ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE AND TEACHERS’ WORK COMMITMENT AS PREDICTORS OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NORTH-CENTRAL NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between organizational (school) climate, teachers’ commitment to work, and students’ academic performance in public senior secondary schools in North-Central Nigeria. The study was anchored on four theoretical frameworks: the Open–Closed Continuum Theory (Halpin & Croft, 1963), Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory of Motivation (1959), Becker’s Side-Bet Theory of Commitment (1960), and Elger’s Theory of Academic Performance (2007). Relevant literature and empirical studies related to organizational climate, teachers’ commitment, and students’ academic outcomes were extensively reviewed. The study adopted a correlational and ex post facto research design. Nine research objectives, nine research questions, and eight hypotheses were formulated to guide the investigation. The population comprised 1,889 principals and 23,367 teachers drawn from 1,889 public senior secondary schools in North-Central Nigeria. A sample of 25 principals and 357 teachers was selected from six educational zones across three states in the region using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were collected using three instruments: the Organizational Climate Questionnaire (OCQ), the Teachers’ Commitment to Work Questionnaire (TCWQ), and a proforma on students’ academic performance covering the 2014/2015 to 2023/2024 academic sessions. The instruments were validated, and reliability tests conducted on the OCQ and TCWQ yielded reliability coefficients of 0.68 and 0.70 respectively. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while simple linear regression was employed to test hypotheses one to six, and multiple regression analysis was used for hypotheses seven and eight. The findings revealed a significant relationship among organizational climate, teachers’ commitment to work, and students’ academic performance in public senior secondary schools in North-Central Nigeria. The study concluded that a supportive school climate and a high level of teachers’ commitment significantly enhance students’ academic performance. Consequently, it was recommended that school principals should sustain positive organizational climates and strengthen supervisory practices that promote teachers’ commitment through effective classroom management, lesson planning, continuous assessment, and timely feedback to improve students’ academic outcomes.