Title: Principals' Transformational Leadership, Decision-Making Practices, and Organizational Climate as Predictors of School Effectiveness in Delta State
Authors: OROYE-OKPOUDHU, Rachael Zino (Ph.D) And EFAYENA, Trustee
Volume: 10
Issue: 3
Pages: 27-34
Publication Date: 2026/03/28
Abstract:
This study examined the extent to which principals' transformational leadership, decision-making practices, and the existing organizational climate serve as predictors of the effectiveness of public secondary schools in Delta State, Nigeria. The study adopted a predictive correlational research design. The population comprised 14,111 teachers employed in public secondary schools in Delta State during the 2025/2026 academic session. From this population, a sample of 375 teachers was drawn from 15 public secondary schools using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data for the study were collected through a structured instrument titled Principals' Leadership and School Effectiveness Questionnaire (PLSEQ). The instrument was validated by experts in Educational Management as well as Measurement and Evaluation. Reliability was established using Cronbach's alpha, which yielded coefficients of 0.84 for transformational leadership, 0.82 for decision-making practices, 0.85 for organizational climate, and 0.87 for school effectiveness. The research questions were analyzed using the coefficient of determination, while the hypotheses were tested with simple and multiple regression analyses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that principals' transformational leadership, decision-making practices, and organizational climate each individually and jointly serve as significant predictors of school effectiveness in public secondary schools. Based on these outcomes, the study concluded that leadership style, administrative decision-making processes, and the organizational climate of schools represent critical organizational factors that influence the effectiveness of secondary schools. Consequently, it was recommended that educational authorities should intensify leadership development initiatives for school principals and encourage participatory administrative practices that foster a supportive and positive organizational climate in schools.