PRINCIPALS’ PROFESSIONAL ETHICS ON EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS WITHIN THE CALABAR EDUCATION ZONE OF CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the influence of principals’ professional ethics on educational management and supervision in secondary schools within the Calabar Education Zone of Cross River State, Nigeria. Three specific objectives guided the study: to examine the extent to which principals’ adherence to professional ethics influences effective educational management, to investigate how principals’ ethical conduct affects the supervision of instructional activities, and to identify the ethical challenges principals face in managing and supervising schools. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design with a population of 94 principals across the zone, all of whom were studied using the census method. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled “Principals’ Professional Ethics on Educational Management and Supervision Questionnaire (PPEEMSQ),” validated by experts in Educational Management, Measurement, and Evaluation. Reliability coefficients of .78, .79, and .84 were obtained using Cronbach’s Alpha. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentage. The findings revealed that principals’ adherence to professional ethics significantly enhances effective educational management by promoting fairness, transparency, accountability, and collaboration. Ethical conduct was also found to positively influence instructional supervision through fairness, honesty, and constructive feedback that foster teacher motivation and professional growth. However, the study identified several ethical challenges, including political interference, inadequate funding, external pressures, and conflicts of interest, which constrain ethical decision-making. The study concluded that professional ethics is essential for effective school leadership, management, and supervision. It recommended regular ethics training, adequate funding, and policy reforms to strengthen ethical leadership and improve educational outcomes in secondary schools.