A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF LEADERS’ MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND PARENTAL SUPPORT IN PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOLS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Dr. Fashiku Christopher Oluwatoyin; Ezegwu Chidimma Gloria & DR. (Mrs) Opadokun, Olufunke Adeitan

Abstract

The study was a comparative analysis of leaders’ management strategies and parental support in conventional public and special primary schools in Lagos State. The descriptive survey research design was adopted in the study. The population for the study comprised all the 1007 School Heads in 1007 public primary schools, the seven School Heads in the special schools as well as all Parent Teacher Association (PTA) members in special and conventional public primary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria A sample of 210 respondents from the public primary schools and 21 respondents from special schools were selected using the cluster sampling technique. All the school heads were sampled, while 50 PTA members from the 36 public primary and four special schools were sampled using the convenience sampling technique. The instruments used in the study for collecting data was a self-designed questionnaire titled “Influence of Management Strategies on Parental Support Questionnaire” (IMSPSQ) and an interview guide titled ‘Influence of Management Strategies on Parental Support Interview Guide’ (IMSPSIG). The instruments were used to collect data for the raised research question and the formulated hypothesis in the study. The validity and reliability of the instrument were ensured before use Percentage and frequency counts were used to analyse the data collected on the research question while t-test was used to test the hypothesis. The hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The result showed among others that effective communication with parents, providing opportunities for parents to suggest ideas, involving different stakeholders and adoption of decentralized decision making approach were the various management strategies adopted. The result also showed that provision of parental capacity building programmes, accessible information and communication on parental support, provision of varieties of volunteer opportunities for parents. The study recommended that government and other concerned organizations and bodies should sensitize schools and organize training programmes, seminars or conferences for Head Teachers and classroom teachers in primary schools on the importance of involving parents in school management.