School internal efficiency in south-south region of Nigeria; a geopolitical region perceived to be rich in natural resources has been worrisome in recent times. The study therefore investigated the relationship between school leadership effectiveness and internal efficiency of public secondary schools in less developed communities in south-south regions of Nigeria. Four research questions were raised and three hypotheses were formulated for the purpose of the study. The research design adopted for the study was a descriptive survey. A total of two hundred and forty-two (242) schools were selected through multi stage sampling technique. Two research instruments developed by the researchers and validated by seasoned education practitioners were used to collect data for the study. They are; Leadership Effectiveness of Public Senior Secondary School Questionnaire (LEPSSSQ) and Public Senior Secondary School Students Enrolment Checklist (PSSSSEC). The questionnaire was pilot tested and its reliability value was computed using the Cronbach alpha statistics which yielded 0.79. Descriptive and inferential statistics such as mean, standard deviation and Pearson r were used to analyse the data generated from the research questions and hypotheses respectively. It was found that principals were effective in their leadership roles performance but schools were generally inefficient amongst other findings. Based on these, it was recommended that principals should be regularly trained and retrained on effective leadership strategies that will engender and sustain high school internal efficiency despite some challenges faced in the system.
Citation: Alonge H. O and Iwerebor F. E. (2023) School Leadership Effectiveness as Predictor of Internal Efficiency of Public Secondary Schools in Less Developed Communities in South-South Region, Nigeria, British Journal of Education, Vol.11, Issue 4, 66-80
Keywords: Effectiveness, internal efficiency, less developed communities, school leadership
