PRINCIPALS’ MANAGERIAL SKILLS AS CORRELATES OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN UPPER RIVER REGION, THE GAMBIA

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between principals' managerial skills and students' academic performance in public senior secondary schools in Upper River Region, The Gambia. Using a correlation research design, the research involved 10 schools, 10 principals, 317 teachers, and 1,099 students who took WASSCE exams from 2020-2022. A researcher self-designed instrument titled Principals’ Managerial Skills Questionnaire (PMSQ) with 0.89 as reliability coefficient was used for data collection.

The findings revealed that principals possessed key managerial skills including planning, organizing, staffing, coordinating, communicating, and controlling. Student performance analysis showed low pass rates in Mathematics (3.29-4.83%) and slightly better performance in English Language (7.95-9.97%).

The statistical analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between principals' managerial skills and student academic performance, with R = 0.855 and p < .05. The study found that approximately 66% of students' academic performance variance could be attributed to these managerial skills.

The research concludes that principals' managerial competencies, particularly in planning, organizing, and coordinating, significantly influence students' academic achievement. The study recommends that school principals focus on improving these skills to enhance educational outcomes.