INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICES AND ADMINISTRATIVE EFFECTIVENESS IN FEDERAL UNIVERSITIES IN NORTH WEST ZONE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined instructional leadership practices and administrative effectiveness in federal universities in North West Zone, Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population comprised 7,118 participants (6,912 lecturers and 206 administrators). 365 participants were proportionately selected across five sampled federal universities. Data were collected through two researcher-developed instruments named: Instructional Leadership Rating Scale (ILRS) and Administrative Effectiveness Rating Scale (AERS). The instruments were validated, with content validity indixes of 0.94 for ILRS and 0.79 for AERS. Reliability was established using test-retest method at two-weeks interval, yielding coefficients of 0.88 and 0.89 for ILRS and AERS respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation and regression analysis. Findings revealed low level of administrative effectiveness in federal universities within the North West Zone. Findings also showed that instructional leadership made a statistically significant relative contribution to administrative effectiveness. Precisely, management of instructional programme emerged as the strongest contributor to administrative effectiveness, followed by supportive teaching climate, while institutional mission was the least contributor. Part of the recommendations stated the need for strengthening instructional leadership practices through capacity-building programmes for university administrators and promoting supportive teaching climate and institutional mission orientation to enhance administrative effectiveness in federal universities.