Abstract
This study examined the influence of principals’ mentorship on the task performance of subordinates in public secondary schools in Abia state. The population of the study is 4476 consisting of 207 vice principals and 4269 teachers in public secondary schools in Abia State (SEMB, 2015). A descriptive survey design was used for the study. Three research questions and one null hypothesis were formulated to guide the study which was tested at 0.05 level of significance. A sample size of 509 respondents’ consisting of 83 vice-principals and 426 teachers were selected from 4476 population using a stratified random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a researcher-developed questionnaire titled “Influence of Principal’s Mentorship on Job Performance of Subordinate Questionnaire” (IPMJPSQ). A 15-item questionnaire was designed using a four-point rating scale and validated by three experts in the Department of Science Education and the Department of Educational Management. The reliability of the instrument was determined using Cronbach Alpha which yielded a coefficient of 0.86. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviations to answer the research questions and t-test statistics to test the hypothesis. The result of the analysis revealed that the opinions of vice principals and teachers with regard to principals’ exposure of vice principals and teachers on their task performance to instructional leadership, fostering a friendly atmosphere, keeping good and community relations, were to a high extent. The study, hence recommended that Proper principal mentorship skills and strategies should be adequately put in place in secondary schools in Abia State to improve our educational system and tasks performed by subordinates, proper in-service training should be provided to vice principals and teachers in school and School principals as administrators should properly guide and communicate to vice principals and teachers on the rules and regulations of the school as well as the things they are supposed to do and the one they are not supposed to do. Finally, school principals as administrators should mentor new teachers in different school locations in Abia State.
Keywords: Principals’ Mentorship, Task Performance, Subordinates, Secondary Schools
Okonkwo, C. S. (2024)