PRINCIPALS’ INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICES AND TEACHERS’ JOB PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Instructional leadership is a vital approach for enhancing teaching effectiveness and student achievement within modern educational systems. This study examined the relationship between principals’ instructional leadership practices and teachers’ job performance in public secondary schools in Edo State, Nigeria. Adopting a descriptive survey research design, the study focused on a population of 471 public secondary schools and 3,015 teachers obtained from the Edo State Ministry of Education for the 2024/2025 academic session. A sample of 300 teachers was selected using a stratified random sampling technique across the three senatorial districts, while 30 principals were purposively sampled. Data were collected via the Principals’ Instructional Leadership Practices and Teachers’ Job Performance Questionnaire (PILPTJPQ), which was validated by three experts and yielded an overall Cronbach’s alpha reliability coefficient of 0.82, with high internal consistency across all subscales. While 30 principals provided administrative context, the empirical analysis (N = 300) relied on teachers’ self-rated job performance metrics. Data were analysed using mean, standard deviation, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC), with the assumption of linearity verified via scatterplots. Findings revealed a significant positive relationship between principals’ instructional leadership practices and teachers’ job performance, r(298) = .64, p = .001. Specifically, curriculum coordination, monitoring students’ progress, and the promotion of professional developmens showed significant associations with improved teacher effectiveness. The study concluded that principals who actively emphasise instructional leadership practices are associated with higher levels of teacher proficiency in lesson delivery, classroom management, and student assessment. It is recommended that educational authorities organise continuous leadership training programmes to transition principals from administrative-heavy roles to sustained instructional oversight.