Principals’ Collaborative and Conflict Resolution Leadership Qualities as Predictors of Teachers’ Job Productivity in Senior Secondary Schools in Adamawa State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined principals’ collaborative and conflict resolution leadership qualities as predictors of teachers’ job productivity in Senior Secondary Schools in Adamawa State, Nigeria. The study had three objectives, three research questions, and three null hypotheses. A predictive correlational research design was adopted. The population of the study comprised all principals and teachers in public post-basic schools across the five education zones of Adamawa State, out of which 873 respondents (202 principals and 671 teachers) were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Three adapted instruments titled “Principals’ Collaborative Leadership Quality Questionnaire (PCLQQ), Principals’ Conflict Resolution Leadership Quality Questionnaire (PCRLQQ) and Teachers’ Job Productivity Questionnaire (TJPQ)” were used for data collection. The three instruments yielded a reliability co-efficients of; 0.83, 0.91 and 0.76 for PCLQQ, PCRLQQ and TJPQ. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation, while linear and multiple regressions were used to test hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The analysis showed that principals’ collaborative leadership quality (F(1,200) = 159.015, p < 0.05, R² = 0.443), and conflict resolution leadership quality (F(1,200) = 145.564, p < 0.05, R² = 0.421) significantly predicted teachers’ job productivity. the findings of the study reveal that principals’ leadership qualities—specifically collaboration, and conflict resolution—significantly predicted teachers’ productivity, F(2, 199) = 67.877, p < 0.05, with R = 0.761 and R² = 0.580. The finding revealed that two predictors—collaborative leadership quality (β = 0.170, p < 0.05), and conflict resolution leadership quality (β = 0.169, p < 0.05)—significantly predict teachers’ job productivity. This suggests that principals who prioritize collaboration, and effective conflict resolution considerably boost teachers’ job productivity. Based on the findings, it can be inferred that principals exhibited moderate to high levels of leadership qualities, particularly in collaboration and conflict resolution, both of which had a significant positive influence on teachers’ productivity. It was recommended that principals should promote teamwork and collaborative problem-solving among teachers through regular staff meetings, joint projects, and shared professional learning communities.