Information Communication Technology and Administrative Competencies Required by Secondary School Principals

Abstract

This study investigated the administrative competencies required by secondary school principals in South-East of Nigeria, focusing on three administrative variables, namely: instructional leadership, physical facilities and Information Communication and Technology (ICT). Three research questions and three related hypothesis guided the study. A questionnaire consisting of 26 items was constructed by the researcher and validated by experts to elicit information from 500 principals randomly drawn from 1,251 secondary school principals in the South-East States. The scores from the respondents were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions and the t-test statistic to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of probability. Major findings indicated that the principals in the zone required a variety of administrative competencies relating to the ability to maintain effective instructional leadership, managing school plant through effective utilization of equipment and good knowledge of ICT and its applications. By interpreting the findings in light of their implications, the researcher recommended among other things, that principals should use the identified administrative competencies in various areas of school administration and that the various Post-Primary School Management Boards, Ministries of Education and Association of Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) should use the identified competencies as a basis for organizing workshops, conferences, seminars and in-service programmes for the principals.