Beyond Appraisals: Navigating Performance Management Challenges in Nigerian Secondary Education

Ajadi Olugbenga Timothy; Lawal Ikeola Salam

doi:10.33650/ijess.v5i2.14833

Beyond Appraisals: Navigating Performance Management Challenges in Nigerian Secondary Education

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33650/ijess.v5i2.14833

Authors

(1) * Ajadi Olugbenga Timothy

(University of the Free State)
        South Africa
(2)  Lawal Ikeola Salam   (National Open University)
        Nigeria
(*) Corresponding Author

Abstract

This study examined performance management practices, implementation challenges, and improvement strategies in Nigerian public senior secondary schools. Performance management is essential for strengthening teacher effectiveness and educational quality. However, appraisal may yield limited improvement when support, resources, and professional development are inadequate. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted with 200 teachers, principals, and vice-principals selected through multistage sampling. Data were collected using the Performance Management and Teacher Effectiveness Questionnaire and analyzed with means and standard deviations. Overall, respondents rated performance management practices very highly, with regular feedback emerging as the strongest dimension. Managers and employees strongly perceived managerial engagement and employee evaluation as positive. Continuous professional development ranked comparatively lower but remained highly rated. Participants identified inadequate instructional resources and insufficient funding as major implementation barriers. Respondents also reported unclear evaluation criteria, limited administrator training, delayed feedback, excessive workload, and resistance to change. The study prioritized capacity building, improved resources, adequate funding, transparent evaluation criteria, and stronger feedback mechanisms as improvement strategies. The study contributes an integrated systems perspective on school-level performance management. It also provides context-specific evidence for policy and administrative reform.

Keywords

Performance Management, Teacher Effectiveness, Professional Development

Full Text: PDF

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