Investigating principals’ roles in stem teachers’ effectiveness

This study aimed to assess the impact of principals' role on STEM teachers’ effectiveness among public senior secondary school teachers in the southern region of Nigeria. The research was guided by four key objectives: to evaluate the influence of principals' supervisory practices on teacher effectiveness, to examine the impact of principals' communication practices on teacher effectiveness, to investigate the correlation between principals' involvement of teachers in decision-making and teacher effectiveness, and to determine the overall level of teaching effectiveness among the teachers in the area. An ex-post-facto research design utilizing correlational and descriptive methods was employed, with data collected from 180 teachers selected through simple random sampling from a population of 328 teachers in public secondary schools in the southern region of Nigeria. The Principals’ Role in Teacher Effectiveness Questionnaire (PRTEQ) was used for data collection. The findings revealed a significant relationship between the quality of supervisory practices provided by principals and teacher effectiveness, a significant correlation between principals' communication practices and increased teacher effectiveness, and a significant relationship between principals' involvement of teachers in decision-making and their effectiveness. Additionally, the study found a high level of teaching effectiveness among the teachers in the area. Based on these findings, it is recommended that principals enhance their supervisory practices, communication, and involvement in decision-making to further improve teacher effectiveness in public secondary schools.