Gender and High School Organization: Insights on Leadership Styles in the Niger Delta Region

Abstract

The position of the school principal as a leader is incontrovertible. The problems that plagues the school system are so numerous that those who are within the educational system are so overwhelmed not to talk of outsiders who are poised to ask such a pertinent question like “are the principals leading the schools well?†If the principals among the male and female are sophisticated with the theories and practice of management, to what extent do they quantitatively involve the rightful leadership styles to direct the affairs of their various schools? The sex of the principal has equally become very important in a study of this nature. Every person within the school system looks forward to the principals to give the appropriate leadership for others to follow. The sex of the principal from previous experience reveals that the strength of character and dynamism is needed to achieve or reach some administrative goals.The female principals may be intimidated by the enormity of the school problems and get carried away or accept the situation as it is. This study examined the quality valuation among the male and female principals in their choice of leadership styles in Rivers State of the Niger Deltaregion. The principals, the teachers and the student were all required to make their contributions to ascertain what style of leadership that is commonly adopted by the male on the one hand and the female principals on the other. The analysed data shows that the female principals qualitatively involve the democratic style of leadership than the men. The female principals also involve their staff in decision-making than does the male counterpart, the male principals, who adopted the democratic and the autocratic styles of leadership are quicker at the management of crises in schools than the female principals.