AN INVESTIGATION ON THE IMPACT OF CAPACITY BUILDING OF PRINCIPALS IN IMPROVING STUDENTS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background to the Study

Education is regarded as the cornerstone of progress in every country on the planet. It is the foundation for literacy, skill learning, technological growth, and the capacity to use the environment's natural resources for development (Adeyemi, 2012). However, in most cases, societal expectations in terms of achieving these goals are rarely met, and part of the reason is that most secondary schools in Nigeria lack adequate student personnel services and the academic environment is not conducive to preparing students for effective teaching and learning. In the lack of competent human services, circumstances arise that cause bottlenecks in the attainment of secondary school goals and objectives. To attain this goal, proper supply of specific services to students must be provided in order to facilitate successful teaching and learning. Effective student personnel services are one of them. Oboegbulem (2007) defines student personnel services as "all the activities and services that the school and its employees provide to students outside of the typical classroom instructions for the attainment of educational goals." Student personnel services, in particular, seek to provide orientation for students to aid in their adjustment to campus life, perform individual inventory and testing to aid in self-knowledge and self-realization, perform individual and group counselling, provide placement and follow-up services, provide adequate financial, health, food, and housing assistance to students, provide a variety of co-curricular activities, approve and monitor activities of recognized student organizations, and provide adequate financial, health, food, and housing assistance to students (Francis, 2002). Its goal is to meet the requirements of students in the areas of admission, registration, orientation, hostel lodging, health services, orientation, and other services that support their welfare and well-being. In this context, student personnel services refers to all non-academic services provided to students outside of formal classroom instruction for the purpose of promoting healthy, physical, emotional, social, and moral development as part of their preparation for a responsible and productive adult life.

Unfortunately, many academics have found that administrators are unable of carrying out their student personnel obligations efficiently. Barbara (2011) claimed that the provision of welfare services in secondary schools is insufficient, and that this seems to be the cause of learners' low levels of satisfaction and performance, persistent student discontent and other acts of indiscipline, and weak desire to study. According to Ejionueme (2010), school principals' student personnel services seem to be not only poor, but also ignored and ineffective. According to him, hostel conditions are awful and unsuitable, and this has an impact on students' academic performance and overall growth. Capacity development is one method of providing school administrators with the skills they need to operate well in their student personnel services jobs. Capacity building, according to Mestry and Grobler (2004), is the process of providing people with the knowledge, skills, and access to information, knowledge, and training they need to (a) perform core functions, solve problems, define and achieve objectives, and (b) understand and deal with their job performance needs in a sustainable way.

According to Lambert (2003), it focuses on efforts aimed at enhancing people' level of knowledge, abilities, and attitudes in order for them to be proficient in a certain work or employment. According to King and Newman (2001), capacity building is the process of improving people's productivity by developing their human capacities (knowledge, skills, attitudes, potentials, and practice –KSAPP) through various methods (training, management development, organization development, career planning and development, and so on) and time-bound organized learning experiences in order to achieve organizational goals more effectively and efficiently. Capacity building refers to efforts (strategies and methodologies) made to improve the level of knowledge, skills, and attitudes held by school principals for proficiency in their student personnel responsibilities, with the goal of enhancing his or her capabilities to effectively handle responsibilities as the man or woman in charge of everything that happens in the school. The ability of school principals in student personnel management must be regularly strengthened via access to capacity development opportunities in order to provide successful student personnel services. According to Stern (2004), capacity development will provide principals with the ability to recognize and solve students' welfare needs via student personnel management. This researcher believes that principals need the ability to provide effective guidance and counselling services to students, as well as manage recreational facilities, classify students, and provide adequate housing, among other things, in order to help students relax and prepare for teaching and learning in schools.

1.2     Statement of the Problem

Statistics from accessible JSSCE and WAEC scores, as well as research findings, demonstrate that pupils have performed badly in these external tests, and that secondary education goals have not been met. This regrettable tendency has caused tremendous worry among parents and the general public, who frequently blame low performance and the rising frequency of student dropout, indiscipline, and bad conduct on the school administrators' poor and insufficient services to kids (Lambert,2003). Most of our schools' academic climates and cultures are not conducive to successful teaching and learning. In secondary schools in South East Nigeria, there are instances of tardiness, absenteeism, and a general lack of direction in the execution of student personnel services activities. These issues lead to a bad academic atmosphere and culture that is not favorable to effective teaching and learning, as well as ongoing low student performance on certification exams, poor learning outcomes, and poor product quality (Lambert,2003).

Poor principal training and appointment in Nigeria secondary schools were shown to be the root of the issue, according to research. It is clear that the principals who were selected to run the schools were inept and had the necessary skills to deal with the plethora of student personnel management tasks, difficulties, and issues that Nigerian secondary schools face. As a result, they will need further training in order to complete the required student personnel services duties. It's unclear if government agencies have established and made accessible the necessary capabilities to provide students with efficient student personnel services and to advise student personnel management in schools.

1.3     Objectives of the Study

The general objective of the study is the impact of capacity building of principals in improving students academic achievement in secondary schools, specifically the study intends to;

1.     To find out the perception of principals on capacity building in other to manage the school effectively.

2.    To analyze the effect of principals capacity building on students’ academic achievement

3.     To evaluate the challenges of principals in capacity building in other for students academic achievement.

4. To recommend ways principals capacity building can be improved in other for effective management of the school and students academic achievement.

1.4     Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

1.   What is  the perception of principals on capacity building in other to manage the school effectively?

2.  what is the effect of principals capacity building on students’ academic achievement?

3.   What are the challenges of principals in capacity building in other for students academic achievement?

4. What are the ways principals capacity building can be improved in other for effective management of the school and students academic achievement?

1.5     Significance of the Study

The findings of the study will be of great benefit to the following group of persons: educational planners, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) officials, school principals, teachers and students of basic schools, and society, at large, the research will expose each stakeholder to the capacity building or training needed or required for effective management of school settings.

This research will also serve as a guide or reference points for other researchers who will embark on the same research.

1.6     Scope of the Study

The scope of this research will find out the perception of principals on capacity building in other to manage the school effectively. The study will also analyze the effect of principals capacity building on students’ academic achievement. The study will further evaluate the challenges of principals in capacity building in other for students academic achievement. Lastly, the study will recommend ways principals capacity building can be improved in other for effective management of the school and students academic achievement. Hence this study will be delimited to Calabar municipal local government. Cross Rivers state.

1.7     Delimitation of the Study

Finance for the general research work will be a challenge during the course of study. Correspondents also might not be able to complete or willing to submit the questionnaires given to them.

However, it is believed that these constraints will be worked on by making the best use of the available materials and spending more than the necessary time in the research work. Therefore, it is strongly believed that despite these constraint, its effect on this research report will be minimal, thus, making the objective and significance of the study achievable.

1.8       Definition Of Terms

Capacity building: the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive in a fast-changing world.

Academic achievement: performance outcomes that indicate the extent to which a person has accomplished specific goals that were the focus of activities in instructional environments, specifically in school, college, and university.

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