PRINCIPALS’ CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON TEACHERS’ COMMITMENT TO WORK AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN UPPER BASIC SCHOOLS IN NORTH CENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the perceived influence of principals’ conflict management strategies on teachers’ commitment to work and students’ academic performance in Upper Basic Schools in North Central Nigeria. The study was anchored on three theoretical frameworks: the Conflict Management Theory (Max Weber, 1906), the Side-Bet Theory of Commitment (Becker, 1960), and the Theory of Academic Performance (Don Elger, 2007). A correlational survey and ex post facto research design were adopted for the study. Eleven research objectives, eleven research questions, and ten hypotheses guided the investigation. The population comprised 1,837 principals and 22,464 teachers from 1,837 Upper Basic Schools in North Central Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed to select the sample of principals, schools, and teachers. Data were collected using the Perceived Influence of Principals’ Conflict Management Strategies Questionnaire (PIPCMSQ), the Teachers’ Commitment to Work Questionnaire (TCTWQ), and documented students’ academic performance results spanning the 2014/2015 to 2023/2024 academic sessions. The instruments were validated, while reliability testing yielded coefficients of 0.72 for PIPCMSQ and 0.77 for TCTWQ. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while simple linear regression was employed to test hypotheses one to nine, and multiple regression analysis was used to test hypothesis ten. Findings revealed that principals in Upper Basic Schools in North Central Nigeria practiced avoidance, collaborative, negotiating, compromising, and competing conflict management strategies to a high extent. The results further showed a significant relationship between principals’ conflict management strategies, teachers’ commitment to work, and students’ academic performance. The study concluded that effective conflict management strategies adopted by principals significantly enhance teachers’ commitment, which in turn contributes to improved students’ academic performance. It was therefore recommended that principals in Upper Basic Schools in North Central Nigeria should sustain and strengthen effective conflict management practices to foster teacher commitment and enhance students’ academic outcomes.