CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Education and educational ideas are always changing, as are new curricula and strategies for enhancing educational programs for pupils (Hunter, 1998). This has long been a source of concern for government officials at all levels. The current problem, though, is to develop a better approach to contact kids. Millions of naira are spent each year in an attempt to create innovative educational strategies and methods to address these issues. Increasing teacher motivation is one of the most basic principles and ideas for improving the level of education in Nigeria. Thus, Evans (1997) and Evans (1995) defined these sensations as morale, which has a significant impact on both teachers' and students' motivation and accomplishment. It's important to keep in mind that teachers have the greatest contact with children. As a result, when instructors are enthusiastic about their jobs, they have a huge impact on their students. When teachers have unfavorable views about their school, they have a detrimental impact on the school and its students. It is therefore critical for educational leaders and school principals to be aware of variables that affect teacher morale, since this can have an impact on student achievement (Boykin, 1996). In a similar spirit, educational organizations, like any other formal organization, have declared desired and attainable goals. As a result, the Nigerian government has chosen education as the most effective tool for achieving national development (NPE, 1998). As a result, the development of a dynamic and self-renewing society necessitates the early training of children in order for them to actively engage in national progress. This need both capable leadership and highly motivated and hardworking instructors. This research is being carried out in order to address the two districts' working teachers. This research is being conducted to address two areas in the educational organization: teacher morale and school principal behaviour. The way a school administrator manages his or her teachers will have a significant impact on their morale and the overall efficacy of the school's programs (Brooks, 1995). The principals' position, on the other hand, has shifted dramatically. Principals are no longer capable of managing their schools and their staff. This is evident in their leadership style and actions toward teachers. As a result, in order to effectively operate the school, the principal needs, among other things, select a leadership style and combine several types to enable him or her reach the school's goals. It is worth noting that, as mentioned in NPE (1998), the successful implementation of the National Policy on Education (NPE) is primarily dependent on the teachers who are charged with the task of implementing the policy. As a result, the significance of this massive national obligation cannot be overstated. When teachers have favorable views about their jobs, the actual implementation of this fantasy policy will become a reality. With the increased responsibility and accountability of the heavy national duty entrusted to teachers to shape the future of this nation through effective preparation of the youth, teachers' expectations are to facilitate learning in the classroom, ensure that students grasp information, learn skills in order to perform well on standardized examinations, and shape the young to be responsible members of society (Ahupa, 2006). As a result of the increased accountability, teachers are under more strain and are subjected to more demands. These responsibilities can be taxing, causing teachers to lose motivation or even leave the field. Accordingly, low teacher morale may be ascribed to a lack of effective, motivating, and gratifying school management, which is caused by the principal's leadership conduct. As a result, according to Dyikuk (2008), strict school rules and restrictions imposed on teachers cause irritation and stress in them. This is also conceivable when the school principal fails to effectively utilize the human and material resources available to the school. The principal has the ability to impact several aspects of the school in this manner. His or her employment entails a wide range of responsibilities. As a result, the influence of the principal's leadership behavior on the instructors is the most crucial and influential of all. According to Blasé (2005), the chief executive's position has the ability to affect staff members' behavior. However, the principal's leadership style, which he or she designs and planned to blend the school's goal and personal interests, may be noticed. It's important to remember that no company can attain its full potential without the complete cooperation of its human resources. As a result, it is critical for administrators to ensure that their teachers feel supported in order to retain high-quality teachers and sustain morale in the difficult area of education. Brien is a young man who has a (2002). Blasé (1994) also noted that praise from the school principal increases productivity, self-esteem, and motivation in teachers.

1.2      STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Under various principals, it has been observed that certain teachers look disgruntled, unhappy, and uncommitted to their employment. This set of teachers is less enthusiastic about their work (Blase, 1994). As a result, such groups of teachers are constantly ready to leave the profession for a better chance. However, some teachers adopted similar views as a result of the principal's management style. In accordance with this, Nwankwo (1984) asserted that managerial leadership might be a significant role in decreasing or raising employee morale. The purpose of this study is to look at the effect of the principal's leadership style on teacher morale. As a result, the purpose of this study is to look at the principal's leadership style and how it effects teacher morale. As a result, the study addressed the following research topics in order to assess the hypotheses listed below.

1.3    OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Any school's success or failure is primarily determined by the competence of its principal. The impact of the school head or principal's actions on teacher morale is critical to the achievement of any goal.

The purpose of this study is to look at teacher morale and the school principal's actions in the sphere of education. As a result, the study aims to accomplish the following goals.

i. To learn more about the school principals' leadership styles and behaviors.

ii. To identify the elements that contribute to low teacher morale.

iii. To determine the best leadership style for boosting teacher morale.

1.4      RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i. What are the school principals' leadership styles and behaviors?

ii. What are  the elements that contribute to low teacher morale?

iii. How can  the best leadership style for boosting teacher morale be determined?

1.5      SIGNIFICANT OF THE STUDY

The research is important in the subject of education. It is based on the existing body of information about teacher morale and principal leadership styles. The link between teacher morale and principal leadership behavior has been studied in several research. However, the focus of this research is on a few chosen secondary schools in Anambra State's Ogbaru Local Government Area. This is to offer a more in-depth look at the educational challenges. Furthermore, the study is significant for the school system since it has the potential to improve the principal's program and thus boost teacher morale.

1.6      DELIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study will be principal leadership behavior and how it effects teacher morale in a few chosen secondary schools in Anambra State's Ogbaru Local Government Area. The purpose of this study is to see if the principal's behavior has an effect on the morale of the teachers. This may be investigated by conducting a survey and analyzing and interpreting the replies of the respondents. However, the scope of this research would be limited to a few chosen secondary schools in Anambra State's Ogbaru Local Government Area. This is due to the researcher's challenges, which included:

i. a time limitation.

ii. a lack of financial resources.

iii. Materials that aren't up to par

Because of these issues, the researcher decided to limit the study to this particular secondary school. However, it is expected that these selected secondary schools would assist the researcher in unraveling the mystery behind the difficulty that instructors encounter in most Nigerian secondary schools.

1.7      DEFINITION OF TERMS

School principal is the higher authority of secondary schools, and he or she  has the authority and capacity to assign responsibilities to other teachers.

School teacher is someone who teaches and does other non-teaching duties in order to help the school accomplish its goals.

Teacher morale is defined as a teacher's professional passion and excitement for achieving the school's aims and objectives.

Leadership: The process of influencing the activities of an organized group toward goal formulation and achievement.

Leadership style is a set of behaviors or qualities with which he interacts with his subordinates.

Principal's leadership style: This is a specific leadership style used by school principals.

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