Project – The Relationship between School Record Management Practices and Administrative Decision-Making: A Study of Public Secondary Schools in Akure, Ondo State

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Effective administration is central to the achievement of educational objectives because schools require systematic planning, coordination, supervision, monitoring and evaluation of their human and material resources. In public secondary schools, administrators are expected to make decisions concerning students, teachers, instructional programmes, school facilities, finances, discipline, staff deployment and relationships with parents and other stakeholders. These decisions require reliable information about the activities and conditions of the school. Consequently, school records constitute an important administrative resource because they preserve information about past and present school activities and provide evidence that can guide subsequent administrative actions. Nakpodia (2009) explained that accurate school records facilitate effective decision-making because administrators cannot depend on memory to manage the large volume of information generated in school organisations.

School record management refers to the systematic creation, collection, organisation, storage, maintenance, retrieval, use and eventual disposal or preservation of records generated through school activities. Records commonly maintained in secondary schools include admission registers, attendance registers, staff records, students’ academic records, examination records, financial records, visitors’ books, inventory records, minutes of meetings, disciplinary records and correspondence. The effectiveness of these records depends not merely on their existence but also on their accuracy, accessibility, security and timely retrieval. Olalere et al. (2021), in a study of secondary schools in Nigeria, found that record-management practices were significantly related to effective school administration and recommended appropriate standards, staff training and the use of information and communication technology in managing school records.

The relationship between record management and administration has become even more important with the increasing movement toward data-driven educational management. Educational administrators increasingly require timely information to determine enrolment trends, monitor student attendance and achievement, allocate resources, assess staff needs and report to education authorities. The Federal Ministry of Education identifies a reliable Education Management Information System as necessary for evidence-based policy decision-making, planning and management, while Nigeria’s digital education-data initiatives seek to bring together information from schools, local governments and states to support planning and accountability. This development indicates that educational records are not simply archival materials; they are part of the information infrastructure through which decisions about schools are made (Federal Ministry of Education, 2022, 2026).

Administrative decision-making in secondary schools involves identifying problems, obtaining relevant information, considering alternatives and selecting appropriate courses of action. School principals and other administrators make decisions about issues such as student admission, class allocation, teacher responsibilities, disciplinary measures, procurement, school budgeting, instructional supervision and the allocation of facilities. The quality of such decisions can be influenced by the quality of information available to administrators. Where school records are complete, current and easily retrievable, administrators may have a stronger factual basis for identifying problems and evaluating alternatives. Evidence from Oyo State, Nigeria, for example, has demonstrated the importance of principals’ decision-making skills to administrative effectiveness, reinforcing the centrality of sound decision processes within secondary-school administration (Oredein & Opatunde, 2023).

Empirical studies in Nigeria have provided evidence of a relationship between school record management and administrative effectiveness. Olalere et al. (2021) reported that record-management practices made a significant contribution to effective secondary-school administration. Similarly, Ossai (2024), studying public secondary schools in Delta State, examined principals’ record-keeping practices in relation to school administration and found record-keeping to be an important administrative practice. More recent evidence from Anambra State also indicates that principals’ school-record management practices are relevant to administrative effectiveness, with researchers recommending continuous training to strengthen administrators’ competence in record creation and management (Thompson et al., 2024). These studies collectively suggest that the way school records are created, maintained and used may have implications for administrative processes.

The nature of school record management is also changing from predominantly manual systems to increasingly digital and computer-assisted approaches. Although digital systems can improve the speed of data storage and retrieval, the transition also requires appropriate infrastructure, technical skills, data security and institutional support. Research in Nigerian secondary schools has shown that manual record management remains common in some contexts, while computer-based approaches are increasingly being encouraged. Amaefule and Eshiet (2022), for instance, found that many teachers in public secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State still used manual approaches to school records management, and recommended stronger provision of materials and movement toward computer-based systems. Similarly, research on public senior secondary schools in Lagos State found that digitised record-keeping practices were significantly associated with administrative effectiveness, although the level of digitisation was not uniformly high (Olasunkanmi et al., 2024).

The relevance of these issues is particularly important in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State, where school administrators operate within an educational system that requires the collection, maintenance and reporting of information on students, staff, facilities, examinations and school activities. Ondo State has also developed digital platforms through which public secondary schools manage examination results, records and performance information, illustrating the growing role of organised educational data in school administration (Ondo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, 2026). At the national level, the Federal Ministry of Education’s revised EMIS policy places responsibility on schools to adhere to standard record-keeping procedures, protect the confidentiality of records and designate responsible personnel for the collation and management of education information. These developments make it necessary to examine not only whether school records are maintained, but whether record-management practices are associated with the quality of administrative decision-making at the school level (Federal Ministry of Education, 2022).

Against this background, school record management can be viewed as an important component of administrative practice because records provide the factual information required for planning, monitoring, evaluation and decision-making. However, the mere availability of records does not necessarily guarantee that administrators will use them effectively. Records may be incomplete, outdated, poorly organised, difficult to retrieve, inadequately protected or insufficiently used in administrative processes. Babalola et al. (2024) observed that poor records-management practices can make retrieval difficult and undermine effective school administration, while recent research in Nigerian public secondary schools continues to examine the relationship between record-management practices and administrative effectiveness. Therefore, there is a need for context-specific evidence on whether school record management practices are related to administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State. This study is designed to examine that relationship.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Public secondary school administrators are expected to make frequent decisions concerning students, teachers, instructional activities, facilities, finances and school programmes. Such decisions should ideally be based on accurate and accessible information. However, when school records are not properly created, updated, organised and maintained, administrators may experience difficulties obtaining the information required for timely and informed decisions. Nigerian studies have identified weaknesses in school record management, including inadequate maintenance, storage challenges and limited use of appropriate information technologies. Olalere et al. (2021) specifically reported that effective record-management practices are important to secondary-school administration, suggesting that deficiencies in records management may have administrative consequences.

A related problem concerns the continued use of manual record-keeping practices in some public secondary schools. Manual systems can involve large volumes of paper documents that require considerable storage space and may take time to retrieve. Records may also be vulnerable to physical deterioration, loss, misfiling and unauthorised access when appropriate management procedures are not followed. Amaefule and Eshiet (2022) found that manual school-record management remained prevalent in the public secondary schools examined in Akwa Ibom State, while Babalola et al. (2024) reported that weaknesses in the maintenance and preservation of school records could make retrieval difficult and affect administrative effectiveness. Such conditions raise concerns about whether administrators can consistently obtain reliable information when making school-level decisions.

Another dimension of the problem is the uneven transition toward digital records management. Digital systems can potentially improve the speed of information retrieval and facilitate the use of school data for planning and decision-making, but their effectiveness depends on infrastructure, staff competence, connectivity, security and appropriate management procedures. The Federal Ministry of Education’s EMIS policy requires schools to observe standard procedures for managing education information, maintaining confidentiality and assigning responsibility for records, while recent Nigerian research indicates that digital record-keeping practices are still developing across public secondary schools. Olasunkanmi et al. (2024) found significant influence of digitised record-keeping practices on administrative effectiveness in Lagos State, demonstrating the relevance of contemporary records systems to school administration.

The specific problem addressed by this study is the limited empirical evidence on the relationship between school record management practices and administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State. Although previous studies have examined record management and administrative effectiveness in other Nigerian states, findings from Delta, Lagos, Anambra and Akwa Ibom cannot automatically be assumed to represent the situation in public secondary schools in Akure. Furthermore, administrative effectiveness is broader than decision-making, and there is a need to examine more specifically whether practices relating to the creation, storage, maintenance, retrieval and utilisation of school records are associated with administrators’ decision-making processes. Therefore, this study seeks to provide empirical evidence on the relationship between school record management practices and administrative decision-making in selected public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State.

1.3 Aim of the Study

The main aim of this study is to examine the relationship between school record management practices and administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State.

1.4 Objectives of the Study

The specific objectives are to:

1. examine the extent to which school record creation practices influence administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State;
2. determine the relationship between school record storage and maintenance practices and administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State;
3. assess the relationship between school record retrieval and accessibility practices and administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State; and
4. examine the relationship between the utilisation of school records and administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State.

1.5 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. To what extent do school record creation practices influence administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State?
2. What relationship exists between school record storage and maintenance practices and administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State?
3. What relationship exists between school record retrieval and accessibility practices and administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State?
4. What relationship exists between the utilisation of school records and administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between school record management practices and administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State.

1.7 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to school principals and other school administrators because it will provide empirical information on the extent to which school record management practices are associated with administrative decision-making. The findings may assist administrators in identifying weaknesses in record creation, storage, maintenance, retrieval and utilisation that require attention.

The study will also be useful toteachers and administrative staff who are directly involved in creating and maintaining school records. By demonstrating the administrative importance of accurate and accessible records, the study may encourage greater care in recording attendance, academic information, staff information, financial transactions, disciplinary matters and other school activities.

The study will be beneficial to the Ondo State Ministry of Education and relevant education authorities. Evidence from the study may assist policymakers in developing appropriate guidelines, training programmes and monitoring mechanisms for school records management. This is consistent with the broader national emphasis on reliable education information systems for planning and evidence-based decision-making (Federal Ministry of Education, 2022).

The study may also benefit educational planners and policymakers because reliable school records provide information that can support decisions about teacher requirements, student enrolment, facilities, resource allocation and educational planning. The Federal Ministry of Education identifies education data and information systems as important instruments for planning and management of education services (Federal Ministry of Education, 2022).

The study will contribute to academic knowledge by adding evidence on school record management and administrative decision-making within the Nigerian secondary-school context. It may also serve as a reference for researchers who wish to investigate related issues in other local government areas, states or educational levels.

1.8 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on the relationship between school record management practices and administrative decision-making in public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State.

The content scope covers four major dimensions of school record management: record creation, record storage and maintenance, record retrieval and accessibility, and record utilisation. Administrative decision-making will cover decisions relating to students, teachers, instructional programmes, school resources, discipline, planning and general school administration.

The geographical scope is limited to selected public secondary schools in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.

The population scope will comprise relevant school administrators and staff involved in school record management and administrative processes in the selected public secondary schools.

1.9 Operational Definition of Terms

School Records: Official documents and information generated, received and maintained by a school in connection with its students, staff, academic activities, finances, facilities, administration and other institutional activities.

School Record Management: The systematic process of creating, collecting, organising, storing, maintaining, retrieving, using, protecting and disposing of school records.

Record Creation: The process through which information concerning school activities, individuals, transactions or events is formally documented and captured as a record.

Record Storage and Maintenance: The processes of preserving school records in appropriate physical or electronic locations and ensuring that they remain accurate, secure, usable and protected from damage or loss.

Record Retrieval: The process of locating and obtaining required school records when they are needed for administrative, academic, legal or reporting purposes.

Record Accessibility: The extent to which authorised school personnel can locate and obtain relevant records accurately and within the required time.

Record Utilisation: The extent to which school administrators and other authorised personnel use available records as sources of information for planning, monitoring, evaluation, reporting and decision-making.

Administrative Decision-Making: The process through which school administrators identify administrative issues, examine relevant information, consider alternatives and select appropriate actions concerning the management and operation of the school.

Public Secondary School: A secondary school established, owned, financed and supervised by a government authority for the provision of secondary education to members of the public.

School Administrator: A principal, vice-principal or other designated staff member who performs administrative and managerial responsibilities within a secondary school.

1.10 Organisation of the Study

The study will be organised into five chapters. Chapter One presents the introduction, background to the study, statement of the problem, aim and objectives, research questions, hypothesis, significance, scope and operational definitions of terms. Chapter Two will review relevant conceptual, theoretical and empirical literature relating to school record management and administrative decision-making. Chapter Three will present the research methodology, including research design, population, sample size, sampling procedure, research instrument, validity and reliability, data-collection procedure and method of data analysis. Chapter Four will present, analyse and interpret the data collected from respondents and test the research hypothesis. Chapter Five will contain the summary of findings, conclusion, recommendations, limitations of the study and suggestions for further research.

Project – The Relationship between School Record Management Practices and Administrative Decision-Making: A Study of Public Secondary Schools in Akure, Ondo State