ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP PRACTICES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR GOAL ACHIEVEMENT IN ENUGU STATE

Abstract

This study discussed assessment of educational leadership practices in early childhood education for goal achievement in Enugu State. The main objective of this study was to find out the extent to which leadership practices in early childhood education are used for goal achievement in Enugu State. The design of the study was descriptive survey research design. The study was guided by two research questions and two hypotheses. The study was carried out in public primary schools in Enugu State. The population for the study was 464 care givers (teachers in ECE) in Enugu State. Proportionate random sampling technique was used to sample 170 care-givers (teachers in ECE), 10 each from every Local Government Area, of the 17 Local Government Areas of Enugu State. A 20 item questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The questionnaire was validated by three research experts. The reliability coefficient was 75% using Cronbach Alpha method. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions while t-test statistic was used to test the hypotheses. The result showed that the head teachers use both inspiration and motivation as leadership practices in the administration of early child education in Enugu State. Based on the findings, it was recommended that leadership practices of head teachers be assessed frequently for goal achievement not only in early child education but at all levels of education in Nigeria.