PERCEIVED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRINCIPAL'S MANAGERIAL SKILLS AND BUSINESS STUDIES TEACHERS' JOB PRODUCTIVITY IN PUBLIC JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the perceived relationship between principals' managerial skills and Business Studies teachers' job productivity in public junior secondary schools in Adamawa State, Nigeria. The study was guided by two specific objectives: to determine the relationship between principals' technical skills and Business Studies teachers' job productivity, and to ascertain the relationship between principals' human relations skills and Business Studies teachers' job productivity. Two research questions and two null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population comprised 488 principals and 701 Business Studies teachers, totaling 1,189 respondents across public junior secondary schools in Adamawa State during the 2025/2026 academic session. A sample size of 291 respondents, consisting of 119 principals and 172 Business Studies teachers, was selected using proportionate stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a researcher-developed instrument titled "Relationship between Principal Managerial Skills and Business Studies Teachers' Productivity Questionnaire (RPMSBTPQ)," which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.973. Simple linear regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed a positive and significant relationship between principals' technical skills and Business Studies teachers' job productivity (r = 0.375, p < 0.05), and a positive and significant relationship between principals' human relations skills and Business Studies teachers' job productivity (r = 0.573, p < 0.05). It was concluded that principals' technical and human relations skills significantly influence Business Studies teachers' job productivity. It was recommended, among others, that educational authorities should organize regular professional development programmes for principals to strengthen their technical competencies, and that principals should improve their interpersonal skills by promoting teamwork, mutual respect, and participatory decision-making to create a positive school environment that encourages teachers' commitment and productivity.