PROFESSIONAL ETHICS IN SCHOOL FUNDING, MANAGEMENT AND SUPERVISION IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The study investigated professional ethics in school funding, management and supervision in tertiary institutions in Rivers State. Three research question and three hypotheses guided the study. Hypotheses was tested at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The design of the study was descriptive survey design. The population of the study was 1586 academic and non-academic staff of Rivers State University, with a sample of 360 academic and non-academic staff derived using Taro Yemane formula. Sample random sampling technique was adopted. Instrument for data collection was questionnaire title. Professional Ethics in School Funding, Management and Supervision in Tertiary Institutions Questionnaire. Cronbach alpha method was used to establish reliability coefficient of professional ethics in school, management and supervision in tertiary institutions Questionnaire at 0.81. A total of 300 copies of the questionnaire was retrieved representing 80.2% success rate. The research question was answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses was tested at 0.05 level of significance using z-test. The findings revealed that professional ethical standards are largely observed, common ethical challenges are recognized, and existing policies are considered effective, with no significant gender differences in perceptions. The study concludes that adherence to professional ethics is crucial for ensuring institutional credibility, efficiency, and trust. Based on the findings, it recommends regular training in professional ethics, robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, and the promotion of an ethical organizational culture through leadership modeling and enforcement of codes of conduct. The study underscores the importance of ethics in sustaining the integrity and performance of tertiary institutions, ultimately contributing to quality education and societal development.