TEACHERS' PRODUCTIVITY AND PRINCIPALS' COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Communication has been an everyday process in all industries and between all individuals from the beginning of time. It is an essential tool for interacting with individuals of various backgrounds. Gullet (1975) claimed that communication implies people's coexistence in the globe. They go on to add that communication allows individuals to exchange information and pool their resources, allowing them to develop and extend their knowledge, technology, and culture. Communication is a process that connects the various components of a system. Communication is the basic social process that pervades all elements of social life, hence its significance to human life cannot be overstated. Without communication, no society can exist, no social structure can emerge, and no social structure can remain (Muyiera, 2002). In his study on Development and Communication, Michael (1992) shows that without communication, no coordinated activity can be taken. The participants in a social communication can only form and persist if they communicate with one another. Effective communication is critical to every organization's sustainability (Hicks, 1989). As a result, effective communication is a must for a school to fulfill its goals. Discord and a negative working environment may come from a lack of good communication between school authorities, teachers, and students. According to  Luthans (1989)   ineffectiveness in organizations stems in part from the difficulties in exchanging information among members at various levels. Because communication has such a significant impact on an organization's success, some managers think that poor communication loses more time and money than any other organizational problem. A secondary school's principal is in charge of the school's day-to-day operations as well as its academic performance. He or she is entirely responsible for inspiring the personnel and increasing academic performance and overall standards at the school. Academic performance is likely to increase if they do their tasks properly (Muyiera, 2002). According to Doobs (1961), the communicator (Principal) must be placed in relation to his communication network location. He can start a communication, work as a middleman between a communicator and an audience, or act as an audience first and then retransmit the communication he or she has heard (Kayode, 2000). A principle is in charge of keeping track of communication. He or she keeps track of who is communicating with whom and what is going on at the school. The Principal keeps an eye on the official and informal communication networks that function in the school and community to see whether there is any message distortion of any type. He or she also seeks information, opinions, and ideas from others. He must encourage complete and accurate communication across the school (Mayi, 2003). The form and manner of communication utilized at a specific school will have an impact on how individuals interact, as well as the general environment of the school, which will have an impact on the overall level of instruction received by teachers (Muyiera, 2002). People's behavior in an organization is directed through communication. As a result, the Principal should be able to realign and adjust the attitude of teachers, students, and the entire school community toward the achievement of specified objectives in a school through suitable communication patterns. Communication is at the heart of the management process that a Principal is involved in (Luthans, 1989). As one of the components of management, effective communication is critical to the success of any organization, school, or institution. As a result, any communication barrier may obstruct a school's ability to achieve its goals. As a result, the school of this study was to look into the communication techniques of principals and the productivity of teachers in public secondary schools.

1.2      STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Nigeria's educational system has had a history of management issues, many of which have been tied to communication. Human resource management and effective communication in a specific cultural environment are two significant factors used in Nigerian management schools (Ola, 2001). Managing the school's human resources is a difficult task. For a desired outcome, an effective communication procedure is required for a staff to be able to deliver learning instructions (Muyiera, 2002). Human resources personnel must possess the skills, knowledge, and instructional techniques that are used in the system through communication. As a result, to direct the inquiry into communication and human resource management in Nigerian schools, as well as their cultural conformity. As a result, the communication techniques of principals and the productivity of teachers in public secondary schools will be investigated at this school.

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The study's overall or primary goal is to look at principal communication tactics and teacher productivity in public secondary schools. The following are the particular goals:

i. Investigate the effects of communication on teacher productivity

ii To determine the roles of effective communication in the educational sector.

iii To determine the modes of communication preferred by teachers in secondary schools in Nigeria.

iv To determine the current conditions that limit effective communication between principals and the rest of the school community.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

i. What are the effects of communication on teacher productivity?

ii. What are  the roles of effective communication in the educational sector?

iii. What are the modes of communication preferred by teachers in secondary schools in Nigeria?

iv. What are the current conditions that limit effective communication between principals and the rest of the school community?

1.5   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The outcomes of this study will be useful to principals since they offer ideas for improving effective communication in schools. The consequences of communication on academic success will also be brought to the attention of the principals. The results' material will also serve as a resource for students and lecturers at colleges and institutions. This information will be used by the Nigerian Union of Teachers to determine the areas that need to be addressed while providing in-service training to principals. The information learned will aid in the development of positive relationships between principals, teachers, and students by facilitating effective communication. This study was done in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

1.6   SCOPE OF THE STUDY

This study was carried out in Zango Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

1.7   DEFINITION OF TERMS

During the research, the following terms were used:

Communication Strategies: These are the methods or methods by which information is passed from the source to the recipient. The modality might be spoken, non-spoken, or written.

Communication is the process of two or more persons exchanging information and meaning.

Principal: A male or female school management or executive in charge of the school's operations.