Appraisal of Literature Reviewed
The literature reviewed indicates that the past two decades have witnessed on financial resource allocation. The subsequent reaction in academic circles has been a tremendous increase in the research and literature on leadership in human organizations. It has also be revealed that between 1985 and 1988 alone, approximately 1,025 published studies were available on the principalship. The main reason for this trend appears obvious. It is generally believed that leadership is an essential factor in effective management. Indeed, the development of leadership qualities in principals has been a major trend in personnel development in the US in the 1980s. In recent times, academics and institutes devoted to educational leadership training are growing up in many parts of the world. Educational research in the area of school management has often been dominated by the study of the principal as leader (Ibukun, 1991).
The assumption of researcher is that the high school principal as a leader, is crucial to the improvement of educational performance and eventual quality. It is also believed that school leadership has an effect on students’ academic performance. One major trend in these studies therefore was to directly equate students’ academic achievement outcomes to leadership effectiveness. The procedure either assumes that student’s academic outcome is the sole concern of school leadership or it is the major business of the school leader. While the latter position may be right, the idea that students’ academic achievement is the sole concern of the school leader may not be supported by historical records, however the literature also revealed that the managerial role of the principals includes: instructional management and support, providing leadership; facilitating meaningful change; supervision; evaluation, building and maintaining a winning team; developing human resources; staff appraisal, monitoring the implementation of educational policies; monitoring of learner progress; managing curriculum and instruction and promoting a positive school climate. These roles, however, are not all inclusive and others can also be identified. It was also observed that the management issue that surrounds the competitiveness of the school is the teachers’ performance. Teachers influence students’ achievement directly, and the teachers are influenced by their school leadership. It has also been proven empirically that schools that make a difference in students’ learning are led by principals who make a significant and measurable contribution to the effectiveness of teachers and in the learning of pupils in their charge.
The literature further gives support to the following conclusions about school effectiveness.
Strong, supportive and action-driven principals characterize effective schools.
• Teachers in effective schools are more satisfied with their jobs.
• Effective schools maintain positive relationship with the communities in which they are located.
• Effective schools create and maintain a positive school climate and culture conducive to meaningful teaching and learning activities.
• Effective schools have clear and goal –oriented programms.
• Teachers in effective schools develop and use instructional strategies to enhance student’s achievement.
