HEAD TEACHERS’ ROLE IN MANAGING SCIENCE EDUCATION TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH-CENTRAL ZONE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated head teachers role in managing science education toward sustainable development in north-central zone, Nigeria. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to find out the relationship between head teachers’ ways of motivating science teachers, method of supervision and sustainable development in North-Central Zone, Nigeria. To achieve this, two hypotheses were formulated and tested. Quantitative research design was used for the study. A self-designed questionnaire titled “Head Teachers Managing Science Education and Sustainable Development Questionnaire'' (HTMSESDQ) was used to collect information for the study. A purposive sampling technique was used to select four science teachers as the participants from the sample schools which made up of 1,324 participants from 331 selected public junior secondary schools out of 2,335 schools in northcentral zone. Two hypotheses were formulated and tested. Proportional sampling technique was used to select 331 public junior secondary schools. Two research questions were raised to guide the study and answered. Pearson product moment correlation statistic was used to test the hypotheses at 0.5 level of significance. The findings of this study revealed that there was a significant relationship between head teachers’ ways of motivating science teachers with r(1324) = 0.92, p < 0.05, methods of supervision and sustainable development with r (1324) = 0.91, p < 0.05. It was, therefore, recommended that head teachers should continue to motivate their science teachers by encouraging them to go for in-service training to update their knowledge and skill, gives written commendation to hardworking teachers, as well as helping them morally and financially in terms of need among others. Furthermore, Head teachers should continue to use appropriate methods of supervision by act as a guide during supervision, initiate current practices and method of teaching as well as respect the view and opinion of teachers among others for the achievement of sustainable development in public junior secondary schools in North- Central geo-political zone.