RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRINCIPALS’ MANAGERIAL ROLES AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING IMPLEMENTATION IN PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The successful implementation of educational policies largely depends on the leadership capacity and managerial roles of school principals. Experiential learning, which emphasizes learning through direct experience, reflection, and practical engagement, has gained prominence in Nigerian secondary education as a strategy for improving students’ academic achievement, engagement, and real-world competence. However, the extent to which principals facilitate and sustain the implementation of experiential learning policy remains under-researched, particularly in Anambra State. This study examined the relationship between principals’ managerial roles and experiential learning implementation in public secondary schools in Anambra State, Nigeria.  A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study comprised all 269 principals in the 269 public secondary schools in Anambra State. A sample of 150 principals was selected using a proportionate stratified random sampling technique. Data were collected using two researcher-developed instruments: Principals’ Managerial Roles Questionnaire (PMRQ) and Experiential Learning Implementation Questionnaire (ELIQ). The instruments were validated by experts in Educational Management and Measurement and Evaluation, and reliability indices of 0.82 and 0.85 were obtained using Cronbach's Alpha. Pearson Product Moment Correlation and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that principals’ instructional leadership, provision of instructional resources, supervision of experiential activities, teacher professional development support, and community partnership significantly correlated with experiential learning implementation. The study concluded that principals play a pivotal role in translating experiential learning policy into classroom practice and student outcomes. It was recommended, among others, that government and education stakeholders strengthen principals’ leadership capacity through continuous professional development and provide adequate funding and infrastructure to support experiential learning in public secondary schools.