PREDICTIVE POWER OF SCHOOL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, VOCATION SKILLS AND COUNSELING SERVICES ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT: IMPLICATION FOR MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION EXPERTS

Abstract

This study examined the predictive power of school management practices, vocational skills, and counseling services on students’ academic achievement in secondary schools within the Awka education zone of Nigeria, with implications for measurement and evaluation experts. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised secondary school students in the Awka education zone, from which a representative sample size of 368 was drawn using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using validated questionnaires on “School Management Practices Questionnaire”, “Vocational Skills Acquisition Questionnaire”, Counseling Services Questionnaire”, and “Students’ Achievement Proforma”. Linear and multiple regression analysis were used to answer the research questions, while regression t-test and regression ANOVA were used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 significance level. The findings of the study revealed that school management practices, vocational skills, and counseling services significantly predicted students’ academic achievement, both independently and jointly. The study concluded that these three variables are indispensable predictors of academic achievement in secondary schools. It was recommended among others that education managers should strengthen management practices through participatory decision-making, ensure integration of vocational education into school curricula, and institutionalize functional counseling services to improve students’ overall academic performance. The study provides practical implications for measurement and evaluation experts by demonstrating how predictive models can be applied to determine the relative contribution of school-based practices to student achievement.