PRINCIPALS’ COMMUNICATION AND PROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS AS PREDICTORS OF PEACEFUL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated principals’ communication and problem-solving skills as predictors of peaceful learning environment in senior secondary schools Nigeria. Based on the objectives, two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The design adopted a correlational survey. The population comprised the 3,957 teachers in 194 public senior secondary schools in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A sample size of 198 teachers was drawn using multi-stage sampling procedure. The instruments titled: Principals’ Communication Skill Questionnaire (PCSQ); Principals’ Problem-Solving Skill Questionnaire (PPSQ); and Peaceful Learning Environment Questionnaire (PLEQ) were used to collect data. The instruments were validated and the reliability was determined using Cronbach Alpha method on a sample of 20 teachers from secondary schools in Enugu State, Nigeria. The internal consistencies of the instruments were ascertained through Cronbach Alpha Statistics at 0.90, 0.87 and 0.88. In analyzing the data, linear regression were used to answer the research questions. In testing the hypotheses, t-test associated with linear regression was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 alpha significant level. The findings of the study revealed that, there is a high predictive power of principals’ communication skill on peaceful learning environment in secondary schools. There is a significant predictive power of principals’ communication skill on peaceful learning environment. There is a high predictive power of principals’ problem solving skill on peaceful learning environment. There is a significant predictive power of principals’ problem solving skill on peaceful learning environment. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that, principals of secondary schools should possess the needed communication skill to sustain a peaceful learning environment for academic and administrative growth and development. Principals should adopt the problem-solving skill needed to sustain a peaceful learning environment in secondary schools.