the attainment of educational goals, and inadequate attention to their welfare undermines learning outcomes (Shabbir et al., 2014). Teachers in Nigerian schools are often dissatisfied with salaries, working conditions, and incentive systems, leading to low motivation and productivity (Adelabu, 2015; Igabari & Okagbare, 2023). Evidence shows that prompt salary payment and regular promotion improve teachers’ motivation and job satisfaction (Kazeem, as cited in Adelabu, 2015). Salary has also been identified as a key determinant of teacher effectiveness and competence (Makama, 2014), while competitive remuneration attracts qualified and capable teachers (Olumide & Haruna, 2024). Nevertheless, inadequate remuneration and irregular salary payment persist as major challenges (Igabari & Okagbare, 2023). Beyond welfare, principals’ managerial roles influence teachers’ performance and students’ academic achievement. These roles involve supervision, monitoring, and effective utilisation of resources to achieve school goals. Effective monitoring provides a basis for improving teachers’ welfare and instructional quality (Akwe, 2023). Empirical findings, however, remain inconsistent. While Usen (2016) reported a significant influence of managerial role performance on teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement, Yusuf and Iyala (2024) found no significant influence of principals’ supervision on teachers’ motivation in public secondary schools in North Central States, Nigeria. Given the persistent poor academic outcomes and mixed empirical evidence, this study examined the relationship between teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement in public senior secondary schools in North Central States, Nigeria. Akwe 151 Research Questions The following research questions guided the study: 1. What is the relationship between principals’ managerial role of monitoring, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement? 2. What is the relationship between principals’ managerial role of supervision enabling learning conditions, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement? Research Hypotheses The following null hypotheses guided this study and will be tested at 0.05 level of significance: 1. There is no significant relationship between principals’ managerial role of monitoring, teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement. 2. There is no significant the relationship between principals’ managerial role of supervision, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement Theoretical Framework This study is anchored on Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory (1943), which provides a motivational framework for understanding human behavior in organizational and educational contexts. The theory posits that individuals are driven by the desire to satisfy a sequence of needs arranged hierarchically—from basic physiological requirements to more advanced levels of psychological fulfillment. These needs include: (1) physiological needs (such as food, shelter, and physical well-being), (2) safety needs (security, stability, and protection), (3) love and belonging needs (social relationships and sense of belonging), (4) esteem needs (self-worth, recognition, and respect), and (5) self-actualization needs (personal growth and the realization of one’s potential). According to Maslow, individuals cannot effectively pursue higher-level needs unless lower-level needs have been adequately met. Within the school system, this implies that teachers—who are central to achieving educational objectives—require adequate fulfillment of their fundamental and psychological needs to perform optimally. When teachers’ welfare, including remuneration, promotion opportunities, and conducive working conditions, is adequately addressed, their motivation and job satisfaction improve, leading to enhanced instructional effectiveness and student achievement. Conversely, neglecting these needs may result in demotivation, reduced commitment, and diminished classroom performance, which can ultimately reflect in students’ poor academic outcomes. Thus, Maslow’s theory provides a useful explanatory basis for examining the relationship between teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement. It emphasizes that motivation is not merely a function of professional responsibility but also a product of the extent to which individual needs—spanning from basic security to self-actualization—are satisfied within the work environment. The theory, therefore, underpins the present study’s assumption that improving teachers’ welfare is fundamental to achieving improved educational outcomes in North Central States, Nigeria. Akwe 152 Correlation research design was used in this study. The population of the study comprises 25,164 principals and teachers in 1,115 public senior secondary schools in the North Central States. students respectively in 96 Public Senior Secondary Schools. The sample for the study comprised of 2516 teachers and principals. The instrument used for data collection was Questionnaire on school managerial role performance, teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement(QSMRPTWSAA). To establish the validity of instrument, the questionnaire was given out to expert in Educational Management, Nasarawa State University, Keffi. The expert scored the instrument and in the process, a validity index of 0.72 was obtained. The instrument was further subjected to pilot study. The instruments were pilot tested on 30 students; the respondents were part of the population but not part of the sample for this study. The data obtained the pilot test was used to compute the internal consistency of the instrument using Cronbach alpha method. Results obtained from the exercise were used to obtain reliability index of 0.77 for the instrument. The data collected for the study was analyzed using Pearson’s product moment correlation. Results and Discussion Research Question 1 What is the relationship between principals’ managerial role of monitoring teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement? Table 1. R-calculated values of Regression Analysis showing Significance of Relationship between Principals’ Managerial Role of Monitoring, Teacher Welfare and Students’ Academic Achievement. S/N Variables N Mean R Remarks 1 2 Managerial Role of Monitoring Teacher Welfare 2516 2516 2.99 2.76 0.67 Positively High Relationship 3 Students’ Academic Achievement 2516 65.20 Table 1 shows the degree of relationship between principals’ managerial role of supervision, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement. Results indicate that at sample size of 2516, the R-calculated was given as 0.67. This is above the benchmark value of 0.50. Hence there is a significant relationship between principals’ managerial role of monitoring, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement. Research Question 2 What is the relationship between principals’ managerial role of supervision teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement? Akwe 153 Table 2. R-calculated Value of Regression Analysis showing Relationship between Principals’ Managerial Role of Monitoring, Teacher Welfare and Students’ Academic Achievement. S/N Variables N Mean R Remarks 1 2 Managerial Role of Supervision Teacher Welfare 2516 2516 2.99 2.76 0.72 Positively High Relationship 3 Students’ Academic Achievement 2516 65.20 Table 2 shows the degree of relationship between principals’ managerial role of monitoring, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement. Results indicate that at sample size of 2516, the R-calculated was given as 0.72. This is above the benchmark value of 0.50. Hence there is a significant relationship between principals’ managerial role of supervision, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement. Hypothesis 1 There is no significant relationship between principals’ managerial role of monitoring, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement Table 3. Test of Significance of Regression Analysis showing Significance of Relationship between Principals’ Managerial Role of Monitoring, Teacher Welfare and Students’ Academic Achievement. Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Regression 60435.076 2 30217.538 1263.241 .000 Residual 60112.572 2513 23.921 Total 120547.649 2515 Table 3 above shows the test of significance of relationship between principals’ managerial role of monitoring, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement using regression analysis. The calculated value of f is given as 1263.241 while the p-value of 0.000 was found to be less than 0.05. Hence, the result reveals there is a significant relationship between principals’ managerial role of monitoring, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement. Hypothesis 2 There is no significant relationship between principals’ supervision role of monitoring, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement. . Akwe 154 Table 4. Test of Significance of Regression Analysis showing Significance of Relationship between Principals’ Managerial Role of Supervision, Teacher Welfare and Students’ Academic Achievement. Model Sum of Squares df Mean Square F Sig. Regression 60183.349 2 30091.675 1248.988 .000 Residual 60545.341 2513 24.093 Total 120728.690 2515 Table 4 above shows the test of significance of relationship between principals’ managerial role of supervision, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement using regression analysis. The calculated value of f is given as 1248.988 while the p-value of 0.000 was found to be less than 0.05. Hence, the result reveals there is a significant relationship between principals’ managerial role of supervision, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement. Discussion of Results Findings from the study on hypothesis one revealed a significant relationship between principals’ managerial role of monitoring, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement. This finding is in agreement with the findings from the study of Usen (2016) which indicated significant influence of school managerial role performance on teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement in Schools of Nursing in Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. Findings from the study on hypothesis two revealed a significant relationship between principals’ managerial role of supervision, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement. This finding is in agreement with the findings from the study of Yusuf and Iyala (2024) indicated there was significant influence of principals’ managerial roles on teachers’ motivation and students’ academic achievement in public secondary schools in North Central States, Nigeria. Conclusion The study examined the relationship between principals’ managerial role performance, teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement in public senior secondary schools in North Central States, Nigeria. The findings revealed there is a significant relationship between principals’ managerial role of monitoring, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement and there is a significant relationship between principals’ managerial role of supervision, teacher welfare and students’ academic achievement. Anchored on Management theory by Henry Fayol and Campel and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory, the study concludes that principals’ managerial roles significantly relates to teachers’ welfare and students’ academic achievement in public secondary schools in North Central States, Nigeria. To enhance educational performance, the study recommends there should be effective monitoring of teachers by principals in order Akwe 155 to ensure they engage in teaching and learning activities that will help enhance students’ academic achievement. 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Journal of Education and Practice, 5(9), 154-168 Publisher's Note Scholar J remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.