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This study evaluated the relationship between participative management practices and institutional goal attainment among Nigerian universities, with University of Calabar in focus. To achieve the purpose of the study, two research questions and two null hypotheses where developed to guide the study. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population and sample of the study was one hundred and twenty-two (122) deans of faculties and heads of departments using the census approach. An instrument titled Participative Management Practices and Institutional Goal Attainment Questionnaire (PMPIGAQ) was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts in Higher Education Administration and Measurement and Evaluation. The instrument yielded Cronbach's reliability alpha ranging from α=.75-86. Data were collected and analyzed through mean, Standard deviation, Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis. The results of the study showed that there is a significant relationship between participation in decision making, participation in planning and institutional goal attainment. It was recommended that managers of universities should promote participatory management practices to enhance high morale, commitment and enthusiasm among staff in the pursuit and attainment of institutional goals.

BackgroundPrevious studies assessing students’ learning outcomes and identifying contributing factors have often dwelt on the cognitive domain. Furthermore, school evaluation decisions are often made using scores from cognitive-based tests to rank students. This practice often skews evaluation results, given that education aims to improve the three learning domains. This study addresses this gap by assessing the contributions of four students’ input to their cognitive, affective and psychomotor skills (CAPs).MethodsA cross-section of senior secondary class II students (n = 870), sampled through the multistage procedure, participated in a physical survey. Students’ Inputs Questionnaire (STIQ) and Learning Outcomes Questionnaire (LOQ) were used for data collection. Based on data obtained from a pilot sample (n = 412), principal axis factoring (PAF) was performed to assess the internal structure of the instruments following an oblique rotation. The KMO value of sampling adequacy were 0.88 and 0.94, while the Bartlett’s test of sphericity were significant χ2(253) = 5,010; p < 0.001 and χ2(105) = 3693.38, p < 0.001 for the STIQ and LOQ, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the models’ acceptability based on the maximum likelihood estimation technique. The main study used hierarchical linear regression for data analysis.ResultsFindings indicated that innate ability, health, motivation and social capital relatively and cumulatively predicted students’ overall, cognitive, affective and psychomotor learning outcomes. The proportion of variance explained by the predictors increased at different levels of the models with the addition of new variables. Students’ social capital reduced the effect of students’ innate ability regardless of their motivation and health status.Conclusion/implicationThis study has provided evidence that the four students’ inputs are crucial predictors of their learning outcomes in the three domains. This result is helpful for school management to provide services aimed at improving the school climate for students’ motivation and social capital. The result can provide policymakers with a proper understanding of the constituents of learning outcomes and how policies can be aligned to secure quality student inputs for maximum productivity in education.

The study investigated school characteristics and enrolment trend in upper basic schools in Akwa Ibom State Nigeria from 2008-2016. Two research questions were answered while two null hypotheses were also tested. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Census technique was adopted in selecting all the 227 public upper basic schools in the area of study. An instrument tagged "School Characteristics and Enrolment in Upper Basic Schools Checklist (SCEUBSC)" was used for data collection. Descriptive statistics (percentages) was used to summarize data relating to the research questions, bar chart was used for illustrations of the enrolment pattern while independent t-test was used to test the two null hypotheses at .05 alpha level. Findings revealed that enrolment in upper basic schools in Akwa Ibom State was high in single-sex schools and boarding schools, while it was low in mixed-sex schools and day schools. Based on the findings, it was concluded that there was an upward trend in enrolment in all the schools from 2008-2013 and a downward trend from 2015-2016. It was recommended among others that research allocation in terms of personnel and infrastructures should be evenly distributed across the state as these will reduce rural-urban migration.

The study examined school finance management structure and effective delivery of 21 st century secondary education in Cross River State. The aims were to find out the relationship between availability of school finance management structure and the delivery of 21 st century education in secondary schools, ascertain whether the structures for the mobilization of school funds, allocation of school funds, school finance accountability exist in secondary schools, and determine the extent of delivery of 21 st century education in secondary schools in Cross River State. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. 4 research questions and 1 hypothesis were formulated for the study. The population of the study comprised all the 251 Principals from the 251 public secondary schools in the three Educational Zones in Cross River State. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics (simple percentages, mean and standard deviation) were used to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment correlation Statistics (r) was used to analyze the data for the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Result obtained showed that there is a significant relationship between availability of school finance management structure and effective delivery of 21 st century secondary education in Cross River State. It was also found that there are adequate sources of funds available to secondary schools in the State; there are no formal structures for funds allocation and accountability in the schools and the level of delivery of 21 st century education in secondary schools is low. Based on this result, it was recommended that there should be formal structures for funds allocation and finance accountability to ensure effective delivery of skilledbased education in the State.

Purpose: This study evaluates staff Training and Development Programmes (TDPs) in secondary schools based on the views of administrators and teachers. The research was implemented in public secondary schools in Cross River State, Nigeria. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study adopted the survey research design with 5408 participants (administrators = 542; teachers = 4595). Four research questions guided the study. The Staff Training and Development Programmes Questionnaire (STDPQ) was used for data collection. Findings revealed essential areas of staff training and development. Findings: Various methods are employed for staff training and development. The results further showed various constraints that impeded staff TDPs in secondary schools. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it was concluded that staff in secondary schools have different training and development needs adjudged by both the principals and teachers as crucial for job enhancement. Various staff training and development methods can serve as valuable programmes to improve the current methods adopted. Research Limitations and Implications: There are various limitations in this study such as the small scope which may affect the extent to which generalizations can be made. It is suggested that future studies focus on expanding the scope to other regions and nations. Practical Implications: Despite the limitations, the study has made some advances to human capital and self-determination theories by providing findings.  The findings of this study may direct the attention of curriculum planners, the government and school management to offer training and development opportunities based on the needs of teachers. Contribution to Literature: The study has contributed to the literature on staff training and development which can constitute a basis for further research in related areas.

The study aimed at finding out the relationship between quality secondary school administration and economic development of Cross River State. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised 232 Principals from the 232 public secondary schools in the three Educational Zones in Cross River State. The 232 principals were purposively used as sample for the study. Three null hypotheses were formulated and tested in the study. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled "Quality Secondary school Administration and Economic Development Questionnaire QSSAEDQ). The instrument was subjected to face validity and reliability test using Test-Retest method and was found reliable at 0.75 r_value. Pearson Product Moment correlation Statistics (r) was used for data analysis at 0.05 level of significance. Result obtained revealed that there is a significant relationship between Facilities administration, student personnel administration, knowledge management and economic development in Nigeria. Based on this result, it was recommended that school heads should ensure effective administration of school facilities, student personnel, as well as efficient knowledge management, to attain secondary Education goals, which would engender economic development of the state.