PRINCIPALS’ GENDER, INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND TEACHERS’ JOB COMMITMENT IN PRIVATE SECONDARY SCHOOLS, NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The effectiveness of private secondary schools in Nigeria continues to be challenged by declining teacher commitment, with implications for instructional quality and student outcomes. Despite the importance of school leadership in addressing this issue, limited empirical evidence exists on how principals’ instructional leadership influences teachers’ job commitment, particularly within gender dynamics. Hence, this study examined the influence of principals’ instructional leadership on teachers’ job commitment in private secondary schools in Niger State, Nigeria, with particular attention to gender as a moderating variable. Specifically, it identified the most prevalent instructional leadership practices, assessed teachers’ job commitment, and examined the relationships between instructional leadership dimensions and job commitment. A descriptive correlational survey design was adopted. The population comprised 8,077 teachers, from where a sample of 381 was drawn. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics  at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that curriculum implementation was the most dominant instructional leadership practice, while teachers’ job commitment was moderate. Instructional leadership practices showed significant relationships with teachers’ job commitment. Although gender did not have a significant overall moderating effect, it did significantly influence specific dimensions, such as feedback on teaching and learning and monitoring students’ progress. The study concludes that effective instructional leadership is a key determinant of teachers’ job commitment, regardless of gender differences. It is recommended that school proprietors and policymakers prioritise continuous professional development for principals, focusing on teacher support, feedback, and instructional supervision to enhance teacher commitment and school effectiveness.