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PRINCIPAL’S GENDER AND TEACHERS’ WORK BEHAVIOURS
IN POST-PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Abstract
This study investigated the influence
principal’s gender has on teachers’ work behaviours in secondary schools in
Anambra State. Five research questions and three null hypotheses were
formulated to guide the study. The study employed a descriptive survey design,
using a sample size of 1000 teachers (male and female) selected from schools in
Anambra State through multi-stage sampling technique. A 50 item adapted
questionnaire was used to elicit information on the teachers’ work behaviours
as it relates to; acceptability of responsibilities, commitment to school
functions, adherence to school rules and regulations, ensuring discipline in
school, and attendance to instructional duties. Mean scores were used to answer
the research questions while t-test was used to test the null hypotheses. The
findings of the study indicated that 41 items out of the 50 identified items in
the questionnaire were accepted by both male and female teachers as their work
behaviours. This goes a long way to saying that principal’s gender has no
significant influence on teachers’ work behaviours which was also the
conclusion of the study based on the three null hypotheses tested at 0.05 level
of significance. Although there were few disagreements on male and female
teachers’ responses, such disagreements, were minimal, which include that;
female teachers are unwilling to assist in carrying out their principal’s
personal duties, find it difficult to tolerate individual differences of other
colleagues, and cannot avoid fighting and quarreling with staff and students;
male teachers cannot avoid having other businesses for profit making as well as
failure to show concern for badly done work especially when under female
principal’s administration. Among others, it was recommended that the
government should organize teachers’ forum through the Post Primary Schools
Service Commission and Nigerian Union of Teachers, where teachers could meet on
a regular basis to discuss and learn the right work behaviours and the
implications of violating such behaviours. Conclusions and implications of the
study were also made, as well as suggestions for further studies to identify
the problems of education in Nigeria.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
The primary goal of any school
organization is to achieve high academic performance of its students. This
cannot be attained without good rapport between principals and teachers who
would properly and devotedly teach and direct these students. Since the teacher
is the prime implementer of curriculum in the school, performance of students depends
so much on the teachers’ actions and reactions otherwise known as teachers’
work behaviours. Teachers’ work behaviours are those actions, activities and
reactions of teachers in a school system while discharging their duties
(Arguris & Schon, 1999). There are expected work behaviours of teachers in
the school system. Such behaviours among others as identified in Teachers’
Service Manual (1990:16) are;
Teachers
should teach diligently and resourcefully the subject in the curriculum,
inculcate by precepts and examples good conduct and behaviour among the
students in and out of the school.
Teachers
should maintain proper order and discipline in the classroom, on duty and on
the play ground under the
direction of the principal.
Teachers
should be in the classroom or on the school premises at least ten minutes
before the time prescribed for the opening of school and shall remain in the
school throughout the official school hours.
Teachers
should conduct classes in accordance with the school timetables, which must be
accessible to students and principals.
Teachers
should observe duty periods even beyond the
prescribed hours of instruction.
Teachers
should attend all meetings or conferences called by the principal of the school
or any other related authority for consideration of matters that will promote
the advancement of education.
Teachers
in conjunction with the principals should provide parents with information in
writing on the students’ school progress attendance and punctuality at least
three times in a school year on an approved report form.
Ukeje (1985:44) described teachers’ work
behaviours in terms of functions and activities related to good teaching. The
behaviours include;
Ability
to explain
Ability
to inform
Ability
to initiate
Ability
to show how
Ability
to direct
Ability
to unify, etc.
To buttress his points, Ukeje (1985)
also noted as expected behaviours of the teachers; Adaptability,
attractive-personal appearance, breathes of interest, carefulness,
considerateness, cooperation, and dependability.
Igwe (2004:39) also outlined the
following as teachers’ work behaviours:
Possession
of a good mastering of subject matter
Ability
to communicate, and
Ability
to have a sense of humour
Igwe also made it clear that no single teacher can possess all the above
mentioned qualities and behaviours, but they serve as indicators or parameters
for measuring and evaluating teachers’ work behaviours. It is also worthy of
note according to Igwe, that teachers’ work behaviours are classified into
theory in use and espouse theory. He concluded that teachers should be
positively motivated, knowledgeable, competent, dedicated and disciplined.
Okonkwo (2007) also outlined five major parameters for measuring teachers’ work
behaviours as follows: acceptability of responsibilities, attendance to
meetings, obtaining permission to be absent from duty, attending to duties, and
regularity to school. He concluded that these five major parameters for
measuring teachers’ work behaviours can only be determined under the close supervision
of a principal or leader in the school system. Principalship has been defined
by Vandiver (2003) as the position held by the chief school leader, who takes
decisions for the school and also influences the teachers to carry out duties
that will lead to the achievement of the decisions taken. Some principals find
it difficult to influence teachers in their duties, in school. According to
Emeghara (2007), some factors that hinder principals from influencing teachers’
work behaviours include; gender issues, exposure/experience, leadership style
and indiscipline. The recuring factor that seems to affect principals more is
the issue of gender.
An influence, affecting both the study of leadership and the practice of
administration, has been the controversial proposition that men and women bring
systematic differences to their leadership styles. It has been argued that,
because of their early socialization processes, women have developed values and
characteristics that result in leadership behaviours that are different from
the traditional aggressive, competitive and controlling leadership behaviours
of men (Helgesin, 1999 & Loden, 2004). These authors also contend that
women typically bring to administrative positions, an approach to leadership
that is consistent with developmental, collaborative and relationship oriented
behaviours. These behaviours are seen as more compatible than traditional male
behaviours with the idealized view of leadership. Consequently, it is
anticipated that women will be more effective administrator-leaders than men. Other theorists and researchers believe that
there are no systematic gender-related differences in the leadership behaviours
of men and women. They argued that, given equivalent level of responsibility
within an organization, women and men exhibit the same leadership behaviours.
Any gender-related differences in leadership behaviours that might have been
found by some researchers are ascribed either to rater bias (Bass, 1999) or to
the use of gender-biased instrument (Astin & Leland, 2000).
Gender bias between the sexes exists in Nigeria. It has hindered and
continues to hinder development generally. Such gender differences manifest in
the following areas: dissemination, exclusion from development programmes,
legal and customary barriers to owning properties, systematic violence against
women, poor quota on political appointment and so on. African tradition,
culture, social and even biblical doctrines buttress men’s bossy behaviours
over women. Some of these established order according to Asoegwu (2006), made
men to arrogate to themselves the position of leadership and use of power in
administration. Cantor and Bernay (1999) concluded from their studies that
unconscious practices and social norms support the notion that power (which is
often associated with force, authority, dominance and violence) is masculine.
This is a universal phenomenon, which is accentuated by some traditional and
cultural norms.
In the African sub-region and Nigeria in
particular, there is the belief that men’s domineering attitude over women even
have a biblical origin. God using a single rib from Adam created Eve. Christ’s
twelve Apostles were men only. God also commanded wives to be submissive to
their husbands. Traditionally, women are not allowed to break kolanut in
Igboland. In Northern Nigeria, married women remain in purdah and are allowed
to come out only at night with escorts. In Western Nigeria, women are supposed
to be on their knees when greeting or answering questions from their husbands
or other males. Strangely enough, in some parts of the middle belt, wives and
daughters are offered for sex by their husbands/fathers as hospitality to their
male friends/strangers if such a guest is to pass the night with them (Asoegwu,
2006). Also, young girls are trafficked for prostitution. The effect of gender
cannot be over emphasized. It hinders development by seizing to permit the
women folk to express their potentials. This height of chauvinism can suppress
whatever good administrative qualities a woman has.
Emeghara (2007), outlining some factors
that hinder principals from influencing teachers’ work behaviours, explained
that female principals find it difficult to influence the behaviours of their
autocratic male vice-principals and teachers especially if such a principal is
a laissez-faire leader, who uses lesser supervision strategies and allows every
one take decisions by themselves..
Female teachers are fast increasing in
number and are ascending to the position of principalship (Nonye, 2007). Based
on the gender issue/effects mentioned above, as highlighted by Asoegwu (2006),
in Nigeria, If the populace is still generally looking down on women, this poor
perception and disregard might as well be carried into the school system. If
such poor perceptions are noted in the school, it might be an evil wind that
would blow no one any good. This is because, performance of students, which is
placed in the hands of teachers and principals may be affected.
In the recent time, there is this out-cry
concerning the degeneration of educational standards at various levels in
Nigeria. There is also generally an overtly poor performance of students at the
secondary school level in particular. This was revealed in the result released
by WAEC, May/June, 2009. According to Owoyemi in the Vanguard Newspaper of 16,
September, 2009, only 29.5% of the total population of students who sat for the
examination credited both English and Mathematics. Knowing that the performance
of students depends highly on the teachers’ work behaviours and that no student
can perform better when the teachers’ work behaviours are not positively
influenced by their principal, the researcher therefore investigated teachers’
work behaviours with reference to principal’s gender.
Statement
of the Problem
In the past, women are constrained by
cultural practices and religious beliefs to be educated or hold public offices
in Nigeria.
Today, many women are educated and hold
highly rated offices like Vice Chancellorship, Directors General, Ministerial
positions, and the like. The era, prior to the civil War in Nigeria, marked a
period of teachers’ strong commitment and diligence to duties. That era
appeared to be when principals of secondary schools were mainly males.
Currently things have changed. The number of male and female principals in
Anambra State is almost equal, while most female teachers are still fast
ascending the ladder (See table 1 appendix i). Coincidentally, teachers’ work
behaviours appear to have deviated from what they used to be. Ukeje, Akabogu
and Ndu (1992) indicated that classroom teachers have generally abandoned their
teaching responsibilities for other businesses; when they do teach, they do so
half-heartedly.
In a study commissioned by African Higher Education Collaborative
(AHEC), carried out by the researcher and a research team at Ogbaru L.G.A of
Onitsha zone last year during the rainy season, the following observations were
recorded: among the nine secondary schools visited, only four were on section.
Reasons being that the schools were flooded with water and that the principals
of the non-functional schools were mainly women. Fortunately, the four schools
functioning all had male principals. During a discussion section, the
principals said, “We have to lead by example and also force other male teachers
as well as male students to join in channeling the water away from the school,
immediately the flood comes-up”. Meanwhile, most of the teachers present in
these schools were females and would soon climb to the position of principals.
The researcher then wonders how these schools would fare when such transition
takes place. The problem of this study, therefore are: the status of teachers’
work behaviours at present, its relationship to gender issues in school
leadership, the impact of female principals’ administration on teachers’ work
behaviours, the impact of male principals’ administration on teachers’ work
behaviours. These above concerns, form the focus of the study.
PRINCIPAL’S GENDER AND TEACHERS’ WORK BEHAVIOURS IN POST-PRIMARY SCHOOLS
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