INFLUENCE OF PLANNING AND ADMINISTRATION ON EFFECTIVE SCHOOL MANAGEMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN BENUE STATE

Abstract

This study examined the influence of planning and administration on effective school management in public secondary schools in the Benue South Senatorial Zone of Benue State, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 950 principals, vice-principals and senior teachers from 95 public secondary schools in the zone. A sample of 270 respondents was selected using purposive and simple random sampling techniques, while 258 questionnaires were completed and analyzed. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that educational planning positively influences effective school management, particularly through strategic planning, goal setting, and proper resource allocation. The study also found that administrative practices such as supervision of teaching, effective communication, staff motivation, and participatory decision-making contribute significantly to school effectiveness. Hypothesis testing indicated a significant positive relationship between planning practices and effective school management (r = 0.64, p < 0.05), as well as between administrative practices and effective school management. The study concludes that effective planning and sound administrative practices are essential for improving management efficiency and academic performance in secondary schools. It recommends that school administrators strengthen planning processes and enhance administrative supervision to improve school management in the Benue South Senatorial Zone.