The principal strategies for crises' management among teachers in public secondary schools in Ekiti State—A literature review

Abstract

Abstract This study presents a narrative review of existing literature on crisis management strategies employed by principals in public secondary schools, with particular attention to the context of Ekiti State, Nigeria. The review synthesizes evidence from scholarly publications on educational leadership, crisis management, and school administration to identify the leadership approaches and institutional factors that influence effective crisis response in resource-constrained environments. Through thematic analysis of the reviewed literature, the study examines instructional, transformational, and entrepreneurial leadership styles as key strategies for sustaining teacher professionalism, ensuring curriculum continuity, and fostering innovation during crises. The review reveals that instructional leadership provides a foundation for continuous professional support and uninterrupted teaching and learning, while transformational and entrepreneurial leadership enhance flexibility, collaborative problem-solving, and educational innovation during periods of disruption. However, the findings also indicate that limited school autonomy and inadequate resources significantly constrain principals' capacity to respond effectively to crises. The major contribution of this review is the development of a context-specific theoretical perspective that emphasizes the need for an integrated crisis management framework tailored to public secondary schools in resource-constrained settings. The study further recommends targeted leadership training in instructional, transformational, and entrepreneurial practices, alongside policy interventions to address systemic constraints and strengthen principals' crisis management capacity, thereby improving educational resilience and continuity in Ekiti State and similar contexts. Keywords: Principal Strategies; Crisis Management; Teachers; Public Secondary Schools; Educational Leadership